Photo By Senior Airman Sarah Post | Warrant Officer Johnny Cruz, 213th Engineering Installation Squadron assistant...... read more read more
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For the first time in over three decades, the 105th Airlift Wing and New York Air National Guard have a warrant officer among their ranks.
Warrant Officer Johnny Cruz, 213th Engineering Installation Squadron assistant director of operations, graduated from warrant officer training school Dec. 18, 2025, becoming the first to hold such a rank in New York in decades.
Warrant officers are the ranks between enlisted airmen and commissioned officers, holding unique responsibilities and technical proficiencies within the U.S. Air Force rank structure. The Air Force’s first warrant officers arrived in 1947 when 1,200 were inherited from the Army Air Force during the Air Force’s transition to its own branch. However, the ranks were phased out in 1959, with the last warrant officers retiring from active duty Air Force in 1980 and from the Air Force Reserves in 1992.
In April 2024, the Air Force announced the return of the warrant officer to certain cyber-related career fields. “This wasn’t something that I expected in my career path,” said Cruz.
He heard about the return of the warrant officer rank and thought it was great for the Air Force, but he didn’t think a position for one would come to the engineering and installation career field or his squadron.
Cruz, a Bronx, New York, native and current resident of Nearfield, Connecticut, joined the 213th EIS in 2013. During his enlisted tenure, Cruz spent a few years working in radar airfield weather systems, then with radio-frequency transmission. He served in both a drill status and full time Active Guard Reserve capacity, working his way up to E-7, master sergeant.
When an AGR warrant officer position was announced at the 213th, Cruz said the stars aligned.
He recalled his first thought was all the other qualified members in the squadron who would have made a great fit for this position. He submitted his own application anyway because he met the requirements and wanted to ensure the squadron would have the best chance at filling the role.
“I thought being a master sergeant was great and I could have done it for the rest of my career,” said Cruz. “So, I didn’t necessarily think ‘oh yeah, I’m the guy’,I applied just to be an option, just in case someone more suited for the role wasn’t available.”
However, Cruz received support and encouragement from his fellow 213th members who believed he was suited for the role. Senior Master Sgt. Kelvin Ciprian, 213th airfield systems technician, said Cruz was operating at the level of a warrant officer long before the program was brought back.
“He is a deeply technical leader who plans, executes and mentors at an elite level, and he consistently translates complex requirements into mission-ready solutions,” said Ciprian. “His selection isn’t surprising; it’s a natural progression for someone who has been the technical backbone of our organization and a trusted leader for both Airmen and senior leadership.”
To become a warrant officer, Cruz submitted an application, including a letter of recommendation from Ciprian. Then he, along with the other applicants, went before a selection board with Lt. Col. Matthew Zayatz, 213th commander, who selected Cruz as the best fit for the new position.
Zayatz said he was impressed by Cruz from the time he took command of the 213th in 2024, and even labeled him the 213th Problem Solver in his phone’s contacts.
“From radios to fiber optics, he is a master of executing turnkey solutions for any operational need,” said Zayatz. “That technical expertise combined with his outstanding leadership made him the natural choice to lead the way as the first warrant officer for our unit and the New York Air National Guard.”
After being selected, he went to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, for the two-month Warrant Officer Training School.
Training consisted of basic military style training, physical training and classroom learning. Since the warrant officer program only includes cyber-related fields currently, Cruz said there was also a lot of networking between the trainees, which will help the developing warrant officers as they progress in their careers.
Now, back at the 105th and officially a warrant officer, Cruz is learning his new role and determining what it means to be a warrant officer in the Air Force.
“As of now there are only 183 in the Air Force, and we as a cohort get to shape what we think this program should be and how warrant officers get to interact with everyone,” said Cruz. “We want to be a cohort of humility, and we get to choose that. We get to pick our identity.”
Warrant officers are selected from noncommissioned or senior noncommissioned officer applicants. However, they are not intended to be supervisors in the same way NCOs and SNCOs are. According to Cruz, some confuse that with warrant officers not being in a leadership role at all, but that is not the case.
Warrant officers get to lead people and take charge in their squadrons, while also becoming subject matter experts by working in the field. Transitioning from an NCO or SNCO role, warrant officers are also entering their new role with high expectations to already know the job and have problem-solving skills that junior officers might not have. This mix of expectations allows the warrant officer rank to fit right between the SNCO tier and junior officer corps.
Cruz will automatically promote to chief warrant officer 2 in about two years. In the meantime, he wants to advocate for warrant officers, but more importantly for the 213th and 105th. Whether here at the wing or somewhere else in the NYANG, he wants to use his position for good.
“[For] anybody who is interested in becoming a warrant officer, I think the program is phenomenal. If the opportunity comes up, definitely consider it,” said Cruz.
Being a warrant officer is a huge way to make a difference, he added.
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2026 08:15 |
| Story ID: | 557698 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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