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From: scw@ollie.SEAS.UCLA.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Warrent vs. regular officers.
Message-ID: <1991Feb13.031918.26955@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 13 Feb 91 03:19:18 GMT
References: <1991Feb9.033425.4606@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb12.015621.11055@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: UCLA School Of Engineering & Applied Science
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From: scw@ollie.SEAS.UCLA.EDU

In article <1991Feb12.015621.11055@cbnews.att.com> bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) writes:
>
>> ...] the distiction between warrent officers and "regular" officers?
> 
>  Simple distinction:  Officers are commissioned.  Warrant Officers are
>  appointed.  In rank order Warrants are below second lieutenants and
>  'above' sergeants major. 

Officially ^^^, in reality the ranks run something like:
general...major, Sgt Major/Master Gunnery Sgt, Gunner (Warrant Officers in the
Marines are ALWAYS called Gunner, even though there are only 3 'Gunners'
-One Per Artillery Regt- in the Corps), Capt, 1st Lt, Master/First Sgt, 2nd Lt,
remaining enlisted.

>  In theory, Warrants are 'technicians'.  Most Warrants are helicoptor
>  pilots, [...] investigators (CID).
>
>  Almost all come up through the enlisted ranks - the majority put in for
>  warrant appointment when they are Staff Sergeants (E6) with about 10
>  years service.  Helicoptor pilots are a little different - they go through
>  "Warrant Officer Candidate" flight school after joining the service.

Marine Corps pilots are all officers (I think that the last enlisted pilot
retired in the early 70's), I knew a Gunnery Sgt that was a C-130 Navigator
back in 68/69 or there abouts.  Typically Marine Warrant officers are E-7/8
when they are appointed, but I knew 2 E-5s that applied for and were accepted
into warrant rank, both from the 2 shop.

>  Warrants cannot 'command' but they can supervise other technicians.
>  They wear the [...] wreath - as a cap device and collar insignia.  

In the Marine Corps Warrant officers are address by all and sundry as Gunner.
Marine Gunners wear a special device on their collar, a 'flaming onion'.

>  Warrant Officer 1 (WO1)  "Wobbly One"   Silver bar - one black square
>[...]
>  Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO4) "Chief"  Silver bar - four black squares

I seem to recall that there are silver/gold bars with 1/2 Red squares (Black
for the Army, blue for Navy/AF) WO-1 Gold 1sq, W0-2 Gold 2 Sq, WO3 silver 1 Sq
W04- Silver 2 Sq.
-----
Stephen C. Woods; UCLA SEASNET; 2567 BH;LA CA 90024; (213)-825-8614
UUCP: ...{ibmsupt,hao!cepu}!ollie}!scw  Internet:scw@SEAS.UCLA.EDU
"Non, je ne regrette rien"--1st Para, LE 1963