Coast Guard Warrant Officer
Warrant officers may serve as officers in charge of coast guard stations or even as command warrant officers.
Coast guard warrant officer. Coast guard chief warrant officer specialty insignia worn on the collar and shoulder boards depicted left warrant officer grade structure of the united states coast guard. Chief warrant officers fill a variety of billets as they can command larger small boat stations and patrol boats as specialists and supervisors in other technical areas and as special agents in the coast guard investigative service. Coast guard warrant officer ranks.
Coast guard warrant officers usually belong to one of 30 specialties including boatswain master mate surgeon chaplain and carpenter which are specialized and skilled positions that often require specialists with command authority and leadership skills. Although provision has been made for a chief warrant officer 5 cwo 5 in the us coast guard since 1994 this rank is not currently in use. Since the discontinuation of the warrant officer rank w 1 in the us coast guard in 1975 a chief warrant officer 2 cwo 2 is the entry level warrant officer rank in the us coast guard.
You can earn a commission as an officer in the coast guard through the coast guard academy officer candidate school direct commissioning and the college student pre commissioning initiative. Chief warrant officer 4. Attendance and successful completion of the cwopd course is mandatory for all w 2s within the first 18 months of commission.
A coast guard chief warrant officer cwo is considered part of the officer corps and is expected to bridge the gap between the enlisted force and the commissioned officer corps. Department of homeland security the u s. The course curriculum focuses on leadership service etiquette customs and courtesies communication oral and written and the necessary administrative skills needed to become an effective coast guard officer.
The opinions expressed on this web site are not to be construed as being official or reflecting the views of the u s. A cwo being a technical expert in a given specialty has the ability to completely understand and communicate with an enlisted technician. The uscg chief warrant and warrant officers association cwoa is a not for profit organization.
Coast guard or officials thereof. All coast guard officers are line officers unlike the navy which has a staff corps to identify certain career fields.