I feel a quick explanation of what a Warrant Officer is needed before I go any further. For those that are unfamiliar with the military, a Warrant Officer is a technical expert in a given field.
There are two basic ways that someone wanting to become a Warrant Officer can achieve their goal. The average non-military citizen will have to contact an Army recruiter. This particular route is for those people interested in being rotary wing pilots only. Any other field requires a minimum of two years military experience. The process is not unlike enlisting or applying for Officer Candidate School. The process starts with the Armed Services Vocational Battery (ASVAB). There is a minimum required score for the Warrant Officer program. The ASVAB itself has 10 different scores the one that an applicant should be most concerned with is the GT score. This is the general technical score. It basically tests a person’s aptitude to learn a technical trade.
Once the ASVAB has been passed an applicant will be required to take the both the standard military physical as well as a flight physical. The first of these physicals is conducted at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). The flight physical is conducted at various locations around the country and must be done by a military flight surgeon. I would like to mention that all the testing required for any program for the Army is free of charge to the person applying.
Once the required test have been taken and passed a formal application will have to be filled out. This may require that the applicant write a one page paper on why they want to be an Army aviator and no less than two letters of reference. Once all of this compiled it will forwarded by the recruiter to the next higher level for a board. Given the current requirement the applicant may have to appear before this board and answer situational questions. As of this writing someone interested in being an Army aviator needs only to be a US citizen and high school graduate. As always it important to see your local Army recruiter for the most up to date requirements.
As I stated before a Warrant Officer applicant not interested in flying must have two years military experience. There are Warrant Officer positions available in almost every career field in the Army today. The most common, besides aviation, is probably as a Criminal Investigation Special Agent. This is due in part to John Travolta’s role in the movie “The General’s Daughter.” The application process is basically the same for someone already in the Army. There is a minimum required GT score, essay, reference letters and board. Additionally, the soldier is required to have his/her official records on hand for review. Generally a soldier is only able to apply for Warrant Officer positions related their current occupation but there can be insistences in which a different field can be applied for. Soldiers interested in applying for both aviation and other Warrant Officer positions should contact the Warrant Officer recruiting team via their website.
I hope that this article has shed some light on what is required to become a Warrant Officer in the US Army. As I have said before it is best to contact an Army recruiter for the most up to date information for this program.
