Photo By Darwin Lam | Warrant Officer 1 James Goodyear, Thomas Forsythe, Devin Layser, Matthew Brickley,...... read more read more
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First Warrant Officer Aerial Vehicle Operators Graduate from Officer Candidate School
By Darwin Lam, Officer Training Command Newport Public Affairs
NEWPORT, R.I. - The first Warrant Officers-1 (WO1), selected to be Navy’s first Aerial Vehicle Operators (AVO) with designator 737X graduated from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Officer Training Command, Newport (OTCN), Jan. 28.
Along with 91 commissioning Ensigns in OCS class 05-22, the Navy’s first seven AVOs are Matthew Brickley, Thomas Forsythe, James Goodyear, Devin Layser, Kiel Massong, Jacob Mettlen and Christopher Nolan.
“I’m excited to be part of the next generation of warfighters in this program,” said Warrant Officer 1 Jacob Mettlen, a San Angelo, Texas native and the program’s first non-prior military service WO1 graduate. “With the experience I gained as a former police officer and network administrator, I look forward to applying my professional civilian background to Naval leadership in the fleet.”
In December 2020, the Navy announced a new warrant officer specialty designator whose job will be to operate carrier-based MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial vehicles, which are expected to start appearing in fleet carrier air wings in 2024, according to a Navy news release.
As part of the pilot program, the Navy received more than 100 applications from active duty enlisted Sailors.
One of the selectees came from VX-20, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty (AIRTEVRON 20) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
“I have a background in helping develop the EP-3E ARIES II replacement program with the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Air System before arriving to OCS,” said Warrant Officer 1 Thomas Forsythe, a Santa Rita, Guam native and formerly a Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class at VX-20. “This is a great opportunity to spearhead the newest technological innovation for the Navy with the MQ-25.”
This is part of the Navy’s second phasing-in of the Warrant Officer-1 corps. The first WO1s in the cyber field graduated from the Limited Duty Officer/Chief Warrant Officer (LDO/CWO) Academy on Nov. 1, 2019.
"Unlike traditional Navy Chief Warrant Officers, the majority of these officers will be accessed much younger and trained along the lines of current Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers in the unrestricted designators," said Capt. Christopher Wood, Aviation Officer Community Manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tenn. in a Navy news release.
The use of warrant officers as the primary operators of unmanned aerial vehicles came about because the expected career path they will have as they move up the ranks will be as technical specialists who complete repetitive tours, which fits the Navy's model on how warrant grades are utilized. However, the AVO community’s primary duty also closely aligns to that of warfighters in unrestricted designators. As a result, the AVO officer candidates conducted initial accessions training alongside unrestricted line officer candidates at OCS.
“The OCS curricula is the same for all designators to ensure we provide basic militarization and development of the officer-like qualities expected to be seen in any Naval officer,” said Cmdr. Les Huffman, OCS Director. “In regard to the AVOs, we will prepare these future warfighters in a similar manner as our line officers to ensure they are ready for leadership challenges they’ll face in the fleet.”
In order for warrant officers to operate the MQ-25 Stingray, the first carrier based unmanned aerial vehicle in the Navy, the Secretary of the Navy approved the establishment of the AVO warrant officer designator in NAVADMIN 315/20.
The Navy completed an Unmanned Carrier Aviation Demonstration (UCAD) of its MQ-25 unmanned air system (UAS) prototype in December 2021 aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), laying the groundwork for future carrier-based UAS operations.
“Warrant officers are selected and employed as technical specialists in their respective fields and continue to hone that skillset while performing repetitive work throughout their career,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Hector Sandoval, the chief warrant officer community manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tennessee. “The WO1 was selected due to the nature of the work they will be asked to perform with the MQ-25 platform and also to provide the greatest career path flexibility for the designator.”
Unlike traditional chief warrant officers, AVO warrant officers were selected through Navy recruiting as opposed to selecting and converting chief petty officers through a board selection process.
Upon their completion of OCS, warrants will complete initial flight training with follow-on specialized training on the MQ-25 platform.
AVOs wear WO/CWO bars on both collars and will be awarded AVO wings upon the completion of undergraduate flight training as a warfare device similar to Naval Flight Officer wings.
The MQ-25 Stingray will be the Navy’s first carrier based unmanned aerial vehicle and is expected to reach initial operational capability in Fiscal Year 2024.
This initial cadre of warrant AVOs operating the MQ-25 will be on the leading-edge of advancing the development of the Stingray and potentially other unmanned vehicle programs, said Sandoval.
“Their follow on training will help them adapt to a tactical environment that is comparable to manned aircraft, requiring decision making and risk assessment in complex airborne scenarios. Feedback during and after training will be critical to ensuring the success of the AVO program well into the future,” said Sandoval.
Headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, OTCN oversees Officer Candidate School, Officer Development School and the Limited Duty Officer/Chief Warrant Officer Academy.
OTCN morally, mentally and physically develops future leaders of character and competence - imbuing them with the highest ideals of honor, courage and commitment in order to serve as professional naval officers worthy of special trust and confidence.
For more information about OTCN, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/OTCN.
| Date Taken: | 01.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2022 05:09 |
| Story ID: | 413585 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RI, US |
| Web Views: | 12,358 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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