Warrant Officers in other Armed forces and Enlisted

Personnel as Pilots
2LT CANTOR, 2LT GUILLERMO, 2LT JARINA, 2LT SARMIENTO

Review of Related Literature

1. Warrant Officers in other Armed Forces

Recognized as one of the oldest military grades in Western military
systems, Warrant Officers have traditionally been known to acquire technical
expertise and cooperation, wherein their skills and knowledge are essentials
on their special designation. Moreover, they are responsible for unique
missions in branches such as armor, intelligence, artillery, communications,
engineering, aviation, transportation, weapons and ammunition, and
maintenance (Welsh, 2006). Generally, these warrant officers are described
as officers belonging to the armed forces that hold a rank higher than a non-
commissioned officer and lower than a commissioned officer (Merriam-
Webster, n.d.)

Warrant officers are experts in specific military technology or

capabilities and possess warrants from their service secretaries. When
promoted to chief warrant officer 2, the lowest-ranking warrant officers, who
work under a warrant, start receiving commissions from the president. These
commissioned warrant officers serve as the president of the United States'
personal emissaries. In contrast to commissioned officers, who are
generalists, they obtain their authority from the same source as commissioned
officers yet continue to be experts. The Air Force does not have any warrant
officers (U.S. Department of Defense, n.d.-b)

Classified as the Army’s technical experts, these warrant officers

started with a very narrow and focused career path, however, as times go by,
broadening opportunities have also been created for them and they undergo
Advanced Military Studies Programs. After then, they are sent into
assignments throughout the operational Army who are mostly and likely
responsible for thinking creatively and critically and developing viable options
for their respective commanders (Vasquez, 2012).

A warrant officer uses highly specialized technical knowledge.

a. Recruitment and Selection

From the U.S. Army site for recruitment in the warrant officers,
there are some qualifications that will be required to be able to join this
field. To become one, you must be an active-duty, army reserve, or
army national guard enlisted soldier and have high proficiency in your
skill and craft which is needed in the technical field of the military. You
have to apply and pass the warrant officer candidate school that is
located in Fort Novosel, Alabama, which will assess and test your
technical and physical skill. (Warrant Officers, n.d.-b)

a.1 Qualifications and Requirements:

● US Citizenship. (No Waivers)
● High school graduate or have a GED (No Waivers)
● GT Score of 110 or higher (No Waivers)
● FINAL Secret or Top Secret Security Clearance - Interim
clearances will not satisfy the requirement! (No Waivers)
● Pass the standard 6-event Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT)
and meet height/weight standards.
● ACFT must be current and not older than six months by the time
the applicants packet will be boarded.
● Pass the commissioning physical for technical specialties or the
Class 1 (Warrant Officer Candidate) flight physical for Aviators.
● All applicants must have 12 months remaining on their
enlistment contract.
● Active Federal Service (AFS): All applicants must have 12 years
of AFS or less as of the date on the DA 61. Aspiring Aviators
must have not exceeded 8 years of Active Federal Service as of
the date on the DA 61.
○ Applicants must submit an AFS waiver request with the
application if they have 12 or more years (8 years 153A)
of AFS.
● Age Requirements: For 153A, must be older than 18, but not
more than 32 years at the time of board selection. For all other
WO MOS', 46th birthday or less prior to their packet being
boarded.
○ Applicants must submit an Age waiver request with the
application if they exceed the age requirements specified
(U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND, n.d.)

a.2 Following are the Minimum prerequisites for the Aviation

warrant officer:
● Any MOS may apply.
● Be older than 18, but have not reached their 33rd birthday at the
time of the board selection. (Active Component (AC), USAR,
and ARNG)
○ "Waivers will be considered for applicants with
exceptional qualifications and only on a case by case
basis"
● Score 40 or higher on the Selection Instrument for Flight
Training (SIFT).
 ● Successfully pass a Class 1 (warrant officer candidate) Flying
Duty Medical Examination (FDME) approved by the US Army
AeroMedical Activity (USAAMA), Fort Novosel, AL. The initial
FDME is only valid for 18 months. Applicants can request
access to their records and receive updates pertaining to their
flight physicals at: https://aero.health.mil
● Aviation Branch Army Commissioned Officers: Qualified Aviator
must apply through their HRC Assignment Officer to the Aviation
Branch Proponent for consideration. Commissioned Officers
from another U.S. Military service who are qualified aviators that
desire to apply for 153A (rotor wing aviator) will board at
USAREC on each scheduled board. Complete the application
process through the In-Service Regional Warrant Officer
Recruiter. Commissioned Officers that have been identified for
involuntary separation (OSB, twice non-select for promotion) are
ineligible to apply for MOS 153A.
● All In-Service applicants must have a digitally signed letter of
recommendation from an Army Aviator (CW3 to CW5) currently
serving (Not Retired). In-Service Applicants may supplement
(not replace) the Army Aviator (CW3-CW5) LOR with hand
signed LOR's from Retired Army Aviators as desired. Active or
Retired Army Aviator LOR’s for WOFT (Civilian) applicants is
encouraged but not required. If the unit commander or above is
a field grade aviator, the aviator interview may be part of the
commander's endorsement. In this case, the commander's
endorsement must contain the same statement required for the
aviator interview. Use a memorandum format and start with the
statement I have interviewed (your name) and find (he/she) has
the needed personal characteristics, motivation, physical
stamina, and qualifications to be appointed a U.S. Army
Reserve warrant officer and appears acceptable for selection
into the WOFT (Civilian) program as a warrant officer
candidate. A field grade aviator from their branch of service may
interview applicants from other military services if an Army
aviator is not readily available. Army aviators will conduct the
interviews whenever possible (U.S. ARMY RECRUITING
COMMAND, n.d.).

According to Naval Officer Recruiter, Warrant Officers in the

Navy who operate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are known as Air
Vehicle Pilots (sometimes referred to as Navy Drone Pilots). They gain
their "wings" by flying these aircraft, just like Navy Aviators do
(Kingston, 2023).
 a.3 List of application criteria for Navy Air Vehicle Pilot
● Applicants must be citizens of the United States.
● This program is open to both men and women.
● Applicants must be at least 19 years old and have not reached
the age of 32 at the time of commissioning.
● Applicants must have a 2-year Associate’s Degree from an
accredited institution or university. Transcripts from college and
high school with grade point averages are required.
● According to the physical requirements stipulated by the Chief,
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, applicants must be physically
fit and aeronautically suited to perform responsibilities requiring
flight. Active-duty military individuals who are selected as
candidates must undergo an aviation application physical exam
performed by a credentialed flight surgeon to establish their
aeronautical adaptability.
● At the time of commissioning, recent or prior enlisted candidates
must have fewer than 12 years of cumulative service.
● On the Selection of UAS Personnel (SUPer) Battery,applicants
must gain a minimum score of 96 or higher. The Commander,
Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC) shall try to pick individuals
with the greatest mental qualifications, accepting minimal scores
only where market conditions or unusual circumstances allow.
● For access to sensitive compartmented material, candidates
must fulfill the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Intelligence
Community Directive (ICD) 704 eligibility requirements.
● In their personal statements, applicants will be required to
explain why they want to enroll in the program.
● Applicants are required to provide at least two letters of
recommendation that testify to their technical competence and
expected potential to thrive in the program.

b. Utilization
Warrant Officer Specialties
● Aviation: Helicopter Pilot, Airplane Pilot
● Cyber & Intelligence: Cyber Warfare Technician, Human
Intelligence Collection Technician
● Science & Medicine: Veterinary Services Food Safety Officer,
Health Services Maintenance Technician
● Mechanics & Engineering: Geospatial Engineering Technician,
Automotive Maintenance Warrant Officer
● Support & Logistics: Ammunition Warrant Officer,
Bandmaster, Human Resources Technician
 ● Ground Forces: Special Forces Warrant Officer; Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Technician
(Warrant Officers, n.d.)

c. Issues and Concerns

The army has to provide people that will think outside the box
from a tactical perspective. The army leadership needs more people
that will be assigned to specific tasks that have expertise on it. They
created a new tier of soldiers called warrant officers that will solve
problems, train soldiers, and provide counsel to their leaders. They are
distributed to every broad career field, serving as combat specialists,
logistics experts, quartermasters and much more. (Joint Base Langley-
Eustis, n.d.)

According to "The ethical problems with aviation warrant

officers" By MSG Scott F. Whitney, there are several issues with the
aviation warrant officers although they have a significant role in the
accomplishment of the mission. In the perspective of the non-
commissioned officers, it is seen that warrant officers have certain
connections to the company commanders as they are the ones
mentoring for the development and the ones rating them in their
aviation skills. As a warrant officer with more years of experience than
the company commander and platoon leaders and are also what
makes up almost half of the company, it is advantageous for him to
able to influence the command because of its background expertise
and its number in the company, thus creating an unfair environment in
the succeeding factors. Running the company in what the army would
want it to be is the task of the first sergeant. However, since it lacks
support from the commanders with its warrant officers, it becomes an
ethical problem. One example of this is the army policy that is being
implemented and followed, because of the situation of having no
support in the upper command, the first sergeant is being out ranked.
Another problem is the physical fitness that the standards of the army
are being upheld. Before, a private could lead the physical activities in
front with the officers and other personnel following in what he does. It
creates comradery in the company, however, because of the influence
of the warrant officers, they have convinced the command that they
can train physically on their own. This creates gaps between officers
and enlisted personnel and it was questioned with their own privileges.
Lastly, another problem would be the duties in their working
environment, since the focus of the warrant officers is on flying and
studying, rest of the time they have nothing to do in the company.
Others leave early from work which creates unfairness to the enlisted
 personnel who work long hours just to keep the aircraft and vehicles
fully mission capable (MSG Whitney, 2005).

In the Philippines, Senate Bill No. 249 was filed by Senator

Panfilo “Ping” M Lacson last 08 July 2019. This is an act to further
develop capability and establish expeditious transformation of the
Department of National Defense and its Bureaus, appropriating funds
therefore and for other purposes. This Bill is envisioned to update
national defense policies, principles and concepts, to
institutionalize needed improvements and to codify various laws
on national defense, the AFP, and the civilian bureaus, with the
end in view of streamlining and further professionalizing our
country’s defense establishment. It also includes the
establishment of the Warrant Officers in the AFP composed of
highly technical experts, combat leaders, trainers, and advisors
who specialize, throughout their career in a specific technical
area. Warrant officers shall serve in specific positions requiring
greater longevity to achieve increased technical expertise, as well
as increased leadership and management skills. Section 63 of the
Bill is about the appointments in the Regular Force, it states that
Warrant Officers shall be appointed by the Secretary of National
Defense.

2. Enlisted Personnel as Pilots

Also a member of the armed forces, an enlisted personnel must still
meet specific requirements prior entering the organization. Furthermore, they
undergo intensive training and are expected to perform their jobs and duties
related to their training and designation. Likewise, similar to officers, enlisted
personnels participate in combat missions, military operations, and in
humanitarian efforts (Thorburn, 2023).

Enlisted Personnels typically comprise a larger percentage of any

armed forces, as such, they have also been recognized as the backbone of
the military. While officers are expected to act as leaders for them, enlisted
personnels, and provide orders and assign tasks, enlisted personnels, on the
other hand, are responsible in carrying out said orders and tasks, and
complete any military mission given to them (Recruit Military, 2023).

Providing leadership, guidance, and supervision at lower organizational

levels, the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) job is focused on the military's
tactical level. (
 2.1 Types of Pilots
2.1.1 Manned (Combat Pilot)
In contentious situations when command-and-control is
constrained, autonomy is necessary, or there are policy limits,
manned aircraft can be deployed. A person who controls an
airplane's directional flying controls is known as an aviation pilot
or aviator (Aircraft Pilot – HiSoUR – Hi so You Are, n.d.).

2.1.2 Unmanned (Drone Pilot)

An unmanned aircraft has no aircrew to limit its range and
endurance or has the risk of loss of life or the fear of being
captured (Manned Vs Unmanned, n.d.). A drone pilot is
someone whose primary responsibility is to control drones while
ensuring their safety and compliance with air regulations
(Campana, 2023).

a. Recruitment and Selection

Although it is not usually common for enlisted personnel to fly an
aircraft as a pilot, it was not entirely impossible for them to become
one. Looking back in USAF history, there were already at least 4,150
individuals who were trained as pilots and flew not as commissioned
officers, but as enlisted personnel (National Museum of the United
States Air Force, n.d.).

Consequently, there are two ways for enlisted personnel–apply

for the Air Force’s pilot and crew program, or attend an officer school or
service academy and become a commissioned officer (Frances, 2022).
Before beginning the program, officers are required to receive an Air
Force Initial Flying Class I, 1A, Ground Based Controller, or III flight
physical. Before beginning the program, enlisted applicants must get
an FAA Class III physical. The Air Force also stated that candidates
must be prepared to retake the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, or
AFOQT, as well as the Test of Basic Aviation Skills as soon as
possible after completing the program, preferably within two to four
weeks (Losey, 2020).

According to Pawlyk (2020), “Enlisted members are required to

apply to either the U.S. Air Force Academy, Reserve Officer Training
Corps or Officer Training School and must undergo the FAA Class III
physical before coming into the program, the release adds.”

a.1 Applicants also must meet the following criteria:

● Active-duty officers need to meet Air Force UFT board
requirements.
 ● Active-duty enlisted or space professionals must comply with
UFT board requirements and qualify for their commission
through either the Air Force Academy, ROTC or Officer Training
School.
● The applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
● Members are ineligible to apply if they have any open law
violations or criminal investigations, have previously been
convicted by court-martial or have received an Article 15 under
the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
● They must have their unit commander's approval and
endorsement.
● They need a current passing physical fitness test score.
● They must have a Pilot Candidate Selection Method score prior
to the RPP class start date.
● They must have less than five hours of total civilian flight time.
Those with more than five hours can apply, "but will only be
considered on a space-available basis," according to the
release.
● Applicants must be prepared to retake the Air Force Officer
Qualifying Test and Test of Basic Aviation Skills at the first
available opportunity upon completion of RPP. The
recommended test time is within two to four weeks following the
RPP.

b. Utilization
According to the Air Corps Newsletter, the main application of
the pilots would transport fresh airplanes from manufacturing towards
their units. This was in line with the non-combatant use of Army
practices from the past and present regarding the usage of enlisted
pilots. However, Captain Aubrey Moore's 1940 study gravely
questioned enlisted pilots' capacity to serve in combat units and as co-
pilots (14:5) on transport planes. Additionally, the 20% Army thought
seems to still include restrictions. Thus, the enlisted pilots were initially
intended to serve as a backup. Officer pilots must be forced into
combat. The events, though, the use of enlisted personnel was
significantly altered as of December 7, 1941 for pilots, especially those
Class 42-C personnel.

Unlike what the Army had previously believed, the entire The
42-C enlisted class of the 82nd became fighter pilots in P-38s. promptly
despatched to North Africa with a Fighter Group (18:-). The decision to
 train enlistees was reached on December 2, 1941. pilots flying single-
and twin-engine aircraft in almost equal numbers cads (13:422).
Classes after that were given to P-40s, B-17, C-47, C-54, and B-24
aircraft. Pilots who were enlisted were directly incorporated into combat
units, the majority of each class being given access to the same
weaponry. They developed into the usage of front-line combat pilots
within the continental. In training, ferry work, or Service Command, the
United States was the anomaly rather than the rule. The utilization of
enlisted personnel to serve as pilots was pursued to fill in the shortage
of pilots that are needed in the Army. The offered program for the
enlisted to take the flying course was situated to run among the ranks
as well of the officers, making it an issue on whether to address them
as enlisted or promote them into officers as there are those who were
of good officer material.

c. Issues and Concerns

Another issue according to the study of Rafnson (2010) is the
remotely piloted aircraft, also known as drones. These are used by
both the Army and the Air Force. Drone pilots in the Army are enlisted;
those in the Air Force are officers. Army enlisted pilots claim they are
treated unfairly compared to their Air Force counterparts. Pilots in the
Air Force believe that their work is beneath them. Due to the higher
hazards and trickier missions of Air Force drones compared to Army
drones, officers should continue to fly them. It makes the claim that the
Air Force's officers will eventually turn to drones given the current
development of unmanned aircraft and reduction of manned aircraft.
This is a positive trend because as time goes on, the hazards and
complexity of Air Force drone missions will rise. The Army will be
forced by the same tendency to utilize warrant officers in its most
difficult drone operations, freeing up the commissioned Army officers to
focus on their main duty—heroically leading from the front.