Photo By Senior Airman Brad West | U.S. Air Force Warrant Officer 1 David Denney of the 241st Engineering Installation...... read more read more
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The 241st Engineering Installation Squadron marked a milestone by welcoming their first warrant officer on May 20, 2025.
Warrant Officer 1 David Denney, a 21-year veteran of the Air National Guard, completed Warrant Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and now serves as the squadron’s senior technical adviser.
The training course placed heavy emphasis on decision-making under pressure, requiring students to weigh the broader impact of their choices in simulated operations.
“You are the guy that’s responsible when you make those calls,” Denney said. “It opened my eyes to how a single decision can change the outcome for an entire team.”
Denney said the program relied on scenario-driven learning and discussions. Instructors also encouraged students to shape the direction of the new Air Force program.
“They were actually listening to us and taking feedback throughout the course,” he said. “It wasn’t a rigid process, they wanted us to help build what this role will look like moving forward.”
Exposure to warrant officers from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps gave Denney insight into how the Air Force might adapt the rank for its own needs. He said the collaboration also underscored how rare the opportunity was.
“I’ve never seen so many W0-5s in my life,” Denney said, using the term for the top warrant officer rank. “It was cool to see because the Air Force hasn’t had a new one since the 1950s.”
In his new position, Denney acts as the subject-matter expert (SME) for engineering installations. He advises commanders on equipment, training and field operations while leaving routine administrative work to senior noncommissioned officers.
“I’m the SME on how we’re going to do installs on the equipment that we’re using,” Denney said. “When our teams run into issues, they call back to me, and I help them find the solution or go out there myself.”
Denney brings more than a decade of civilian industry experience as a fiber-optic installer, which he says helps him identify where military systems lag behind. He hopes to use the warrant officer platform to modernize the tools available to his squadron.
“A lot of our equipment is out of date,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to get better gear in place so our guys are better equipped to do their missions.”
The transition from master sergeant to warrant officer was more than a change of insignia. Denney said he immediately noticed the weight of expectations.
“Everybody’s eyes are on me right now,” he said. “It feels different, people see you as the person who is supposed to have the answers.”
Denney and his peers are still shaping what the role will mean in the Air Force, often turning to Army counterparts for guidance. He said the lack of precedent is both a challenge and an opportunity.
“You’re kind of writing your own path, your own job description,” Denney said. “I call Army warrant officers all the time to ask how they handle certain things.”
As one of the first selected for the revived rank, Denney knows others will be watching his progress. He hopes his experience inspires qualified Airmen to follow the same path.
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2025 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 544628 |
| Location: | CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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