Army Warrant Officer History - Part III (2010 -)

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ARMY WARRANT OFFICER HISTORY

"The Legacy of Leadership as a Warrant Officer"

Part IV - 2010 - Present

| 2010 | 2011 |

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2010

In January 11, 2010, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary Nisker assumed the office of Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard with duty in the Office of the Director Army National Guard in the National Guard Bureau.

On January 29, 2010, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Todd M. Boudreau became the third Regimental Chief Warrant Officer of the Signal Regiment assuming the position at Fort Gordon, Georgia. See biography and photo.

Also in January 2010, an article was published about Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ronald Galloway. As a Military Assistant to The Secretary of The Army, CW5 Galloway provides Warrant Officer Representation at the most senior level of our Army. By working at the senior levels within the Army he has an opportunity to educate others on what warrants are and how we represent 15 branches within the Army. Having adequate representation at Department of the Army level and above is extremely important for us as warrant officers. See the article that provides a deeper look into who it is that represents the Army Warrant Officer to the Secretary of the Army.

On February 13, 2010, the National Guard Association of Kentucky (NGAKY) presented Chief Warrant Officer Five Dean E. Stoops with its most significant recognition, the prestigious "Billy G. Wellman Award", for his contributions to the Kentucky National Guard, the NGAKY, and the Kentucky National Guard Historical Foundation. CW5 Stoops is the Army National Guard Aviation Standardization Officer assigned to the National Guard Bureau Aviation and Safety Division, Safety and Standardization Branch and is the former Aviation Standardization Officer for the Kentucky Army National Guard and 63^rd Theater Aviation Brigade. In addition to the National Guard Association of Kentucky Billy G. Wellman Award, CW5 Stoops is a recipient of the prestigious National Guard Association of the United States Patrick Henry Award and the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College Honorable Order of the Eagle Rising Society Award for Distinguished Service. Other honors include the Army Aviation Association of America’s Honorable Order of St. Michael – Silver Award, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Honorable Order of Kentucky Admirals, Honorable Order of Kentucky Aces, and the National Guard Bureau Minuteman Award.

On March 9, 2010, the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award Winners for CY 2009 were announced - The twenty-eight Officers selected epitomize the ideals for which for which General MacArthur stood for: Duty, Honor, and Country. Among these selected officers were three Warrant Officers: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ricky W. Fowler, active Army, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mark J. Simon, Army National Guard; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thomas A. Yelito, Army Reserve. Award activities, an Award Ceremony, and associated events will take place in Washington, DC during 5 - 6 May 2010.

On April 17, 2010, Pictured left: Brig. Gen. Steve Huxtable, Assistant Adjutant General of Virginia - Army, cuts the ribbon on the new Warrant Officer Candidate School dedication building at Fort Pickett. (Photo by Capt. Matt Nowak, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

Pictured right: The Virginia National Guard Warrant Officer Candidate School from the Blackstone-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute conducted a building dedication ceremony April 17 at Fort Pickett to officially open its new home in Building 1694. The building will be used to house offices for the WOCS cadre and also has student classrooms and overnight quarters for twenty male and six female warrant officer candidates. (Photo by Maj. Cotton Puryear, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

In April 2010, Chief Warrant 5 Wade H. Lovorn III replaced Chief Warrant 5 Michael Anderson as the Chairman of the Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SOAK), Senior Warrant Officer Advisor to the Commanding General and Combined Arms Command, Center for Army Leadership as a Leader Development Officer. CW5 Anderson is being reassigned to U. S. Pacific Command Headquarters. See CW5 Lovorn's biography.

On April 23, 2010, Over two dozen newly appointed warrant officers graduated the Special Forces Warrant Officer Tactical and Technical Certification Course during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Auditorium on Fort Bragg. This class of warrant officers graduating from the certification course will be the last to do so under the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School's temporary appointment authority. After three years of trial periods managing its own warrant officer training program, the Center and School has been authorized the ability to permanently appoint its warrant officers, making it the only organization in the Army to receive this authority aside from the Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Ala. The class graduating May 18 will be the first to do so under permanent appointment authority. (see News Release)

On April, 24, 2010, the Board of Directors of the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association joined in issuing a Joint Resolution together with the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation to support an initiative that the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe, Virginia remain as an active Army Museum in the United States Army Museum System - see the Resolution. (See also "Fort Monroe's Little Known History: Birthplace of the U. S. Army Warrant Officer.")

On April 26, 2010, H.R. 5136, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2011, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Section 507 of the bill would amend Section 571(b) of Title 10, United States Code to provide that appointments in the grade of regular warrant officer, W-1, be made by the regulation issued by the Secretary of the Military Department and that these appointments shall be made by the President except that appointments in that grade in the Coast Guard shall be made by the Secretary concerned. Section 507 further amends Title 10 so that appointments in permanent reserve warrant officer grades shall be in the same manner as prescribed for regular warrant officers grades. The prognosis for retention of these changes in the final NDAA is good because there is no cost involved. (See Extract of H.R. 3156)

On April 28, 2010, after 16 weeks of advanced training at Fort Bragg, Special Forces Soldiers who left their battalions wearing the chevrons of noncommissioned officers return to those same battalions as warrant officers, ready to command or help command Special Forces operational detachments. This class of warrant officers graduating from the certification course will be the last to do so under the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School's temporary appointment authority. This class of warrant officers graduating from the certification course will be the last to do so under the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School's temporary appointment authority - see more.

In May 2010, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear School (CBRN) at Fort Leonard Wood, MO started new Warrant Officer program. Implementing the CBRN warrant officer program requires the Chemical officer branch to convert 13 percent of its positions to warrant officer positions, ultimately decreasing the number of Branch Detail officers accessed by 30-50 percent. These officer conversions apply to all three components: Active Army, National Guard and Army Reserve. The adjustment provides an increased opportunity for many CBRN lieutenants to serve in platoon leader positions that previously were filled by branch detail officers - see the article published in the March 2010 NEWSLINER of the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Association.

On May 12, 2010, Fourteen U.S. service members have received Germany's Gold Cross Medal for their bravery in extracting wounded German soldiers from a firefight in northeast Afghanistan — the first time the award has been given to troops from another nation. The Americans, all members of the U.S. Army's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, received the medals, one of Germany's highest awards for valor, at a German base in Kunduz province. The U.S. crewmen were honored for risking their lives to rescue German soldiers ambushed by more than 200 Taliban fighters during a patrol April 2nd near the provincial capital of Kunduz. Eleven German soldiers were critically wounded, and the battle was still active when U.S. Black Hawk evacuation helicopters arrived. "We came under very heavy fire," said Jason LaCrosse, chief warrant officer three. "We couldn't land at first, but we came back in a second time and loaded two casualties, brought them back to the hospital, then we went back to get more." Three of the German soldiers died of their wounds. "We've had a strong partnership with the German soldiers," said Sgt. Antonio Gattis. "These guys are like family to us, so we took it personally when they got injured and just went out there and did what we had to do." In addition to LaCrosse and Gattis, the medal recipients were Capt. Robert McDonough, Chief Warrant Officers 3 Steven Husted and Nelson Visaya, Chief Warrant Officers 2 Jason Brown, Sean Johnson, and Eric Wells, Staff Sgt. Travis Brown, Sgts. William Ebel and Steven Shumaker, and Spcs. Matthew Baker, Todd Marchese and Gregory Martinez. (Courtesy Associated Press, May 13, 2010 and Yahoo! News)

From June 7 to 11, 2010, the first Warrant Officer Summit was held at the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (WOCC), Fort Rucker, Alabama. Invitations were limited to the most senior leaders of the Warrant Officer Corps. The purpose of the Summit was to aggressively seek issues that will promote improvement of the Warrant Officer Corps. The theme for this event was “Learn from the past, focus on the future.” U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association National President CW5 Gary Nisker reported on the highlights of the summit in the Association's July NEWSLINER - see article.

On June 9, 2010 CW5 (Ret) Robert L. Huffman and CW4 (Ret) Robert D. Scott were inducted into the Eagle Rising Society.   The Eagle Rising Society was established in 2004 as a joint venture between the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (WOCC) the Order of the Eagle Rising Society recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of the Warrant Officer Community in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient's seniors, subordinates, and peers. These individuals must also demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and moral character, display an outstanding degree of professional competence, and serve the United States Army community with distinction. Pictured are CW5 (Ret) Robert L. Huffman, Vice Admiral Norbert R. Ryan, Jr. the President of MOAA) and CW4 (Ret) Robert D. Scott . (See Program with biographies)

In June 2010, Two Army Warrant Officers were honored by the Adjutant Generals Corps Regimental Association. Pictured left: Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret) Antonio B. Eclavea was inducted into the Adjutant General Corps Hall of Fame. CW5 Eclavea holds the honor of being the first Chief Warrant Officer in the Adjutant Generals Corps promoted to the grade of CW5. At the time of his induction CW5 (Ret) Eclavea was serving as Chief, Army Soldiers Records Branch responsible for 460,000 Active Army Enlisted records - see biography. Pictured right: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Pamela Rogers was recognized at the Adjutant Generals Corps Warrant Officer of the Year with the Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude Medal for Distinguished Service. CW2 Rogers was assigned as a Human Resources Technician with the 3rd Infantry Division Special Troops Battalion in Iraq at the time of the award. - see story.

Also in June 2010, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard L. Satterfield was appointed as the 7th Regimental Chief Warrant Officer of the Ordnance Corps. He succeeds Chief Warrant Officer 5 Arthur G. Dahl, IV who had served as the RCWO since September 2008. (See biography of CW5 Satterfield)

On July 23, 2010, a Virginia Army National Guard Soldier serving with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command was awarded the Soldier's Medal at Fort Monroe, VA for his actions that resulted in saving the lives of three men following a boating accident in the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Gen. John E. Sterling, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Army TRADOC, presented Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clifford Bauman the Soldier's Medal during a presentation ceremony attended by Bauman's wife, father, and friends and coworkers at Morelli Auditorium on the Hampton base. The Army has many awards and medals it bestows upon Soldiers for heroism during battle and many recognizing Soldiers for outstanding work performed in the field and in garrison, but the Soldier's Medal is the highest award a Soldier can receive for heroism not directly related to combat. Bauman was heralded for his swift actions that saved three men Oct. 3, 2009. Although one man died at the scene, Bauman's quick action and years of Army training gave him the tools he needed to save the other three men - see more. Pictured Lt. Gen. John Sterling, Deputy Chief of Staff U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, awards Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clifford Bauman the Soldier's Medal at Fort Monroe July 23. Bauman was awarded the Medal for his selfless service which saved three lives in October. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Owen, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

On July 27, 2010, the final Ordnance Warrant Officer Basic Course and Warrant Officer Advance Course students graduated at the old home of Ordnance at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. All future classes will be conducted at the new home of Ordnance at Fort Lee, VA. Pictured left with the graduating students are Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard Satterfield, Ordnance Regimental Chief Warrant Officer (seated center front row); Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) Kenneth B. N.. "Pete" Hill, USAWOA National Vice President (3d from left 2nd row); and Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) Gregory Gouty, USAWOA Northeastern Region Director (far right 2nd row). Pictured right are CW5 Satterfield and CW4 (Ret) Hill.

In July 2010, the family of an Army helicopter pilot missing for nearly four decades in Vietnam said his remains have been recovered and will be returned to his native Oklahoma. Shannon Wann Plaster told The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle that the remains of her father, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donald Wann, were found in 2008 and the military recently confirmed the identification. Wann was one of two soldiers, along with 1st Lt. Paul Magers of Sidney, Neb., deployed in a Cobra gunship on June 1, 1971, to extract a group of Army Rangers under attack, then destroy left behind ammunition and mines near Hill 1015, or Dong Tri Mountain. Wann and Magers were hit with anti-aircraft fire, causing the helicopter to crash somewhere around the hill, about six miles southwest of Thon Khe Xeng. Pictured right Chief Warrant Officer 2 Don Wann stands in front of an injured Huey helicopter during his first tour of duty in Vietnam around 1968. Wann, a former pilot with the 101st Airborne Division, was shot down in 1971 but his body was never found. It has now been identified and are being returned to his family. (Source: Article and picture courtesy The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle)

On August 11, 2010, the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Army 1st Lt. Paul G. Magers of Sidney, NE, will be buried on August 27th in Laurel, MT, and Army Chief Warrant Officer Donald L. Wann of Shawnee, OK, will be buried on Aug. 21 in Fort Gibson, OK. On June 1, 1971, both men were flying aboard an AH-1 Cobra gunship in support of an emergency extraction of an Army ranger team in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. After the rangers were extracted, helicopters were ordered to destroy claymore mines which had been left behind in the landing zone. During this mission their helicopter was hit by ground fire, crashed and exploded. Pilots who witnessed the explosions concluded that no one could have survived the crash and explosions. Enemy activity in the area precluded a ground search at that time.

On August 17, 2010, members of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, joined with Soldiers and Airmen and volunteered to beautify the United Service Organization’s (USO) building with a fresh coat of paint.

Pictured: Chief Warrant Officer 4 Spencer Douglas (far left), communications and electronics chief, 498th Support Maintenance Company, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) (ESC), a Raleigh, N.C., native; Chief Warrant Officer 4 Starla A. Brown (middle), human resources technician with the 18th Adjutant General Company, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd ESC, and a St. Maries, Idaho native; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Darlene A. Pittman (bottom), executive officer for G1 Plans with the 103rd ESC, and a Des Moines, Iowa, native, help beautify the USO building by painting the outside t-walls. (Story and photos by Sgt. Jessica Rohr, Expeditionary Times Staff)

On October 6, 2010, Brig. Gen. Sean G. MacFarland, Deputy Commanding General, Combined Arms Center for Leader development and Education officiated at the Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, AL as Colonel Mark T. Jones the outgoing Commandant relinquished Command of the Warrant Officers Career College to Colonel Stanley O. Smith the incoming Commandant. (see biography and picture of COL Smith)

On October 12, 2010, four bridges along State Route 840 were dedicated to four Tennessee National Guardsmen who died in 2010 while in service. The ceremonies made a total of 22 bridges along the Tennessee National Guard Parkway that are dedicated to soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard. Two of the guardsmen were killed in a helicopter accident in Iraq Feb. 21. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billie Jean Grinder of Gallatin and Capt. Marcus Ray Alford of Knoxville were killed when the helicopter they were in made a "hard landing" at a base. Two others died at Camp Shelby, Miss., as they were preparing for a deployment to Iraq. Staff Sgt. Michael Wayne Tinsley Sr., from Jackson, died on Feb. 10 and Sgt. David Clay Prescott Jr., from Murfreesboro, died Feb. 4.

On November 3, 2010, Chief Warrant Officer Four Princido Texidor, the U.S. Army Forces Command Food Service advisor, was promoted to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five. The promotion made Texidor the first Hispanic to achieve the rank of CW5 in the Army's Food Service branch. "It is very satisfying to receive this honor," he said, adding proudly, "Food Service is one of the most important jobs in the Army, and I look forward to continuing to make sure things get done right so Soldiers can do what they need to do."

On November 15th, 2010, the U. S. Army Special Forces Command held a Change of Responsibility Ceremony for the Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) position. The outgoing CCWO, CW5 Bruce Watts, will start his new job at Task Force SWORD at Fort Bragg, NC. The incoming CCWO, CW5 Doug Frank, leaves his position as CCWO of 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

2011

On January 10, 2011, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 into law. Included is a change to the law authorizing the commissioning of Warrant Officers (W-1). This change now means that that all Army Warrant Officers and Chief Warrant Officers serve in commissioned status. Warrant Officers (W-1) were formerly appointed by the individual Service Secretary. See an extract of the amendments to the law. Implementation of the amendments to Title 10 of the United States Code await regulatory guidance from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army.

On February 13, 2011, Chief Warrant Officer Luis Molinar, a Prescott, Arizona Vietnam Veteran, received a Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and a Purple Heart at a ceremony in Scottsdale, AZ. When the 101st Airborne Commander awarded the medals, CWO Molinar was in a hospital stateside. After 41 years, Molinar’s awards ceremony took place with retired General Gordon Sullivan, former US Army Chief of Staff, presenting the awards. (AP Photo/Matt Hinshaw, The Daily Courier)

On February 17, 2011, CW5 Scott Hagar passed his responsibilities as Chief Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General Corps to CW5 Coral Jones.

On 5 March 2011, Lt.Col. Richard Kostecki, Commander, 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, passes the guidon of the 1049th Engineer Fire Fighting Detachment to the unit's new commander, WO1 Scott Turner, . WO1 Turner, a 120A Construction Engineering Technician, is the first warrant officer to take command of this Montana Army National Guard unit. He recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. The 1049th Engineer Firefighting Detachment is designated as theater available in the Global Force Pool. The unit's mission is to provide command, control, and coordination of Engineer Fire Fighting Teams.

On March 1, 2011, the Army announced the winners for calendar year 2010 . These 28 officers epitomize the ideals for which General Douglas MacArthur stood: Duty, Honor, Country. Warrant Officers selected were CW2 Lanorris G. Ford, Active Army; WO1 David S. Turpin, Army National Guard; and CW2 Dyland E. Raymond, Army Reserve. An Awards Ceremony and related events and will take place in Washington, DC, during the period May 18 and 19, 2011.

On March 10, 2011, Redstone Arnesal’s last Missile Warrant Officer class graduated before course moves to Fort Lee. These Soldiers represented the end of more than 40 years of warrant officer missile training at Redstone Arsenal. This graduating class of 12 warrant officers marked the end of the line for the training here because it’s going to Fort Lee, Va., as part of the Ordnance school’s move under base realignment and closure.

Some of the 12 graduates -- all Warrant Officers (WO1) -- include from left, Christopher Werth, Ryan Torres, John Pesta, Joshua Nunley and Carlton Neal. (Photo by Skip Vaughn)

See Redstone Rocket newspaper article.

March 22, 2011, three Warrant Officers, CW3 Donald K. Procter, CW3 Uriah Hayes and CW2 Timothy Pool were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal that recognizes “exceptional heroism,” for fearless maneuvers on October 2010 that enabled the rescue of 91 Italian and Afghan special forces,. Also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross were Lt. Col. Ronald G. Lukow, Capt. Paul McKnight. See story.

Pictured from the left, Italian Brig. Gen. Giacomo Bellacicco, Regional Command (West) commander, Task Force Comanche commander Lt. Col. Ronald Lukow, Capt. Paul McKnight, CW2 Timothy Pool, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade commander Col. Daniel Williams, 4th CAB Command Chief Warrant Officer, CW5 Lance McElhiney, CW3 Uriah Hayes, CW3 Donald Procter and 4th CAB Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Rose at the March 22 event at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, where five 4th CAB soldiers received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Professional Development Held In Iraq

On March 25, 2011, a Warrant Officer Professional Development Day was held at the Al FAW Palace, Victory Base Complex (VBC), Iraq. The seminar was attend by over 80 Warrant Officers from across Iraq (pictured at left). The guest speaker was CW5 Harry Pershad (pictured right).

On April 6, 2011, a change of responsibility ceremony took place in the Pentagon Hall of Heroes where CW5 Ronald Galloway assumed the position of Assistant Executive Officer and Warrant Officer Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Army from CW5 Carl Jenkins.

On April 8, 2011, CW5 Thomas J. Wilson assumed responsibilities as Transportation Corps Chief Warrant Officer of the Branch (CWOB). See biography.

On June 10, 2011, CW5 (Ret) Charles T. Wigglesworth (left) and CW5 (Ret) Gerald I. Sims, Sr. (right) and were inducted as Distinguished Members of the Adjutant General's Corps Regiment. The ceremony was held in Columbia, South Carolina.

On May 27, 2011, the 93rd Birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps was celebrated at the Al Faw Palace located on the Victory Base Complex. The guest speaker was General Lloyd J. Austin III, USF-I Commanding General. His speech focused on the contribution of Forces in Iraq and the technical and tactical support that the Warrant Officer Corps has provided to the OIF and OND missions in Iraq. There was a cake cutting ceremony, music by a jazz ensemble, and recognition of the Warrant Officers with the number of the most deployed months and the number with the most deployments. The event was held prior to the July 9th Corps Birthday due to the reposture of Forces in Iraq. Story submitted by CW5 Sonji C. Moss-Clyburn USF-I J4 S&S Asset Visibility Chief.

On June 10, 2011 - CW5 (Ret) Charles T. Wigglesworth, left, and CW5 (Ret) Gerald I. Sims, Sr., right, were inducted as Distinguished Members of the Adjutant General's Corps Regiment. The ceremony was held in Columbia, South Carolina.

On June 17, 2011, CW5 (Ret) Frank Meeks Honored with two Inductions. Pictured left Brig. Gen. Gwen Bingham, 51^st QM General, inducted CW5 (Ret) Frank Meeks into to the Quartermaster Corps Hall of Fame, while Mrs. Gail Meeks looks on. Standing behind BG Bingham is Maj. Gen. (Ret) Hawthorne L. Proctor, 46^th QM General, who accepted the award for Col. A. Newton Horn (Decreased).

Pictured right CW5 (Ret) Meeks was then inducted into the USAWOA Honorable Order of the Eagle Rising by USAWOA President Emeritus CW4 (Ret) Donald 'Don' Hess. The Citation was read by CW5 Candis 'Candy' Martin.

Both ceremonies took place at the Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, Virginia.

On June 28, 2011, Warrant Office professional Development and celebration of the 93rd Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps was conducted in Iraq. CW3 Scott Franek (at the podium), who is assigned to the 77th Sustainment Brigade, and also is the Joint Base Balad USAWOA Sub-Chapter President addresses the assembly during Warrant Officer Professional Development at the Sub-Chapter meeting on which was held on 28 June 2011 in the Audie Murphy Room at the Joint Base Balad DFAC 1.

On July 8, 2011, Fort Knox Celebrated the Warrant Officer Corps 93rd Birthday. As the rain steadily poured on an otherwise warm July 8, 2011, so too did the stream of Warrant Officers arriving at the Fort Knox’s Leaders Club to commemorate the 93rd US Army Warrant Corps Birthday. The event occurred right on the heels of the Nation’s 235th Birthday celebration. The spirit of Warrant Officer Service to a grateful nation was echoed throughout the event. Mr. Emmet E. Holley, the Fort Knox Deputy Garrison Commander, provided opening remarks that featured technical pointers he learned from a supply Warrant Officer as a young Lieutenant. He challenged the attendees to “remain relevant in the future” by broadening their experience base with education, operational assignments and mentorship. CW5 Janie Diamond delivered the key note address to a packed room of Warrant Officers, retirees, NCOs, Soldiers, and community leaders.

See pictures and story.

    On July 8, 2011, the Cyber Leader College, 15th Signal Brigade, Signal Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon, GA, conducted a graduation ceremony for Warrant Officer Advance Course 255S-001-11. Sixteen Soldiers completed the course that will soon qualify for military occupational specialty 255S (Information Protection Technician). This is only the second class to be run since the course was conceived. Graduates are charged with the defense of the Army’s portion of the cyber domain. These sixteen defenders will join their predecessors at various assignments around the world as the Department of Defense slowly integrates them into highly needed slots. This elite group of highly trained defenders consisted of Active Duty and Army Reserve warrant officers and one Non-Commissioned Officer. The integration of the NCO Corps into the course greatly signifies the desired union and needed support that is required to accomplish the enormous task of defending cyber space.

     Immediately following the graduation, the 93rd Warrant Officer Anniversary Commemoration was celebrated with a cake cutting ceremony in the lobby. The cake cutting honors were performed by the most junior Signal Warrant Officer within the Signal Corp, WO1 Angela Ellis and the most senior Signal Warrant Officer, CW5 Todd Boudreau. There have been many significant events within the Warrant Officer Corp, from the creation of the Warrant Officer Corps in 1918, to the approval of the Warrant Officer Insignia in 1921, the retiring of the coveted “Eagle Rising” in 2004, to the creation of the prestigious Information Protection Technician in 2010. As the requirements for technical experts continue to grow, so shall the force and resolve of the Warrant Officer Cohort.

    Pictured CW5 Boudreau and WO1 Ellis cut the cake at the 93rd Warrant Officer Anniversary Commemoration.

    Story by CW4 Michael Gaskin and picture courtesy THe Signal published for the Fort Gordon Community.

On 12-13 July 2011, the 37th Chief of Staff, Army (CSA) hosted the Army's Training and Leader Development Conference (ATLDC) in the National Capital Region. General Martin E. Dempsey, Army Chief of Staff, articulated the way ahead for the Army in areas that ran the gamut from end strength to the new Officer Evaluation Report. For the Warrant Officer cohort, the 2011 ATLDC was a historic event in every regard since this marked the first time an invitation was extended to Senior Warrant Officers. The following Chief Warrant Officer of the Branches (CWOB) and Regimental Chief Warrant Officers (RCWO) attended on behalf of their branches. A special thanks to CW5 Dave Williams, G3/5/7 for a great job in coordinating this initiative.

Pictured : First Row - CW5 Robert Lamphear (EN) CW5 Wade Lovorn (QM) CW5 Todd Boudreau (SC) GEN Martin E. Dempsey (CSA) CW5 Joe Okabayashi (MI) CW5 Michael Reese (AV) CW5 David Williams (HQDA G-3); Second Row - CW5 Herman Burton (AD) CW5 Bernard Satterfiefd (OD) CW5 Coral Jones (AG) CW5 Michael Wichterman (SCOE) CW5 David Albaugh (MP). Attending but not pictured were CW5 Thomas Wilson (TC) and CW5 Bobby Whigham (FA), both of whom were not available at the time.

On July 20, 2011, in Alexandria, Va. — VADM Norb Ryan, Jr., President of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) presented the Honorable Order of the Eagle Rising Society 2010 Induction awards to CW5 Albert S. Eggerton of Springfield, Va., and CW5 David P. Welsh of Chincoteague Island, Va., at a luncheon hosted by the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College.

Pictured from left, MOAA Executive Administrative Assistant Michele Au Buchon; MOAA President VAdm Norb R. Ryan Jr.; inductee CW5 Albert S. Eggerton; inductee CW5 David P. Welsh; USAWOCC Deputy Commandant CW5 Mike Funk; and Cerie R. Kimball, Mt. Vernon Chapter member.

On September 1, 2011, Fang A. Wong of East Brunswick, N.J., was elected national commander of The American Legion during the 93rd National Convention in Minneapolis. Born in Canton, China, Wong immigrated to the United States as a 12-year-old in 1960. He attended New York City public schools and became a naturalized citizen in 1963. Wong volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1969, served 25 months in Vietnam, and retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1989.

On September 15, 2011, the Army handed over responsibility for managing historic Fort Monroe to Virginia, which wants to turn much of the fort’s valuable land at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay into a national park. The U. S. Army and the Fort Monroe Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that retains the Casemate Museum under the Army Museum System operated by the U. S. Army Center of Military History. Fort Monroe is the birthplace of the Army Warrant Officer in the Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery. Early Coast Artillery and Mine Planters were trained at Fort Monroe. The Casemate Museum, located within the moated fortress, portrays the history of Coast Artillery in addition to the other history of Fort Monroe - see more. (Pictured left the Casemate Museum entrance, pictured right the Casemate Museum interior)

On November 1, 2011, President Obama used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to declare Fort Monroe a National Monument. This is a key step in Fort Monroe becoming a National Park. It tells the story of America’s painful journey with slavery and it is of historical value as the birthplace of the Warrant Officer Corps in the Army Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery. The push continues in Congress for its designation as a national park.

Also in 2011, CW4 Kevin A. N. Bone (180A) became the first Warrant Officer to graduate from the National Defense University, better known as the “War College”. Pictured left Mr. Bone received the Chancellor’s Award for outstanding performance and leadership in working with the International Students. Pictures right, to mark this mile-stone, Mr. Bone presented a statuette to the Chancellor of the College for posterity, representing the Warrant Officer Corps. (See more)

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WARRANT The Legacy of Leadership as a Warrant Officer Index

| Dedication | Introduction | 1918 - The Birth of the Army Warrant Officer Corps |
| 1936-1949 | 1950-1974 | 1975-1983 | 1984-1988 | 1989-1991 | 1992-1996]
| 1997-2004 | 2005-2007 | 2008-2009 | 2010-2011 | Summary | Credits |
| Warrant Officer Programs of Other Services |
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WO Heritage Net 1/26/2012