Photo By Sgt. Austin Goss | U.S. Army Warrant Officer 1 Christopher Cardwell is pinned with his new rank during a...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. – Candidates with the Indiana Army National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School celebrated their completion of the course during a graduation and rank pinning ceremony Saturday, Feb. 21 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
The first class to graduate from the program in 2026, Class 26-001 consisted of eight Indiana National Guardsmen, who attended two phases of training over the course of the past year. The training prepares National Guardsmen to become experts in their respective military occupation specialties, or MOS.
“We learn how to properly position ourselves as leaders and advisors,” said newly commissioned Warrant Officer 1 Christopher Cardwell. “When you become any sort of officer, you may think that you have to take charge at all times and make those decisions. However, as warrant officers, you’re uniquely positioned to advise the commander in your expertise.”
Cardwell and his fellow Hoosier graduates are unique in that graduating from Warrant Officer Candidate School does not require out-of-state travel. Camp Atterbury is one of just two sites where National Guard soldiers can receive the specialized training offered in phase one of the school, the other is Fort, McClellan, Alabama.
“It is a great opportunity within our state,” Cardwell continued. “For myself and my classmates, it is something that we are extremely appreciative of having here.”
Phase One of WOCS consists of a number of physical requirements candidates must complete in order to advance to phase two, the final stage, and ultimately graduate. Instrumental to phase one is a high-level proficiency in the skills most fundamental to the Army – expertise in physical fitness, land navigation, and through an academic setting in the classroom.
Amenities like quality shooting ranges, multiple land navigation courses, and dedicated staff and facilities are what make Camp Atterbury a training site for so many of the National Guard’s warrant officers. Roughly one-third of the men and women who go on to become warrant officers within the National Guard pass through Camp Atterbury every year.
Indiana National Guard’s 138th Regional Training Institute coordinates with numerous National Guards from other states, as geographically diverse as Maryland and Hawaii, to host the WOCS program.
“We have premier facilities, multiple land navigation courses to choose from, and our RTI is fantastic here at Camp Atterbury,” said Indiana Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wendy Robinson. “Where we are located, the size of this facility, the availability of barracks and dining halls … This base is a huge asset.”
Being a preeminent location for the warrant officer school is an opportunity that has not only amounted to getting to train and prepare Army leaders for the task ahead of them, but also to showcase the capabilities of the Indiana Army National Guard and its premier training facility.
“It is a huge honor to be able to be a part of this,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ross Raglin, commander of Indiana’s WOCS program. “And it is a great opportunity to spotlight Indiana, too.”
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2026 10:27 |
| Story ID: | 559077 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 334 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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