Warrant Officers

This is the first of two Flight School videos of U.S. Army helicopters in action. Kiowa Warriors, Apache, Chinook, Blackhawk, OH-6, even the Comanche, which was a futuristic concept helicopter that the Army never manufactured.

The opening scene was from an older flight school video using the “Thunderstruck” track from AC/DC. Then it rolls into a helicopter gunnery video to the tune “Magic Carpet Ride”.

UPDATED Sample_Packet_NOV_2009 – UPDATED JAN 2010

This new packet includes the updated resume format.

 
Age limit for 153A Aviation Application increased to 33 years!

Must be at least 18, but not have reached their 33rd birthday at the convening of the selection board
Waivers will be considered for applicants with exceptional qualifications and only on a case by case basis.

The Army Warrant Officer Recruiting Home Page – This is your best source of information for becoming a Warrant Officer. It also links to the board schedule, results of the selection boards, and the status of your packet once it is submitted.

History of the Warrant Officer – From the Warrant Officer Career Center

Warrant Officer Candidate School – WOCS

GoArmy.com’s Warrant Officer page – More info from the Army

Warrant Officer Checklist

If you are currently deployed – click here

Steps to Determine Eligibility for the Warrant Officer Program

 
The following information will assist you in determining eligibility and submitting your application.

 

General Information On The Warrant Officer Program

Warrant Officers are technical and tactical leaders who specialize, throughout an entire career, in a specific technical area. The Army Warrant Officer Corps comprises less than three percent of the total Army. Although small in size, the level of responsibility is immense and only the very best will be selected to become Warrant Officers. Benefits include extended career opportunities, worldwide leadership assignments, and increased pay and retirement benefits.

Non-Army Personnel -
A joint service agreement allows service members who are selected for this program to be discharged from their component and enlisted in the Army. Applicants must apply for this program while on active duty and must have two years remaining on their enlistment contract; civilians must contact their local Army recruiter. Applications are forwarded from the individual to Headquarters United States Army Recruiting Command, USAREC. After screening, the application is forwarded to the appropriate proponent who evaluates the applicants’ technical experience and determines if the applicant is qualified to compete against other qualified applicants for the limited warrant officer positions. Applications from those who are not technically qualified will be returned to the applicant without further processing. Further requirements for Non-Army personnel are listed below under “Additional Requirements For Non-Army Personnel”.

A selection board will consider fully qualified applications. Selection is highly competitive and board members select applicants based upon the whole person concept. Leadership and technical abilities will be evaluated and only the best qualified will be selected.

Steps To Determine Eligibility For The Warrant Officer Program

The steps below provide guidance on how to use this web site (www.usarec.army.mil/warrant) to determine eligibility and if eligible, how to submit an application. Review the steps below and explore all of the pages in this web site to determine if you are eligible for any WO MOS before beginning an application.

STEP 1:

View the recruiting branch’s most current presentation. WOBrief.ppt

STEP 2:NON-WAIVERABLE CRITERIA

(A soldier must meet these six Non-Waiverable criteria before applying for the Warrant Officer Program)

1. US Citizenship

2. General Technical (GT) score of 110 or higher

3. High school graduate or have a GED

4. Secret security clearance (Interim secret is acceptable to apply)

5. Pass the standard 3-event Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet height/weight standards

6. Pass the appointment physical for technicians or the Class 1A flight physical for Aviators

STEP 3:
Determine the Warrant Officer (WO) Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for which you might be qualified. The most common MOS that personnel from other services are eligible to apply for is 153A (Rotary Wing Aviator) because this MOS requires no prior skills or training. For this MOS you must be less than 33 years of age by the convene date of the board (or request a waiver) and have 20/50 distant visual acuity, correctable with spectacles to 20/20, also
note there is an Aeromedical refractive error exception to policy (LASIK/PRK information). All other Warrant Officer (WO) Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) require you to be at least pay grade E5 or higher with 4-6 years experience in a skill that is closely associated with a WO MOS. Review the Prerequisites and Duty Descriptions part of this web site to determine if you are doing very similar work to one of the WO MOSs.

STEP 4:
To apply for any WO MOS you must meet the minimum prerequisites or ask for a prerequisite waiver. You must submit a separate waiver for each prerequisite you do not meet. In your prerequisite waiver(s) you must explain how you obtained the equivalent knowledge or experience required by the prerequisite through training or experience in your service. You can gauge the training/experience required by a prerequisite by first reviewing the WO MOS duty description. If you have been doing very similar work as that described in the WO MOS duty description, then you probably have good justification for requesting a waiver. Approval is granted only if the Army proponent for that MOS feels you have the skills and experience that justify approving the waiver.

STEP 5:
The prime candidate for WO has 5 – 8 years of active federal service (AFS) and meets all other prerequisites. You can apply regardless of AFS but require a waiver if you have 12 years or more of AFS. The standard for approving an AFS waiver is more stringent than for a prerequisite waiver.

STEP 6:
If either of these two waivers apply – prerequisite or AFS – you must submit them with your application to determine if the waivers will be approved. You cannot submit the waiver first and wait for the outcome to determine if you should submit an application. If any of the waivers are not approved, then you are not qualified and your application will be returned.

STEP 7:
In addition to meeting the prerequisites for the WO MOS – or requesting a waiver, Non-Army personnel must complete the additional requirements described below in the “Additional Requirements For Non-Army Personnel” section.

STEP 8:
Download the sample application – this is the complete packet with forms and will serve as your guide and checklist. Once you have the sample packet you are well on your way to preparing an outstanding application.

STEP 9:
If requesting MOS 153A (Aviator), you will need to:

a. Schedule an Alternate Flight Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST) and a Class 1A Army flight physical. You should first try to schedule the AFAST through your education services officer. Next option is to schedule at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) through an Army recruiter. The Army has DA pamphlet 611-256-2 regarding AFAST for more information. Your FINAL option is to contact Ms. Zeina Zannelli at Human Resource Command (HRC) to schedule testing. Click here to see what documents and information are required. You can contact Ms. Zannelli at (703) 325-2673 or by email at Zeina.Zannelli@hoffman.army.mil She can assist you with scheduling your AFAST test. Please do not call her about other requirements for the WO program, instead you should contact a recruiter. You should get a study guide from an education center, library, bookstore, or online bookstore before testing and study diligently to achieve the best score.

b. The physical is scheduled and completed at your servicing hospital, but must be approved by the Aeromedical Center at Ft. Rucker before you can include a copy in your application.

Commander

USAAMC

ATTN: MCXY-AER (AAMA)

FORT RUCKER, AL 36362-5333

___________________________________________________

Additional Requirements For Non-Army Personnel

1. Army General Technical (GT) score of 110 or higher. The GT portion of the ASVAB test must be converted to an Army GT score. Contact Mrs. Zannelli at Total Army Personnel Command (TAPERSCOM) to assist with the conversion of scores.

2.Approved conditional release: This is a memorandum granting approval of separation contingent upon selection into the warrant officer program. Approval authority for each service is listed below:

- Navy: COMNAVPERSCOM, 5720
Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055

- Air Force: Hqs Air Force
Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, TX

(Note: If AFPC requires a Letter of Interest (LOI) before granting your conditional release, you
can email your request to us from this web site. Please provide your Full Name, Rank, and SSN. A warrant officer recruiter will reply with your LOI.

- Marines: Hqs, USMC, Manpower
& Reserve Affairs (MMSR 3), 3280 Russell Rd., Quantico, VA
22134-5103

- Coast Guard: US Dept of Trans,
2100 Second Street S.W. Washington DC 20593

3. Army 3-event physical fitness test (APFT): push-ups, sit-ups, and 2 mile run administered by an Army E7 or above. Check with a nearby Army installation or the local Army recruiting office for someone to administer the test. The APFT score is valid for 6 months but should not be close to expiration when forwarding the packet. Results must be recorded on DA Form 705, signed by an Army E7 or above, and included in the packet. Be sure to read the Test Procedures in Training Manual 21-20 that address the instructions and additional points for each event before testing. If you pass the APFT to standard, you should not have trouble passing this event while attending the Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS).

4.Personnel data record equivalent of the Army Enlisted Record Brief (ERB). Equivalent forms are listed below:

- Navy: Personnel data record
pages 1, 4, and 5

- Air Force: RIP pages 1 – 13

- Marines: Master Brief Sheet (MBS)
(Usually only 1 page)

- Coast Guard: Personnel data
record pages 1, 3, 4, and 5

5.Official Military Personnel File. As a minimum, this file contains your enlistment and reenlistment documents, awards, evaluations, training certificates, and promotion orders. If your personnel records are not on microfiche, then a hard copy of these documents are sufficient. Documents missing from your record should be provided in hard copy. It is your responsibility to ensure your records are accurate and current.

6.An applicant can now apply with 15 months remaining on his or her current active duty enlistment. The reference to a two-year requirement will remain on our web site until AR 611-85 is published eliminating the two-year requirement. Reenlistment or extension documents are needed if your personnel records do not
reflect at least 15 months or more remaining on your active duty contract. This must be completed before submitting application.

7.The above requirements must be met, in addition to, or in place of the other requirements in the sample application and governing regulations. Include the supporting document that proves you have completed each requirement as a part of your application.

Information On What To Expect After Selection Into The Warrant Officer Program

Those selected for the Warrant Officer Program will be notified by Department of the Army (DA) about 90 days after the board adjourns. DA establishes a reporting date to Ft Rucker, AL based upon MOS requirements. Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) will then publish your orders with authorized travel time to Ft Rucker. Upon arrival, you will be given your basic issue and time to resolve any military related problems, i.e. pay, uniform, etc. You will be paid as an E5, or your current pay grade if higher, and begin wearing the WOC brass.

(Please see page on Information on Discharge from Current Service and Enlistment into the Army).

Selectees will attend the six week, four day Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) similar to basic training or boot camp. Visit the Warrant Officer Career Center on the web for a welcome packet and more information on the candidate school. This course is designed to evaluate leadership and management skills. Soldiers will be appointed as a Warrant Officer One (WO1) upon successful completion of WOCS. Soldiers who fail to successfully complete WOCS will serve the remainder of their four-year enlistment based upon the needs of the Army. All Warrant Officers have an initial obligation of six years, which will be served on active duty as an Army Reserve Officer. Warrant Officers remain on active duty in the Army Reserve until promotion to CW3, normally between the seventh and eighth year of warrant officer service. Upon promotion to CW3, the Warrant Officer is integrated into the Regular Army.

Information On Discharge From Current Service And Enlistment Into The Army

(Once Selected For The Warrant Officer Program)

NOTE: During the Discharge and Enlistment process, you must ensure that you arrange to enlist into the Army the next day after separation from your parent service. If you have a day or more break in service, or if you enlist on the same day as separation, you will not receive your correct pay and allowances until this discrepancy is corrected.
The process of correcting this discrepancy could take 3-6 months.

Warrant Officer (WO) selectees will receive instructions from Warrant Officer Accessions, Total Army Personnel Command (TAPERSCOM) 90 days after selection and will report back to an Army Recruiter with those instructions. The recruiter will complete the DD Form 1966 (enlistment contract) and SF 86 (no other forms are required) and schedule WO selectee for processing based on the instructions from TAPERSCOM. The recruiter will then schedule the WO selectee into the Army Recruiting and Accession Data System (ARADS) for enlistment into the Army. WO selectees do not require a physical because a physical was taken as part of the application process.

WO selectees’ copy of the physical will have the physical category. WO selectee must enlist in the Army for a period of 4 years on the day scheduled. MEPS will administer the oath of enlistment and issue orders using AR 600-8-105 to assign Aviation WO selectee to HHC, Warrant Officer Career Center, Ft Rucker, AL.

All other WO selectees will be reassigned to their first WO assignment with TDY enroute at Ft Rucker, AL for the Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) and TDY enroute at their basic technical course (wherever the school is located). Movement of family members is authorized to the location where the WO selectee is to be permanently assigned after training.

Need Assistance?

  • Prior to contacting a recruiter, we ask that you please follows these guidelines:
    1. Review the entire USAREC site to answer commonly asked questions.
    2. Read FAQs.
    3. Contact the recruiters through the wo-team@usarec.army.mil address.
    4. The toll free number is 1-800-223-3735, ext. 6 and the last four of the phone number.
    5. The Branch fax number is DSN: 536-0938 or COM: (502) 626-0938.
    6. Rotating through SWA, Contact our multi-functional recruiter located in Kuwait
      Camp Arifjan (Zone 1, Bldg 134)
  • OIC Phone: 502-626-0328, DSN: 536: Business Cell 1-(877) 233-1506
  • NCOIC Phone: 502-626-1860, DSN: 536
  • Warrant Officer Recruiter Phone: 502-626-0466, DSN: 536
  • Warrant Officer Recruiter Phone: 502-626-0458, DSN: 536
  • Warrant Officer Recruiter Phone: 502-626-0484, DSN: 536
  • Warrant Officer Recruiter Phone: 502-626-0271, DSN: 536
  • If you still need assistance, follow these steps:
  • Review this entire site to answer commonly asked questions.
  • Read FAQ’s
  • Contact the recruiters through the wo-team@usarec.army.mil address. Keep in mind
  • each recruiter travels extensively and therefore may not be accessible by phone.
  • Refer to our briefing schedule page to contact a specific recruiter individually.
  • The toll free number is 1-800-223-3735, ext. 6 and the last four of the phone number.
  • The Branch fax number is DSN 536-0938 or commercial (502) 626-0938.
 
 
 
 

More useful info:

All the FAA practice tests online

http://www.armyflightschool.org/aviation.htm