If you only knew, would you still apply for the chief warrant officer program? If I had to do it all over again—yes, I would. My 16 years' service prior to commissioning, however, did not lead me to believe that chief warrant officers were thought of as lesser officers. I now make sure that every chief and first-class petty officer I counsel knows what he is in for. Did you know that: they drive ships and even command ashore (sometimes); they are fully vested to take command of a ship; are commissioned officers upon initial appointment; and they have dates of rank and lineal numbers that mean nothing except in relation to other chief warrants?
Past practices and perceptions need to be set aside and written policies put in place—policies that clearly establish chief-warrant-officer commissioning dates as relevant, just like those of every other officer. Typically, the pay-chart is used to justify chief-warrant-officer status within the officer hierarchy—rather than policy or commissioning dates or lineal numbers. The rank of chief warrant officer is the only grade—enlisted or officer—that does not advance any higher in seniority. Every ensign who enters the Navy is not senior to a chief warrant officer. Would Ensign X, right out of school, be senior to a chief warrant officer commissioned for four years? I hardly think so. I doubt that the intent of the program was to foster such a distasteful position. Teachings at the U.S. Naval Academy and NROTC might dispute such a claim, but no written policy I can find supports this teaching.
No other pay grade is like this in the Navy. This leaves the chief warrant officer without protection, precedence, or authority. Chief warrant officers spend four years in each grade and must compete with all warrants in the Navy going up for the same pay grade. Limited duty officers are aligned with unrestricted line officers and get promoted nearly twice before the first chief-warrant-officer promotion change. When advanced, the warrant does not enjoy the same increases in pay as the unrestricted line officer or limited duty officer. It never should be a curse to be promoted to chief warrant officer; and it should be of some greater benefit to the service member than an increase in pay and retirement compensation.
Chief warrant officers are naval officers—they are nothing less. They do the same jobs that limited duty officers and line officers do, and it is the luck of the draw whether you are selected for limited duty officer or chief warrant. If midshipmen are considered a pay grade of high standing, then certainly a chief warrant with a minimum of 12 years in the Navy should be as well. A chief warrant officer (W-2) should be considered equal in rank to a lieutenant junior grade—after all, a chief warrant may be promoted to that rank with one year in grade and selection to limited duty officer. Chief warrant officers (W-3 and W-4) should be considered at least equal to lieutenants. Why? Because in accordance with Chapter 8, U.S. Navy Regulations, 1973, "Chief warrant officers and limited duty officers are supposed to enjoy the same precedence and authority as officers not restricted in the performance of their duties." A chief warrant officer (W-3) has three-to-four years of commissioned service, while a CW04 has a minimum of eight. This experience should count for-something._
A chief warrant officer is not allowed to compete for department head positions because of rank inversion, according to a senior surface Navy detailer. Put simply, chief warrant officers have no authority within the officer ranks; they are oxymorons. Only limited duty officers may Screen for department-head jobs. Chief warrant officers are the only officer grade relegated to being always last—and never being afforded the opportunity to compete within their community.
If chief warrant officers are considered only glorified enlisted personnel, then they should be paid higher than the highest enlisted pay grade (E-9), which they are not. A chief warrant officer second class with 19 years of service gets paid less than an E-9 with the same amount of service. Limited-duty ensigns, however, are paid more than their line-officer counterparts and the E-9s. This is clearly wrong.
An issue of seniority may be a trivial thing, but it is part of military tradition. A junior officer recently told me that rank does not matter to them. Of course it doesn't; they have enjoyed only one or two pay grades—a Mustang has seen eight or more. It matters because Mustangs already have worked their way up from the bottom of the pile, and shouldn't expect to be blocked from future rewards. When you are promoted, it should be just that—a promotion. All of us need to feel good about our status, and need to know that there is the potential to make the drive forward rewarding.
Chief Warrant Officer Knop is the systems test officer on board the USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60).