I'm considering staying in the Army as a Warrant Officer in Signal (specifically in information sytems), and I was wondering if there was anyone around that knew what that kinda job would be like. I guess it's gonna be like Basic: nothing can really prepare you--it can only be truly be understood first hand.

FYI:
WO-1 roughly tracks paywise with (maybe 5% less than) 0-1, CW-2 w/ 0-2 and so on. But a WO-1 can't get a bonus (stupid law), which...disinclines many Army soldiers from "going warrant," but I'm beginning to think it's worth it.

thx for the info,

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PFC Christopher Stevenson
US Army
Deployed (3 guesses where) since March 1, 2004

What is the difference between Warranted, Enlisted, and Commissioned personnals ?

Thanks in advance.

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CuSO4

Enlisted: not an officer. When you walk into the recruiting office and enlist, that's what you are.

Warranted: sort-of an officer. You're a non-commissioned officer (sergeant or equiv) and 'they' want to give you the power and responsibility of an officer without actually commissioning you, so they give you a 'warrant'.

Commissioned: you're an officer and a gentle(wo)man. AFAIK, you can't get here without higher education, usually including an officer candidate class of some kind. People that finish ROTC are commissioned as officers. (Time was, you could actually buy a commission, so your rank was a function of your wealth. Those days are gone)

N.B. Any or all of the preceding may be overruled by someone who actually spent some time in the military. I just went out with a ROTC girl in college...

-Z not in the armed forces, but willing to stick his nose in anyway

Rabid Crack Turtle 3.14159
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If G-d had wanted us to think for ourselves, He'd have given us brains.

Traditionally the Warrant Officer arose in navies in order to differentiate the noble or gentry types who were in charge from the grubby fellows who knew what they were doing with a boat. Warrants officers were officers but not gentlemen, in theory. Once the need for technically skilled personnel arose in armies (and later air forces) the principle was extended.

The US Army website has some much better explanations than what I've just written, IIRC.

In the Army, a Warrant Officer is an officer that's (usually) without a command. They are experts in their field of training--far more so than enlisted. Helicopter pilots are probably the best known warrants in the Army.

In the Signal Corps (where I work) you would see enlisted soldiers (privates and sergeants) running cables and monitoring equipment, officers as administrators, and warrant officers as technicians to fix snags (and be trivia experts on the equipment).

There are warrant officers pretty much for any large category of equipment the Army has--I've seen 'em for vehicles (HMMWVs), communication equipment, and computers. I'm sure there's a lot more than what I've met.

Enlisted are promoted (or is it issed a warant?) to a warrant officer when they meet a certain set of requirements: E-5 pay grade (sergeant), the Peer Leadership and Development Class (PLDC), 30 college credits, and a recomendation from an existing warrant officer. (I may be missing a couple, and up to 2 of these are wavierable, meaning that with authorization they can be ignored.)

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PFC Christopher Stevenson
US Army
Deployed (3 guesses where) since March 1, 2004
Geez, now I feel a bit like a recruiter...