The Marine Corps warrant officer is a technical officer specialist who performs duties that require extensive knowledge, training and experience with particular systems or equipment. Their duties and responsibilities are of a nature beyond those required of senior noncommissioned officers. Marine Corps warrant officers provide experience and stability in the officer ranks in critical specialty areas.
Warrant Officer Utilization
The primary purpose for establishing warrant officers was to create and maintain a selected body of personnel with special knowledge of a particular MOS. Since 1916, the Marine Warrant Officer Program has undergone many changes in its structure, eligibility criteria and policy. As late as World War II, warrant officers were appointed primarily as a reward for the long and faithful service of senior noncommissioned officers. However, today the Marine Corps warrant officer program is requirements-based, designed specifically to meet valid operational requirements.
CWO5 Billets
These billets are located at the highest operational levels of the Marine Corps. For example, CWO5s are assigned in the operations sections of Marine Air-Ground Task Forces as a principal technical advisor for their particular specialty.
Warrant Officer Occupations
The Marine Corps has two distinct warrant officer programs: the Marine Gunner and the Technical warrant officer programs.
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The Technical warrant officer program provides officers for service in technical non-combat arms specialties such as Electronics Maintenance Officers, Tactical Intelligence officers and Disbursing officers.
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The Marine Gunner program provides warrant officers who are specialists in all aspects of infantry weapons and who are the source of expertise in the employment of weapons organic to infantry units. In addition, they are responsible for the development, coordination and monitoring of unit training programs for tactical weapons employment.
The following are examples of Marine Corps warrant officer positions:
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Personnel Officer
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Data Systems Operations Officer
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Tactical Intelligence Officer
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Utilities Officer
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Survey and Meteorological Officer
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Electro-Optic Instrument Repair Officer
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Ground Radar Maintenance officer
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Ground Supply Operations Officer
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Legal Administrative Officer
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Avionics Officer
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Postal Officer
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Embarkation Officer