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Warrant Officer Ranks


hhbooker2
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...Does anyone know what insignia they would have used for their WOs in the early 60s? Army ones with brown enamel?

USAF warrant officer insignia from the late 1950s followed the Army pattern except that the enameled portions of the bars were light blue rather than brown. Although I can't vouch for its accuracy, Wikipedia has a page that shows USAF warrant officer insignia (link here) and there is a period picture of a USAF CWO uniform posted in another topic (link here). And, also found on the amazing Internet, is this additional factoid about positively the last serving USAF warrant officer:

 

"Historical Note - The last Air Force Warrant Officer was a reservist who was promoted to CW5 and retired in August 1992. This was the only Air Force Warrant Officer promoted to this grade." (link here).

 

Interesting subject.

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Does anyone know this maker mark on these early WO insignia?

it looks like an oval with a F inside and four little legs sticking out from the oval

 

 

That is the hallmark for the Gus Fox Co. usually refered to as just Fox

 

brian

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...These are the U.S. Air Force Warrant Officers in my collection...

I like your collection better than the Wikipedia version. Where do you suppose they got their illustrations?

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  • 1 month later...
Guest Chafford1
More information:

 

Commissioned Warrant officers - Para. A-3, Army Field Manual 22-100, FM 22-100, or you can look here - http://www.penfed.com/usawoa/WOHERITAGE/ArmyWOdefined.htm or here - http://www.virtualarmory.com/newsoldier/warrant/

 

The Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1986 amended Title 10 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) to provide that Army Chief Warrant Officers shall be appointed by Commission. The primary purpose of the legislation was to equalize appointment procedures among the services. Chief Warrant Officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard had been commissioned for many years. Contrary to popular belief, the commissioning legislation was not a TWOS recommendation but a separate Army proposal. Further clarification of the role of an Army Warrant Officer, including the commissioned aspect, is found in FM 22-100. http://www.penfed.org/usawoa/WOHERITAGE/Hi...WO.htm#websites

 

Commissioning at the rank of WO1 is also in the pipeline - see the attached

 

http://www.penfed.org/usawoa/LegislativeNews.htm

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  • 1 year later...
normaninvasion

Could someone someone post some pics of early and pre WW2 Marine Corps Warrant Officer insignia. I'm having some confusion as to when the design changed. Thanks in advance. Jeff

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Could someone someone post some pics of early and pre WW2 Marine Corps Warrant Officer insignia. I'm having some confusion as to when the design changed. Thanks in advance. Jeff

 

 

Jeff,

 

From the United States Army Insignia Home Page (USAIHP) web site, they show a comparison of the services ranks during different wars.

 

 

Follow this link (WW II era)and scroll down to the Warrants

 

http://usarmyinsigniahomepage.110mb.com/armedforces-ww2.html

 

 

Follow this link (Korean War era)and scroll down to the Warrants.

 

http://usarmyinsigniahomepage.110mb.com/armedforces-kw.html

 

I have not found any pre WW II pictures / posters but would like to see them also.

 

Bill

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teufelhunde.ret

USMC WO's & CWO's worn Naval insignia (silver & blue) up to 1943/44, at which time the emblems were switched to scarlet & gold. Prior to 37 insignia's in false braid and rounded corners were quite common place.

post_837_1241213022.jpg

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teufelhunde.ret
Thanks guys that was a big help :thumbsup:

BTW - some EGA's hit ebay this morning that will work with the uniform you are trying to finish. s/f Darrell

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normaninvasion

Darrell, Just ordered a pair of Gemsco yesterday, kind of took a leap of faith on them. I have been trying to study EGAs for months and still not very confident. Will post when I get them. Thanks for the heads up as well, the kicker is, for months my EGA search on ebay has been set up wrong! I used new search words and found a lot of beauties!!

 

Another question: Is it possible, in the Old Corps, to go from Warrant Officer in 1921 and jump rank to Captain without becoming 2nd &1st LT? Jeff

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  • 11 months later...

did a search on these, figured the pill shape meant flight officer but couldn't find a match on the charts, I imagine outdated? What are these for? The colored border is brown

100_8428.JPG

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Brig,

 

Believe these are "Chief Warrant Officer" from the World War 2 era. The Flight Officer had blue on gold seperated by a gold segement 90 degrees to the long axis at the bar midpoint. I'll look for a picture.

 

Larry

 

Here it is:

 

post-8013-1283296686.jpg

 

This illustration is from "The Officer's Guide", 9th Edition, 1943, The Military Service Publishing Company

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  • 2 months later...

Hello to all. Can anyone give me an ID on this one? Poor color capture on the pic. The center stripe is dark green. Approx 5/8 inch with rounded corners, not oval. Thanks, Al Hirschler in Dallas.

post-12790-1289430743.jpg

post-12790-1289430757.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

All,

How was the rank insignia for Army Warrant officers worn on the shirt collar during ww2? Were the rank bars worn on both shirt collars or on right side with the Warrant officer eagle on the left like commissioned officers?

Thanks,

 

CB

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According to "The Officer's Guide" , 9th Edition, Copyright 1943 :

 

"Insignia on Shirt.

 

Warrant Officers. On the right side, 1 inch from the end, the insignia of grade, on the left side, 1 inch from the end, the insignia of warrant officer. Bars will be worn parallel with the front edge of the collar. (Changes No. 2, AR 600-40, Aug. 25, 1942)"

 

Larry

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  • 5 weeks later...

Well, as far as being addresses as "Mister" or "Chief", when I was a WO1, I was addressed as Mister Brown. When I was promoted to CWO2, most everyone addressed me as "Chief", or "Chief Warrant Officer Brown" and "Mister Brown" in less formal situations, by commissioned as well as enlisted soldiers.

 

On a different note, I once overheard a 2Lt address a CWO5 as "Sir" and then corrected herself adding that technically she out-ranked the Chief. He responded that addressing him as "Sir" was completely OK, adding that he technically had combat boots older than she was, and that they were still serviceable!

 

You could hear the crickets’ chriping!

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Jeff,

 

The provisions for commissioning warrants came down around 1987 or 1988 if I remember correctly. It was automatic once promoted to CW2.

 

Jim K.

Hello,

 

I'm new here, but honed in on this discussion right away. I was a Warrant Officer (1982-1988) in the U.S. Army. The original ranks were WO-1 thru CWO-4. About the time I got out, 1988 or so, the Army started instituting the CWO-5 rank/grade and the commissioning. Previously Warrants were "appointed", not commissioned. I did NOT take the commission. My final unit, which was part of the 1st Infantry Division had around 150 or so Warrants (pilot types). All but myself and possibly one or two others refused the commission. I was departing the military anyway, so it was no big deal for me. The few that refused looked upon it as basically a, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc...Lt. rank, and didn't want the extra "baggage" associated with a commission, ESPECIALLY AS THERE WAS NO MONETARY INCENTIVE!!!

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Greetings All,

 

How about a little Marine perspective? I was appointed a Warrant Officer in 2004 (commissioned a CWO2 in 2005, CWO3 in 2008), and the only other moniker I have ever heard a Marine Warrant Officer called by was "Gunner". Incidentally, this title is technically incorrect unless you hold the title "Marine Gunner", who is an Infantry Weapons Specialist, MOS 0306, and holds the rank of CWO2-CWO5. Otherwise, "Sir", "Warrant Officer" or "Chief Warrant Officer" are the commonly accepted terms of address in the Corps.

 

Used to drive me nuts when other services would call me "Warrant" or "Chief", especially afloat! (My brother retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, and NEVER served aboard ship! His little brother joins the Corps and serves aboard six!)

I know no disrespect was ever intended, but it still was like nails on a chalkboard to me!

 

Semper!

 

Ski

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Ski,

 

Your experiences are similar to my own...not that I was a CWO. Most of the military people that I associate with are Army or AF veterans and have no clue of the vast difference between the DoN's warrant officers and USA/USAF. I was working toward applying for LDO/CWO and know that I'd have had a good shot at it. We never referred to CWOs as Chief or Warrant. It was always sir.

 

We had a CWO4 aboard ship in '88 who was in his 28th year and had never served aboard ship (he was an aviation guy - P-3s). He had my utmost respect as he crawled on all fours on wog day. I led him around like the slimy wog that he was...whipping his arse every step of the way. He was totally cool about that and was a fantastic JOOD on the bridge. In CIC, we always knew when he had the conn. The guy ran his bridge like a seasoned SWO.

 

Something I saw a while back caught my attention and I'd have been all over if I was serving in today's navy.

 

Enlisted to Warrant Officer Pilot/NFO Program

 

I would love to see how that plays out this year as the program concludes its evaluation period. This totally harkens back to the Naval Aviation Pilots of the 30s and 40s.

 

 

Greetings All,

 

Used to drive me nuts when other services would call me "Warrant" or "Chief", especially afloat!

 

I know no disrespect was ever intended, but it still was like nails on a chalkboard to me!

 

Semper!

 

Ski

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  • 2 months later...

Hello

Here are some different versions from Warrant Officers.

 

Can you identify the items listed below with "?"

 

Thanks

Michael

 

1 Army Warrant Officer 1 silver/black

2 Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 silver/black

3 Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 silver/black

4 Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 silver/black

5 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 / Master Warrant Officer 4 silver/black

6 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 silver/black

7 Army Warrant Officer 1 green/black

8 Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 green/black

9 Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 green/black

10 Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 green/black

11 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 / Master Warrant Officer 4 green/black

12 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 green/black

13 Navy Warrant Officer W-1 gold/blue

14 Navy Warrant Officer W-2 gold/blue

15 Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-3 silver/blue

16 Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-4 silver/blue

17 Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-1 gold/red

18 Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-2 gold/red

19 Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-3 silver/red

20 Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-4 silver/red

21 Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-5 silver/red

22 ? Navy WW2

23 ? Navy WW2

24 ? Marine Corps WW2

25 ? Marine Corps WW2

26 Army Warrant Officer Junior Grade WW2

27 Army Chief Warrant Officer WW2

28 Army Air Force Flight Officer WW2

29 Army Warrant Officer 1 post WW2

30 Army Warrant Officer 2 post WW2

31 Army Warrant Officer 3 post WW2

32 Army Warrant Officer 4 post WW2

33 ? Navy Warrant Officer W-1 brown/green

34 ? Navy Warrant Officer W-2 brown/green

35 ? Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-3 black/green

36 ? Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-4 black/green

37 Air Force Warrant Officer WO 1 gold/blue

38 Air Force Warrant Officer WO 2 gold/blue

39 Air Force Chief Warrant Officer CWO 3 silver/blue

40 Air Force Chief Warrant Officer CWO 4 silver/blue

41 miniature Army Warrant Officer 4 post WW2

42 miniature Army Chief Warrant Officer WW2

43 miniature Army Chief Warrant Officer WW2

44 miniature Army Warrant Officer Junior Grade WW2

45 miniature Air Force Chief Warrant Officer CWO 4 silver/blue

46 miniature Air Force Chief Warrant Officer CWO 3 silver/blue

47 miniature Air Force Warrant Officer WO 2 gold/blue

48 miniature Air Force Warrant Officer WO 1 gold/blue

49 miniature Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-5 silver/blue

50 miniature Navy Warrant Officer W-2 gold/blue

51 miniature Navy WW2

52 miniature Navy WW2

53 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-5 silver/red

54 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-4 silver/red

55 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-3 silver/red

56 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-2 gold/red

57 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-1 gold/red

58 miniature Marine Corps WW2

59 miniature Marine Corps WW2

60 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-5 black/red

61 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-4 black/red

62 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-3 black/red

63 miniature Marine Corps Warrant Officer W-2 brown/red

64 Army Warrant Officer 4 post WW2

65 Army Warrant Officer 3 post WW2

66 Army Warrant Officer 2 post WW2

67 Army Warrant Officer 1 post WW2

68 Army Warrant Officer 1 subdued cloth

69 Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 subdued cloth

70 Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 subdued cloth

71 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 / Master Warrant Officer 4 subdued cloth

72 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 subdued cloth

73 Army Warrant Officer 1 desert cloth

74 Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 desert cloth

75 Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 desert cloth

76 Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 desert cloth

77 Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 / Master Warrant Officer 4 desert cloth

78 ? Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 / Master Warrant Officer 4 desert cloth

79 ? Chief Warrant Officer 5 desert cloth

80 ?

81 ?

82 ?

83 ?

84 Navy Warrant Officer W-1 embroidered

85 Navy Warrant Officer W-2 embroidered

86 Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-3 embroidered

87 Navy Chief Warrant Officer W-4 embroidered

88 Air Force Warrant Officer WO 1 handembroidered

89 Air Force Warrant Officer WO 2 handembroidered

post-8324-1302124657.jpg

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