Army WO Promotions To Get Tougher

Army warrant officers could expect to encounter a tougher promotion process, the service’s senior-most chief warrant officer told an audience of colleagues Oct. 14. Budget cuts have generated some overstaffing among the warrant ranks, CWO5 David Williams, Chief Warrant Officer in the Army Chief of Staff office, said in remarks made at the 2014 Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting and exposition in Washington. The service may have to resort to selective retirement or separation in order to bring warrant officer strength into line, Williams said. Twenty-eight of the 48 CWO5 specialties are overstaffed, he said. “These are very difficult times. Promotions have never been more competitive,” Williams said. Nevertheless, Williams reiterated Army leadership’s commitment to fielding the best-trained warrant officers possible. “We cannot get there without quality leaders, which will require better leadership development for warrant officers,” he said.