Vet News: New Program Aimed at Creating Warrant Officers within the States

ARLINGTON, Va., February 28, 2006 -- The Army National Guard is running a pilot program designed to evaluate, train and graduate technical warrant officers in order to fill a large number of vacancies within the 54 states and territories.

The Warrant Officer Candidate School – Reserve Component, or WOCS-RC, is intended to give enlisted Soldiers holding the rank of sergeant and above the chance to complete the training necessary to become warrant officers.

It gives them another option to become a warrant officer without having to spend 33 straight days attending the reserve component Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Ala.

“Some employers say, ‘You get one weekend a month and two weeks a year and that’s it,’” said Maj. Scottie Moore, an Army Guard training officer at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Monroe, Va. “Through this program, they get the same training to the same standards they would get at Fort Rucker, only presented in a different way.”

The Army Training System Course is split into three phases:

Phase 1, distance learning, is designed to test applicants. It tests Soldiers’ military knowledge including common tasks and warrior skills. Once registered into the Army Training Requirements and Resources System through their state schools manager, candidates either log into the class from their home computer or participate at their local distributive learning (DL) center.

“During the DL phase, the applicants are being screened,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christopher Serio, the senior warrant officer advisor for the deputy commanding general of the Army National Guard at TRADOC. “We need to make sure they have a solid foundation as a Soldier before they can proceed in the course.”

After successfully completing the DL phase, candidates spend the next five monthly drills in Phase 2 which is offered at 13 regional training institutes across the country. They attend classes dealing with operations, military history and leadership.

Finally, warrant officer candidates attend Phase 3, a rigorous, field intensive two-week course where they test their warrior skills, physical, mental abilities and other advanced Soldier training using real war scenarios within a contemporary operating environment. The phase is wrapped up with a traditional 12-mile tactical road march.

“This gives warrant candidates the chance to practice their field craft, as they are technical leaders as well as warrior leaders,” said Serio. “The program prepares them for both important roles.”

After completing the final phase, graduates will be appointed as warrant officers in the Army National Guard or U.S. Army Reserve. Once appointed, warrants must complete their designated Warrant Officer Basic Course within two years.

During that course, they learn advanced technical skills in their field as well as supervisory skills and techniques specific to warrant officers, setting them apart from the generalist, strategic officer.

“The necessity of this program for the Army National Guard is already evidenced by the need to double our quotas,” said Command Chief Warrant Officer Roger Perry of the Delaware Army National Guard who has been burning the midnight oil orchestrating this pilot program among the 13 states participating in the pilot program.

The program now underway will begin Phase 2 in April with approximately 140 National Guard candidates and 20 Army Reserve candidates enrolled. The two-week Phase 3 will take place at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

Non-commissioned officers, sergeant E-5 and above, interested in applying for next year’s WOCS-RC course should contact their state command chief warrant officer for details.

Eligibility – Army National Guard applicants must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 46
• Score 110 or above on the General Aptitude Area Test
• Be a high school graduate or pass the General Education Development test (GED)
• Be a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization
• Pass all events on the Army Physical Fitness Test
• Meet certain mandatory technical qualifications for their specific MOS
• Meet certain medical, security and licensing requirements depending on their specific MOS

For more details, read DA Circular 601-Series for the current requirements and information.

SOURCE: VNIS