Photo By Aleah M Castrejon | Warrant Officer Candidate School graduates stand in line to receive congratulatory...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. - Twelve warrant officers graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School during a ceremony at the 168th Regional Training Institute at Fort Carson, Colorado, Sept. 23, 2018.
During the ceremony, keynote speaker, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sefer “Steve” Imeraj, former Colorado Army National Guard state command chief warrant officer, congratulated and thanked the graduates for their resolve in completing the course while balancing their full-time civilian jobs and their families.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be here at Class 18-001 and to say a few words,” Imeraj said. “I have a vested interest in (this) class because this is my fourth and final class as command chief and deputy commandant. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.”
Less than three percent of Army formations consist of warrant officers and even less than that in the state of Colorado, he said.
Warrant officers are Non-commissioned Officers who have chosen to specialize in a single career path, often occupying positions whose duration is longer than that of commissioned officers, according to U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Drew Zanoff, COARNG state command chief warrant officer.
The road to becoming a warrant officer is not an easy one, he said.
According to U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dominic Marchiano, commander, WOCS at the 168th RTI, joining the Warrant Officer Corps is a process that begins with an NCO submitting an application packet before entering a grueling multi-phased school.
Each component within the Army – active duty, Reserve and National Guard – has one person who reviews each applicant’s packet and, if approved, the package advances to a federal recognition board. If the board approves the application, the applicant is federally recognized as a warrant officer candidate and is scheduled to attend WOCS. This process takes three to four months.
To complete phase one, candidates must pass a closed-book online course. What they score is important because their final grade point average includes this test.
Phase two begins with in-person training at the RTI. For Class 18-001, phase two began in April, and the candidates conducted training over drill weekends for five months.
A unique feature of Colorado’s WOCS is the partnership with the Wyoming program, which does not have an RTI.
Warrant Officer 1 Brady M. Sheridan, Wyoming National Guard, said one of the most challenging aspects of the course for him was that the Training, Advising and Counseling Officers gave them a multitude of tasks, forcing them to prioritize and multitask. The candidates were again challenged when the TACs asked why they carried out the tasks that they did. Their answers needed to be methodical and have a purpose.
Sheridan also said that, during the course, each of the candidates had to step up and take charge.
Sheridan said that he was impressed with the TACs from Colorado because of their ability to switch from a strict training mode, where they sternly challenged the candidates, to the advising and counseling mode, which allowed them to compassionately mentor and develop the candidates.
Distinguished Honor Graduate U.S. Army Warrant Officer Conor P. McCarrell, Colorado National Guard, submitted his packet last year during a deployment with the 169th Field Artillery Brigade.
According to McCarrell, being put in charge developed his confidence as a leader, which, he said, was the best thing that had happened to him in his life.
“You’re placed in certain situations where you don’t know what you’re doing, but you have to do something,” he said.
During the third and final phase, which took place during September at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, more than 100 candidates from across the nation completed a two-week field training exercise.
After the FTX, the candidates boarded buses and rode back to Colorado just in time to prepare for the graduation ceremony.
Imeraj left the graduates with plenty of advice from the wisdom he developed over 26 years of service as a warrant officer. He advised them to know themselves and to remember that they define their rank, not the other way around.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” Imeraj said, quoting National Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson.
Imeraj praised the candidates for their determination, strength and courage through the trying course.
“Your success is a testament to your commitment, unwavering sacrifice, and hard work.”
Imeraj said. “Congratulations.”
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.12.2018 18:03 |
| Story ID: | 296244 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 426 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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