Promotions That Used To Come With 2 Years Of AWO Service, May Now Take Longer

The Army has made some decisions that are likely to be unpopular among their Aviation Warrant Officers (AWO).

The Army's new initiative has been undertaken to 'provide aviation warrant officers more time for professional development at junior ranks.'

Army directive, AD 2021-31, approved Sept. 10, 2021, and effective Oct. 1, 2021, will reset the time required for aviator warrant officers (military occupational specialty 152 through 155) to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2.

Army Regulation 600-8-29 specifies that warrant officers are automatically promoted after two years of warrant officer service. However, due to the length of flight training, many aviation branch warrant officers have been promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 just a few months after arrival at their units.

Under the new directive, aviator warrant officers will no longer be automatically promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 after two years. Instead, their two-year terms will begin after they have completed flight school and the Warrant Officer Basic Course. By resetting the warrant officers’ date of rank, aviators will have more time to learn and grow before being promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2.

Army Directive 2021-31 only affects regular Army aviation branch warrant officers, and does not apply to warrant officers in any other MOS or component. The new directive does not affect warrant officers who graduated from the Warrant Officer Basic Course prior to Oct. 1, 2021.

FMI: www.army.mil, or Maj. Joseph Payton at joseph.w.payton.mil@mail.mil