Warrant officer - Definition and Overview

A warrant officer (WO) or a chief warrant officer (CWO) is a member of a military organization, with a rank subordinate to other commissioned officers and senior to noncommissioned officers.

The warrant officer corps began in the 13th century in the nascent British Royal Navy. At that time, nobles assumed command of the new Navy, adopting the Army ranks of lieutenant and captain. These officers often had no knowledge of life on board a ship —let alone how to navigate such a vessel or operate the guns— and relied on the expertise and cooperation of a senior sailor who tended to the technical aspects of running the ship and operating the cannons.

These sailors became indispensable to less-experienced officers and were rewarded with a royal warrant. This warrant was a special designation, designed to set them apart from other sailors, yet not violate the strict class system that was prevalent during the time.

United Kingdom

In the British armed forces, a warrant officer is effectively a senior non-commissioned officer, although he or she holds the Queen's (or King's) warrant. Warrant officers are not saluted, but are usually addressed by their juniors as Sir or Ma'am.

British Army

In the British Army, there are two warrant ranks, warrant officer class 2 (WO2) and warrant officer class 1 (WO1), which is the senior of the two. It used to be more common to refer to these ranks as WOII and WOI (using Roman instead of Arabic numerals). The rank immediately below WO2 is staff sergeant.

Every warrant officer has an appointment, and is usually referred to by his appointment rather than by his rank.

Warrant officers were generally introduced throughout the British Army under Army Order 70 of 1915, although a few appointments had been warranted before that time (the first in 1879, when conductors of Stores and Supplies were warranted). These earlier warranted appointments, and some others, became WOIs. The appointments that were designated WOIIs had previously been senior sergeants.

WO2s wear a crown on the lower sleeve, surrounded by a wreath for Quartermaster Sergeants (for all WOIIs from 1938 to 1947). Appointments held by WO2s include:

WO1s wear a royal coat of arms on the lower sleeve, which may be surrounded by a wreath depending on appointment. Appointments held by WO1s include:

From 1938, there was also a rank of Warrant Officer Class III. The only appointments held by this rank were Platoon Sergeant Major, Troop Sergeant Major and Section Sergeant Major. The WOIII wore a crown on his lower sleeve. The rank was placed in suspension in 1940 and no new appointments were made, but it was never officially abolished.

WOs are officially designated using their rank and appointment. For instance, WO2 (CSM) Smith or WO1 (BM) Jones. However, they would usually be referred to as CSM Smith and Bandmaster Jones. WO2s are often referred to as Sergeant Major, Corporal Major, Quartermaster Sergeant or Quartermaster Corporal (or Q) as appropriate, but WO1s are only ever referred to using their full appointment or its abbreviation (RSM White or Garrison Sergeant Major Black, for instance).

The three most senior warrant officer appointments in the British Army are generally considered to be, in descending order of seniority, the Conductors, the Academy Sergeant Major and the Garrison Sergeant Major, London District, although there is some debate about their precedence within the army.

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force inherited the ranks of Warrant Officer Class I and II from the Royal Flying Corps, part of the Army, in 1918. It also inherited the rank badges of the Royal Arms and a crown respectively. Until the 1930s, these ranks were often known as Sergeant Major 1st and 2nd Class. In 1939 the RAF abolished the rank of WOII and retained WOI as simple Warrant Officer, which it remains to this day. The RAF has no equivalent to WO2 (NATO OR-8), WO being equivalent to WO1 (NATO OR-9) and wearing the Royal Arms. Warrant officers are addressed and referred to as Mr (Mr Smith etc).

In 1946, the RAF renamed its aircrew warrant officers Master Aircrew, a designation which still survives. In 1950, it renamed warrant officers in technical trades Master Technicians, a designation which only survived until 1964.

United States

In the United States military, a warrant officer was originally, and strictly, a highly skilled, single-track specialty officer. But as many chief warrant officers assume positions as officer in charge or department head, along with the high number of bachelor's and master degree's held within the community, their contribution and expertise as a community is ever-increasing.

There are no "warrant officers" per se in the U.S. Navy, but rather "chief warrant officer" is the correct title. In the U.S. Navy, a sailor must be in one of the top three enlisted ranks to be eligible to become a chief warrant officer.

In the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines, a person can progress to the warrant officer rank at a grade lower than E-7, and thus have a longer career and greater opportunity to serve and grow.

Upon the initial appointment to W-1 a warrant is given by the secretary of the service, and upon promotion to chief warrant officer (CWO-2 and above,) they are commissioned by the president of the United States, take the same oath and receive the same commission and charges as commissioned officers, thus deriving their authority from the same source.

Chief warrant officers can and do command detachments, units, activities, and vessels as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. As leaders and technical experts, they provide valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field.

Even when commissioned, they remain specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers who are generalists, though many chief warrant officers fill lieutenant and lieutenant commander billets throughout the US Navy.

In the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines, CWO's may fill position normally held by more senior officers as well. The US Army has many pilots within the CWO community, which differs in philosophy from the other uniformed services. Often in a battalion sized unit, the assistant personnel officer (S-1) and the motor pool officer are warrant officers.

Each branch of the military "runs" the "Chief Warrant Officer" program in slightly different ways. Little is known or published concerning the Chief Warrant Officer, and consequently they are often misuunderstood by the unindoctrinated.

A Chief Warrant Officer's benefits and privileges are roughly comparable to those of a junior commissioned officer, and should be at or above those of senior enlisted. A W-1 is paid the same as an O-1 (second lieutenant or ensign), a CW-2 the same as a 0-2 (first lieutenant), and so forth.

Air Force

The United States Air Force had warrant officer ranks from 1947 to 1986, after which time there were no further warrant officers appointed in the Air Force.

The last Air Force Warrant Officer retired in the mid 1990s, and since that point the Air Force rank of Warrant Officer has been considered obsolete.

Army

The U.S. Army warrant officer is the highly specialized expert and trainer who, by gaining progressive levels of expertise and leadership, operates, maintains, administers, and manages the Army's equipment, support activities, or technical systems for an entire career. The Army program began with the warranted Headquarters Clerk in 1896.

Marine Corps

The U.S. Marine Corps has warranted officers since 1916 as technical specialists who perform duties that require extensive knowledge, training and experience with particular systems or equipment. Their duties and responsibilities are of a nature beyond those required of senior noncommissioned officers. Marine Corps warrant officers provide experience and stability in the officer ranks in critical specialty areas. The primary purpose for warrant officers is to create and maintain a selected body of personnel with special knowledge of a particular military specialty.

Within the U.S. Marine Corps, the term "gunner" is used in place of "warrant officer" or "chief warrant officer" when addressing or referring to the warrant officer. This term of address is considered informal or "friendly" and its use is highly dependent on the protocol required by the particular situation and the warrant officer's expectations regarding military conduct and courtesy. Normally, it is considered disrespectful for a non-NCO (E-1 to E-3) to address a warrant officer as "gunner". By custom, NCO's and commissioned officers use the term only if situation is informal and is accepted by the warrant officer and his superiors.

Navy

In the U.S. Navy, warrant officers are technical specialists whose skills and knowledge were an essential part of the proper operation of the ship. Based on the British model, the U.S. Navy has had warrant officers among its ranks, in some form or another, since December 23, 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brig USS Andrea Doria. That warrant was considered a patent of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command.

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