- Putting Structure into the Warrant Officer Rank
W/O Keith Gell
By W/O Keith Gell
This year the Warrant Officer rank has undergone some major structural changes that will see better career management for all who hold the rank.
The structure we now have has four tiers. These tiers go from the Warrant Officer of the Defence Force to Warrant Officer of the Air Force to Command Warrant Officers and line Warrant Officers.
New to this tier are the Command W/O positions. These positions have been established at the Commanding Officer level and form part of the executive staff of that Wing or Operational Flying Squadron. They are there to provide the best possible advice to the CO in support of his or her command. Most W/Os have worked with OCs, however few have worked at the higher level of command where their reporting line is directly to the CO. Having structure within the rank will allow better career management for all Warrant Officers, and I must stress, this structure is not just about W/O’s, it’s about the non-commissioned ranks in total.
Having a career path for those who go from being an AC to the W/O of the Defence Force is just as important as aspiring to be the CDF. This does not mean that the non commissioned ranks are creating something different, but rather this structure recognises the vast amount of talent that exists within our Air Force. For this talent to be realised, pathways are needed to ensure career opportunities exist for those who not only have sound technical competence, but also sound leadership, management and command competence.
The RNZAF now has in place a professional military development framework that provides the required development, education and training for all personnel, in particular from Corporal to Warrant Officer. At the Warrant Officer level for instance, a promotion course exists as does an advanced staff course. So with the re-structuring of the rank comes the required development. This is a major success story and will enhance capability for those who have the desire and competence to keep moving up the chain of influence.
Managing this structure to ensure the right people are placed into the right roles is the responsibility of Warrant Officer Appointments Board. This board was established last November and is responsible for selecting the Command Warrant Officer appointments and the nominations for the advanced Warrant Officers’ course. This board has also put in place a succession plan for the Warrant Officer of the Air Force, which will be rotated next April. I am hopeful this year the appointments board will be responsible for all W/O posts, giving W/Os some idea of their future careers looking over the horizon.
So what has changed in the rank of the W/O? Put simply, there is now structure within the rank that has a pathway for advancing in the rank. There is also development that compliments this structure, and if one looks into the future, the role of the W/O is changing as is the NZDF as a whole.
For many of the old guard who purely see W/Os as disciplinarians and parade marshals, think again; such thinking will see you get run over by history.
As noted earlier, there is huge talent coming into our Air Force. To harness this talent we must have pathways that enable people to advance. Getting to the rank of W/O is one thing; advancing within the rank is now another. However, if the rank is to remain relevant beyond the tactical environment, we need structure and continual development.