Warrant officer ( United States ) In the United States Armed Forces , the rank of warrant officer ( grade W - 1 to CW - 5 ) ( " NATO : WO1 - WO5 " ) is rated as an officer above the senior - most enlisted ranks , as well as officer cadets , midshipmen and candidates , but below the officer grade of O - 1 ( " NATO : OF - 1 " ) . Warrant officers are highly skilled , single - track specialty officers , and while the ranks are authorized by Congress , each branch of the uniformed services selects , manages , and utilizes warrant officers in slightly different ways . For appointment to warrant officer one ( W - 1 ) , a warrant is approved by the secretary of the respective service . For " chief warrant officer " ranks ( W - 2 to W - 5 ) , warrant officers are commissioned by the President of the United States and take the same oath as regular commissioned officers ( O - 1 to O - 10 ) . While the term ' warrant officer ' is used by many military services the world over , the category of officers to which the United States applies the term is unique to the U . S . armed forces . Care should thus be exercised when interpreting the phrase in international contexts . In most other militaries , such as those of the Commonwealth , " warrant officer " refers to NATO OR - 8 and OR - 9 , the equivalent of American master sergeant s , senior chief petty officer s , sergeants major , and master chief petty officer s . Warrant officers can and do command detachments , unit s , activities , vessels , aircraft , and armored vehicles as well as lead , coach , train , and counsel subordinates . However , the warrant officer ' s primary task as a leader is to serve as a technical expert , providing valuable skills , guidance , and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field . Navy . In the United States Navy , the chief warrant officer ( CWO ) rank is a technical specialist who directs specific activities essential to the proper operation of the ship , which also require commissioned officer authority . Navy CWOs serve in 30 specialties covering five categories . CWO should not be confused with the limited duty officer in the Navy . CWOs perform duties that are directly related to their previous enlisted service and specialized training . This allows the Navy to capitalize on the experience of CWOs without having to frequently transition them to other duty assignments for advancement . With the exception of the Navy ' s short - lived flying chief warrant officer program , all Navy warrant officers are accessed from the chief petty officer pay grades , E - 7 through E - 9 , analogous to a senior non - commissioned officer in the other services . Background . The United States Navy has had warrant officers among its ranks since 23 December 1775 , when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brigantine , USS " Andrew Doria " . That warrant was considered a patent of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command . Since this first appointment , Navy warrant officers have held positions as surgeons , master mates , boatswains , carpenters , and chaplains . Until 1912 , a midshipman graduating from the United States Naval Academy was required to have two years of sea duty as a warrant officer before receiving a commission as an ensign . Although based on the British Royal Navy warrant officer ranks that were in place until 1949 , the United States had never needed to address an issue of aristocracy , which resulted in warranted officers in the Royal Navy . However , the United States Navy experienced a similar issue of rank , where highly competent senior non - commissioned officers are required to report to inexperienced junior officers , giving rise to special status to the Navy ' s chief warrant officers . In 1975 , the Navy ceased utilizing the rank of warrant officer 1 ( WO1 ) , also known as pay grade W - 1 , because chief petty officers in pay grades E - 7 and above with many years in service would lose pay when appointed to the rank of warrant officer . The Navy appoints their warrant officers directly to the rank of CWO2 ( i . e . , as chief warrant officers ) , and are " commissioned " officers , with the Navy Personnel Command / Bureau of Personnel ( NAVPERSCOM / BUPERS ) managing all grades ( CWO2 through CWO5 ) by billet s appropriate for each rank . In past years , some CWOs resigned their warrant commission prior to retirement in order to receive greater retirement pay at their former senior enlisted rank . However , this pay disparity has effectively disappeared in recent years and all Navy CWOs now retire at the appropriate officer grade . Flying chief warrant officer . The Navy started a test program called the " Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program " in 2006 to acquire additional Naval Aviator s ( pilots ) and Naval Flight Officer s ( NFOs ) who would fly naval aircraft , but who would not compete with traditional unrestricted line officers in naval aviation for eventual command of squadrons , air wings , air stations , etc . , the numbers of which had been greatly reduced in the post - Cold War era . Enlisted sailors in the grades E - 5 through E - 7 who had at least an associate ' s degree and were not currently serving in the diver , master - at - arms , nuclear , SEAL , SWCC or EOD communities were eligible to apply . Upon being commissioned as CWO2 , selectees underwent warrant officer indoctrination and then flight school for 18 to 30 months . After completion of flight school , selectees were placed in one of four types of squadrons : shipboard maritime strike / anti - submarine helicopter ( HSM ) and combat support helicopter ( HSC ) , and land - based fixed - wing maritime patrol and reconnaissance ( VP ) and fleet air reconnaissance ( VQ ) . These pilots and NFOs were then trained to operate the P - 3 Orion , the EP - 3E Aries II , the E - 6 Mercury , or variants of the MH - 60 , SH - 60 and HH - 60 Seahawk . Those in the VP community would also eventually qualify to fly the P - 8 Poseidon once that aircraft began replacing the P - 3 in 2012 . The Navy reevaluated the program in 2011 , when the last of the " flying " chief warrant officers reported to their operational Fleet squadrons and opted to subsequently terminate the program . Army . History . The Army warrant officer traces lineage to the civilian headquarters clerk , later designated the Army field clerk . An Army Judge Advocate General review determined that field clerks should be members of the military . Legislation in 1916 authorized those positions as military . On 9 July 1918 , Congress established the rank and grade of warrant officer concurrent with establishing the Army Mine Planter Service ( AMPS ) within the Coast Artillery Corps . Creation of the Mine Planter Service replaced an informal service crewed by civilians , replacing them with military personnel , of whom the vessel ' s master , mates , chief engineer , and assistant engineers were Army warrant officers . The official color of the Warrant Officer Corps was based on the brown sleeve insignia of rank for ship ' s officers of the Army Mine Planter ( AMP ) . Since that time , the position of warrant officer in the Army has been refined . On August 21 , 1941 Congress authorized two grades : warrant officer ( junior grade ) ( W1 ) and chief warrant officer ( W2 ) . In 1942 , there were temporary appointments in about 40 occupational areas . The insignia for warrant officer ( junior grade ) was a gold bar 3 / 8 inch ( 0 . 95 cm ) wide and 1 inch ( 2 . 54 cm ) long , rounded at the ends with brown enamel on top and a latitudinal center of gold 1 / 8 ( 0 . 32 cm ) inch wide . The insignia for chief warrant officer was a gold bar 3 / 8 inch ( 0 . 95 cm ) in width and 1 inch ( 2 . 54 cm ) in length with rounded ends , brown enamel on top with a longitudinal center stripe of gold 1 / 8 inch wide ( 0 . 32 cm ) . In July 18 , 1942 Public Law 658 ( Flight Officer Act ) was enacted , creating the rank of flight officer - or warrant officer ( air ) - in the W1 pay grade and assigned to the U . S . Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) . Insignia was the same as for a warrant officer ( junior grade ) , except the backing was in blue enamel rather than brown . Most flight officers were graduates of various USAAF flight training programs , including pilot , navigator and bombardier ratings . Graduates were appointed to the rating of flight officer or warrant officer ( air ) , but a portion of each graduating class were commissioned as second lieutenant s . Once reaching operational units and after gaining flying experience , flight officers were later offered direct commissions as lieutenants . Flight sergeants , who were assigned as transport and glider pilots , were appointed as flight officers when the new rank was created . Some of the first eligible flight officers were Americans who had served as sergeant pilots in the Royal Air Force and who transferred to the USAAF after the U . S . entered the war . The " Flight Officer Act " also authorized the warrant officer ( ground ) rank . Insignia was the same as for a warrant officer or chief warrant officer , except the backing was in red enamel rather than brown . They were USAAF warrant officers and chief warrant officers who had duties as part of the support staff on the ground , like meteorologists , armorers , ordnancemen , and radar operators . Aircrew radio operators were trained by the Army Signals Corps and commissioned as lieutenants but were assigned to the USAAF . Bombardiers , navigators and co - pilots were considered warrant officer ( air ) appointments , but wore red - enamel chief warrant officer ( ground ) insignia to avoid being mistaken for the pilot , the commander of the aircraft . Warrant officers ( air ) were considered superior to warrant officers ( ground ) . Warrant officers in the Army Air Forces were considered senior by precedence to warrant officers in the Army ground forces when on air bases or in USAAF matters ( and vice - versa when on Army bases ) . In November 1942 , the War Department defined the rank order as having warrant officers above all enlisted grades and below all commissioned grades . In 1944 , the first women were appointed to the warrant officer grades . In 1947 , legislation was sought to introduce four grades of warrant officer . Proposed rank titles were : chief warrant officer , senior warrant officer , warrant officer first class , and warrant officer . In 1949 , the grades of W - 3 and W - 4 were created . The rank titles were changed however : chief warrant officer , warrant officer first class , warrant officer second class , and warrant officer third class . In 1953 , the warrant officer flight program was created , which trained thousands of warrant officer pilots . In 1954 , the rank of chief warrant officer now comprised the W - 2 , W - 3 , and W - 4 grades . In 1988 , the rank of master warrant officer was created in the grade of W - 4 with chief warrant officer . At the end of 1991 , the grade of W - 5 was created for the same rank of chief warrant officer as well , using the master warrant officer insignia . Mission and use . The Army warrant officer is a technical expert , combat leader , trainer , and advisor in 45 basic military occupational specialties . They serve in 15 branches of the service , spanning the Active Component ( i . e . , Regular Army ) , the Army National Guard , and the U . S . Army Reserve . Warrant officers command the Army ' s waterborne and seagoing vessels , most Army Bands and as aircraft commanders of most Army Aviation aircraft . In addition , they may be found in command of various small units and detached teams . The Army uses warrant officers to serve in specific positions which require greater longevity than the billet duration of commanders and other staff officers . The duration of these assignments result in increased technical expertise as well as increased leadership and management skills . Regardless of rank , Army warrant officers are officially addressed as Mister ( Mrs . , Miss , Ms . ) . Unofficially , the informal title of " Chief " is often used as a familiar form of address . British forces who work with the U . S . Army often call chief warrant officers " CWO " as British forces usually abbreviate ranks . Training . The body of warrant officers in the Army is composed of two communities : technicians and aviators . Technicians typically must be enlisted sergeant s ( E - 5 , " NATO : OR - 5 " ) or above in a related specialty to qualify to become a warrant officer . A waiver may be granted on a case - by - case basis if the applicant has comparable experience in the government service and / or the civilian sector . The aviation field is open to all applicants , military or civilian , who meet the stringent medical and aptitude requirements . After selection to the warrant officer program , candidates attend Warrant Officer Candidate School ( WOCS ) , which is developed and administered by the Warrant Officer Career College at Fort Rucker , Alabama . Army candidates on active duty must attend the course at Fort Rucker . Candidates in the Army Reserve or National Guard attend the course either at Fort Rucker , or one of the National Guard ' s Regional Training Institutes . After graduation , all candidates are promoted to warrant officer one . Technicians attend training at their respective branch ' s warrant officer basic course ( WOBC ) , where they study advanced subjects in their technical area before moving on to their assignments in the Army . Aviation branched warrant officers remain at Fort Rucker to complete flight training and the aviation WOBC . Special Forces warrant officer candidates from both the active and reserve force components attend the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course ( SFWOTTC ) at the Special Forces Warrant Officer Institute , John F . Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School , Fort Bragg , North Carolina . The course includes both WOCS and WOBC , tailored to the unique training and experience of the Special Forces Sergeant . Candidates must be a staff sergeant ( E - 6 , " NATO : OR - 6 " ) and above , and have served three years on an operational detachment . In 2008 , the Army tested limited training of warrant officers at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth , a course normally reserved exclusively for majors ) . The CGSC Class of 2009 included five warrant officers , and the Class of 2010 included nine warrant officers . Three 2010 graduates continued on to higher - level training at the School of Advanced Military Studies ( SAMS ) in 2011 . Coast Guard . Chief warrant officers in the Coast Guard may be found in command of larger small boat stations and patrol boats , as specialists and supervisors in other technical areas , and as special agents in the Coast Guard Investigative Service . They wear insignia essentially like that of their Navy counterparts , but with the USCG shield between the rank insignia and the specialty mark , as Coast Guard commissioned officers do with their rank insignia . Like their Navy counterparts , candidates for the rank of chief warrant officer must typically be serving in the chief petty officer grades ( E - 7 through E - 9 ) , however , the Coast Guard also permits selection of first class petty officers ( E - 6 ) who are in the top 50 % on their advancement list to E - 7 . Like the Navy , the Coast Guard does not use the rank of warrant officer ( WO1 ) . Although authorized in 1994 , the Coast Guard also does not currently use the CWO5 grade . Marine Corps . History . The Marine Corps has had warranted officers since 1916 when the Commandant of the Marine Corps made a request to the Secretary of the Navy for the creation of two warrant grades , marine gunner and quartermaster clerk . Those appointed were to be selected from the non - commissioned officer ranks . On 26 August 1916 , Congress increased the Corps strength , which included adding the rank of warrant officer ; 43 marine gunners and 41 quartermaster clerks would be appointed . It is strongly believed that the first marine gunner was Henry L . Hulbert . On 22 May 1917 , due to commissioned officer shortages , all but three of the appointees were commissioned as temporary second lieutenants . In 1918 , the grade of pay clerk was added . In June , 1926 Congress created the commissioned warrant grades of chief marine gunner , chief quartermaster clerk and chief pay clerk . Requirements for promotion to chief warrant officer were six years of service as a warrant officer and an examination to qualify . During World War II , Congress abolished the titles of marine gunner , chief marine gunner , quartermaster clerk , chief quartermaster clerk , pay clerk and chief pay clerk . Instead they would be designated warrant officer or commissioned warrant officer . In 1943 , all marine warrant officer ranks were aligned with the other services . They were warrant officer and commissioned warrant officer . Then in 1949 , the grade of WO ( paygrade W - 1 ) was created for warrant officers and CWO2 , CWO3 and CWO4 ( paygrades W - 2 , W - 3 , and W - 4 ) were created for commissioned warrant officers . In 1954 title " chief warrant officer " replaced " commissioned warrant officer " for those in grades CWO2 , CWO3 and CWO4 . On 1 February 1992 the grade of CWO5 ( paygrade W - 5 ) was created and those who are appointed serve on the highest unit echelon levels . Only 5 percent of chief warrant officers occupy this grade . Today . The duties US Marine warrant officers typically fulfill are those that would normally call for the authority of a commissioned officer . However , they require an additional level of technical proficiency and practical experience that a commissioned officer would not have had the opportunity to achieve . An enlisted marine can apply for the warrant officer program after serving at least eight years of enlisted service , and reaching the grade of sergeant ( paygrade E - 5 ) for the administrative warrant officer program or after serving at least sixteen years of enlisted service and reaching the grade of gunnery sergeant ( paygrade E - 7 ) for the weapons warrant officer program . If the Marine NCO is selected , he or she is given additional leadership and management training during the Warrant Officer Basic Course ( WOBC ) , conducted at The Basic School in Quantico , Virginia . US Air Force . The United States Air Force no longer uses the warrant officer grade . The USAF inherited warrant officer ranks from the Army at its inception in 1947 , but their place in the Air Force structure was never made clear . When Congress authorized the creation of two new senior enlisted ranks in each of the five services in 1958 and began implementing same in 1959 - 60 , Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new " super grades " of Senior Master Sergeant and Chief Master Sergeant could fill all Air Force needs then performed at the warrant officer level , although this was not publicly acknowledged until years later . The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959 , the same year the first promotions were made to the new top enlisted grade , chief master sergeant . Most of the existing air force warrant officers entered the commissioned officer ranks during the 1960s , but tiny numbers continued to exist for the next 21 years . The last active duty air force chief warrant officer , CWO4 James H . Long , retired in 1980 . The last Air Force Reserve chief warrant officer , CWO4 Bob Barrow , retired in 1992 . Upon his retirement , Barrow was honorarily promoted to CWO5 , the only person in the Air Force ever to hold this grade . Barrow died in April 2008 . Since Barrow ' s retirement , air force warrant officer ranks , while still authorized by law , are not used . Public Health Service Commissioned Corps . , and of the U . S . Code of law establishes the use of warrant officers ( W - 1 to W - 4 ) with specific specialties to the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for the purpose of providing support to the health and delivery systems maintained by the service , however the grades have never been used in Public Health Service history to date .