Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Eggert | CARIBBEAN SEA (Sept. 16, 2025) Chief Boatswain’s Mate Thalia Jimenez is presented...... read more read more
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As enlisted Sailors in the U.S. Navy move up in the ranks, they have many different career paths that they can take. For some, being an officer is atop their list of goals and there are many different avenues to accomplish a move into the wardroom.
For first class petty officers and senior Sailors, the limited duty officer program is a route that can be pursued. When senior Sailors are promoted to chief, most rates have the opportunity to commission as a chief warrant officer. These Sailors become “Mustangs”—enlisted Sailors who promote to officer through an in-service commissioning pathway—highly valued subject matter experts in their respective jobs and enter a new position of leadership in the fleet.
Aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), Chief Boatswain’s Mate Viviana Feliz and Chief Information Systems Technician Luis Pinzon earned their selection as chief warrant officers. Chief Boatswain’s Mate Thalia Jimenez earned her selection as a limited duty officer. Both Feliz and Pinzon knew that they wanted to become officers early on in their military careers.
“When I got to my first ship, the boatswain became a mentor to me and truly showed me what the job was about,” said Feliz. “From that point, I was sure I was staying in the Navy and becoming an officer would always be my mentality.”
For Pinzon, the interest in becoming an officer goes back to before he enlisted.
“I went through the [Junior] Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) in high school, so since my freshman year I had always looked into becoming an officer,” Pinzon explained. “As soon as I made chief, I got with the mustang coordinator on board and started the process.”
The road to becoming a “Mustang” is not easy. The multi-step process is very competitive but Feliz stayed motivated by her ‘why’, which helped her keep a very keen eye on her goal as she moved through the process.
“I have always thought maybe I needed more mentorship or more training, but it was truly my mentor that made me realize I could do this and I was ready,” said Feliz. “[My mentor] gave me the realization that I could do this, that it really was possible for me to become a Boatswain.”
Although they have been selected, the job of becoming a warrant officer is not quite finished. They will attend additional training courses, such as the chief warrant officer course in Newport, Rhode Island, which will prepare them for a higher leadership position. For Feliz, the lasting impression that her mentor left is something that she wants to emulate.
“I want to have the same impact on my junior Sailors as my mentors did for me,” said Feliz. “Becoming a boatswain is a huge responsibility [because] you are now responsible for all [of] deck department operations as well as the safety of everyone below you.”
Becoming a warrant officer means taking on a greater leadership role, and exhibiting good leadership qualities is something that is very important to officers serving across the fleet. Leadership at the officer level has a direct and critical impact on junior Sailors’ careers and the day-to-day operations on a ship.
“[Leaders should] always have a plan for everything that’s going on while factoring in things that are not planned,” said Feliz.
“Be transparent and true to yourself when it comes to being a leader. Determine what your short [falls] are and work to get better. Always be accountable for every decision you make. [These] are all good leadership qualities I will take with me.”
As chiefs become chief warrant officers, they bridge the gap between officers and enlisted as subject matter experts in their communities. They take Sailors under their wing and become a motivator for everyone around them. While Feliz, Pinzon and Jimenez continue their journey to become Mustangs, the voyage will grant them a unique position in the fleet that allows them to serve at a new echelon and continue to train the next generation of Sailors in the U.S. Navy.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2026 20:14 |
| Story ID: | 566630 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Enlisted to Officer: USS Iwo Jima’s Newest Mustangs, by PO3 Logan Goins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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