Warrant officers definitely have leadership positions, although that means they are generally leaders of teams, sections, units, and organizations working within their technical field. The warrant officer who is the A Team assistant commander is leading a group of SF soldiers in his field, although sometimes soldiers in other disciplines could be assigned or attached and he would lead them, too, but that would generally be in a special forces mission too (e.g., his technical field). As SF CWOs become more senior, they tend more to be SF staff officers (in their field), technical experts, and advisors to the commander.

Sometimes warrant officers and "commissioned officers" are used interchangeably, say at detachment level, but the "system" tends to correct that over time, with "commissioned officers" tending towards being generalists as leaders and the warrant officer tending to stay well-rooted in his or her technical field.

A warrant officer, at least in the Army, has a lot of latitude in working with NCOs and with "commissioned officers" - part of why it is such an excellent job. Again, the perspective of a retired CW4.

100% have leadership positions. Well, in the Nagy anyway.

The aforementioned young Army ones, I’ve witnessed them be told to sit down and STFU by an E6. It all depends on what kind of Warrant they are. Navy Warrants are some of the saltiest people you’ll ever meet, but also less holier as a whole than officers proper. Never met a Warrant in the Nagy that wasn’t a stand up guy.

@sigfreund, my FIL was a cwo in the Army in Vietnam. He was in intelligence, but he wouldn’t/couldn’t tell us details. He also did his time in Germany during the Cold War. Again, no details.

quote:

Originally posted by ftttu:
@sigfreund, my FIL was a cwo in the Army in Vietnam. He was in intelligence, but he wouldn’t/couldn’t tell us details. He also did his time in Germany during the Cold War. Again, no details.

Do you know where in Vietnam and Germany your FIL was stationed?

Intelligence corps warrant officers most commonly had a counterintelligence or a “collection” MOS (military occupational specialty) during that era. In Vietnam I was a staff sergeant fresh out of the CI Agent course at Fort Holabird, MD, and stationed at Pleiku. Most of our duties simply had to do with classified information security: conducting document inspections, etc. I also developed the skill of changing the combinations of document safes and on occasion opening field safes when combinations were lost and kept a little busy doing that. “Nonstandard” activities unrelated to our usual duties were discouraged for CI agents, but I managed to tag along on various fixed wing and helicopter flights, the latter usually with EOD personnel, for “area familiarity.”

We did a little of what is still probably technically classified and therefore being the good boy I try to be I’ll leave it at that.

I had switched to CID (criminal investigations) by my Germany assignment, but according to a CI warrant friend who was stationed in Berlin, his office was involved in some more “interesting” activities.

He was in Bremerhaven, Berlin, Munich, and Pleku, plus others. He spoke Vietnamese, Polish, Russian, and German in addition to ‘Merican.

Very impressive and probably not the stuff I was involved in.
I have always been in awe of linguists like that.

My Dad retired as a CWO3 USAF, started out as a crew chief on B17's 11Bombardment Grp Hickam Field Dec 7 1941. Then onto South Pacific Guadalcanal, Solomon Is, and a few more. Then went USAF transitioned to CWO. Part of the Berlin Air Lift, McGuire AFB. MATS
Military Air Transport Service. Passed away 3/2001 at 85

quote:

Originally posted by greg1147:
My Dad retired as a CWO3 USAF ....

A remarkable career. Whenever I learn of someone like that, I’m reminded of this quotation:

“Who knows whether the best of men be known, or whether there be not more remarkable persons forgot than any that stand remembered in the known account of time?”
— Sir Thomas Browne, Urne Buriall (1658)

IIRC in the 1970"s when I was active duty a US Army a warrant officer was addressed as "Mr.".. Knew of one whos last name of Sargent so he was addressed as Mr.Sgt...... And another whos last name was Mister so he was addresses as Mr. Mister................. drill sgt.

quote:

Originally posted by drill sgt:

last name of Sargent so he was addressed as Mr.Sgt...... And another whos last name was Mister so he was addresses as Mr. Mister.

How about the squadron commander in Catch 22? Major Major Major Major.