Air Force Warrant Officers

A Solution to

Evolving Technology Demands in a Fiscally Constrained Environment

Position Paper

CMSgt Michael Esser 251st CEIG

Ohio Air National Guard Springfield, Ohio

1 May 2013

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Reinstating United States Air Force Warrant Officers (active and reserve components) will provide a significant manpower cost savings by converting Company and Field Grade Officer positions to lower cost Warrant positions. Because Warrant Officer’s are AFSC career field experts, they not only afford leadership to Airmen, but would also train and disseminate AFSC knowledge and expertise to lower ranks. Additionally, as they are promoted, they would continue to gain AFSC expertise and truly become AFSC Subject Matter Experts, return on investment of continuing education and training would carry through to the end of their careers. They would not transition into senior leadership roles (like Commissioned Officers & Senior NCO’s) that would effectively take them out of the career field . Additionally, extremely technical or demanding career fields would benefit from Warrant Officers as they are long term, length of career subject matter experts. They will help the Air Force adapt to constrained resources. They will be the definitive hands on AFSC subject matter experts providing technical bridges between civilian engineers and enlisted technicians. Warrant officers will mitigate the effects of a complex and uncertain strategic environment and an increasingly constrained fiscal environment. They will mitigate the effect of Air Force end strength reductions and inevitable requirements to extend service life platforms of aircraft and equipment. The MBA paper “Benefits of an Air Force Contracting Warrant Officer Program” by Brian E. Williams, John M. Dix, and John A. Muir (USAF Captains) December 2011 states in conclusion; "The implementation of our contracting structure with warrant officers resulted in $9.7 million in annual savings in personnel costs. This quantified savings has a potential long term return on investment of $97 billion over the first ten years" http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a556632.pdf The Congressional Budget Office 2002 report “The Warrant Officer Ranks: Adding Flexibility to Military Personnel Management”, illustrates Warrant Officer cost savings to the service branches using them. http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/32xx/doc3287/warrantofficer.pdf

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POSITION PAPER PURPOSE

To provide justification to reinstate the United States Air Force Warrant Officer Corp. Reinstating the Warrant Officer Corp into the USAF active and reserve components will provide numerous cost saving benefits to the USAF. It will ensure the Force receives a better return on training investments, insure the creation of long term AFSC Subject matter Experts, provide rank appropriate Subject matter Experts for high level briefings and ultimately aid in the decision chain for new equipment upgrades and initial fieldings. They will provide the Air Force length of career, low cost, force multipliers and AFSC technical experts during a fiscally constrained, technically dynamic period.

INTRODUCTION

This paper illustrates the benefits of reinstating Warrant Officers into the United States Air Force active and reserve components. The Air Force must maximize efficiencies and returns on investments, especially regarding our most valuable asset, Airmen. Allowing promotable Technical Sergeants (TSgt’s) and Captains to cross into the Warrant Officer Corp will afford tremendous expertise and long term continuity within select Air Force career fields.

CURRENT STATUS

The Air Force is the only service branch not utilizing a Warrant Officer Corp. The Air Force eliminated Warrant Officers in 1958; however, reinstating them would yield numerous, significant benefits. Currently, the Air Force’s most demanding officer and enlisted career fields require long schools, continuing education requirements, civilian\DOD accreditations and years of extensive “on the job training” to develop and maintain expertise and relevancy. Airmen quickly lose technical expertise when they transition to leadership and staff support roles at the ranks of a Master Sergeant (TSgt) and Major. Our most capable Airman’s duties quickly shift from technical to supervisory and staff support roles. We transition valuable career field subject matter experts into effective work center focused leaders, as planned. However, the Air Force also needs length of career AFSC experts that stay solely focused on the technical aspects of the career field such as those found in other service components Warrant Officer Corp’s. Top 3 enlisted members and numerous SSgt’s and TSgt’s focus almost exclusively on managing their shops, mentoring, counseling and leading Airmen. They manage numerous programs that shift their focus from the technical to supervisory such as: Defense Travel System (DTS), Managers Internal Control Program (MICP), Training Business Area (TBA), Integrated Maintenance Data System (IMDS), Air Force Reserve Order Writing System (AROWS), Status of Resources and Training (SORTS), AEF UTC Reporting Tool (ART), Custodian Authorization and Custody Receipt Listings (CA\CRL), Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE), Computer Based Training (CBT), Knowledge Management (KM), Master Training Plans (MTP), Operational Risk Management (ORM), Communications Security (COMSEC), The USAF Safety Program, Quality Assurance, Automated Information Systems, Asset Inventory Management System (AIMS), Communications and Information Systems

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Installation Records (CSIRs), Cyberspace Infrastructure Planning System (CIPS CVC), Collaborative Tools, Section SharePoint administration, Electronic Records (E Records). They maintain, document and oversee On-the-Job Training (OJT), Proficiency Training, Qualification Training, Records Management, Technical Order Distribution Office (TODO) duties. They prepare their work centers for Unit Compliant Inspections (UCIs), Consolidated Unit Inspections (CUI), Organizational Readiness Exercises and Inspections (ORE’s & ORIs). They prepare their subordinates enlisted performance reports and input awards and decorations for assigned Airmen. They coordinate and balance shop schedules so their assigned airmen can participate in the honor guard program, enlisted force advisory councils, rising 6 and top three councils. They often coordinate hail and farewells, after hours shop morale welfare and recreation functions and promotion test study groups. Personally they are engaged in extracurricular activities within their churches, communities, professional organizations and families. They are engaged pursuing their Community College of the Air Force and bachelors’ degrees. Captains are tasked to support their leadership with briefings, plan host and attend numerous meetings (often for their senior officers) and perform action officer duties. Officers often reach a point where supervisory and staff taskings make flying almost impossible. None of the above supervisory or staff duties allow Airmen to maintain an advanced technical AFSC acumen. Warrant Officers will perform very few, if any of the above duties and responsibilities allowing them to focus on RPA flying or pursue advanced AFSC endeavors.

JUSTIFICATION Rapid Technology Advancements:

Warrant Officers function as career field technical focal points. A significant challenge in the Air Force is the frequent turnover of complex short life cycle commercial off the shelf (COTS) information technology (I-T) and electronic equipment. Staying current on new COTS fielding’s requires a solely focused technical expert, such as a Warrant Officer. Equipment life cycles are shorter than in the past making training and continued proficiency on equipment difficult. Warrant Officers lend stability during COTS upgrades and transitions. They provide technical bridges between civilian engineers and enlisted technicians. These frequently upgraded systems require field or specialty training provided by the original equipment manufacturers, often on site. Warrant Officers are best suited to receive this training and then disseminate it to their fellow Airmen.

Increasing Continuing Education Requirements:

Airmen in the most demanding, technical career fields have extensive amounts of continuing education and certification requirements they must pursue\acquire in accordance with their career field education training plan (CFETP). DOD 8570 requirements are an excellent example. The Below listing of private sector certifications defined in the USAF CFETP AFSC 3D1X2 (1 JAN 2011) enumerates the specialized training required for the Cyber Transport career field. Other career fields have numerous continuing education and certification requirements not defined in this document or below. The below requirements are significant because they are representative of USAF CYBER career fields which are evolving at a rapid and demanding pace. Warrant Officers have more time to focus on securing the below training and

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accreditations compared to their enlisted and officer AFSC counterparts engaged in shop supervision and staff support duties. Warrant Officers are technically focused!

Electronics Technician Association (ETA) • Associate (CET) • Journeyman (CET) Certified Network Computer Tech Certified Network System Tech Computer Competencies Computer Service Technician Certified Network Computer Tech Certified Network System Tech Web Specialist Electronics-Commerce Developer Telecommunications • Senior (CET) • Master (CET) National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers (NARTE) • Junior Telecommunications Tech • Senior Telecommunications Tech • Master Telecommunications Tech Cisco Certifications • CCNA (Voice) Associate • CCIE (Voice) Expert • CCVP (Voice) Professional • Cisco IP Telephony Design • Cisco IP Telephony Support • Cisco IP Telephony Express • Cisco IP Telephony Operations • Cisco IP Contact Center Express • Cisco Unity Design • Cisco Unity Support

• CCNP Professional • CCSP Professional Avaya Certifications • Avaya Certified Associate • Avaya Certified Specialist (Design or Implementation) • (ACE) Avaya Certified Expert (Design or Implementation) Nortel Certifications • (NCDE) Nortel Certified Design Expert • (NCSE) Nortel Certified Support Expert • (NCDS) Nortel Certified Design • (NCSS) Nortel Certified Support • (NCTS) Nortel Certified Technology Siemens Certifications • SCCP - Siemens Certified Communication Professional • SCCS - Siemens Certified Communication Specialist • SCCA - Siemens Certified Communication Associate IA Technical Level I** A+ Network + IA Technical Level II IA Management Level I Security + IA Technical Level III IA Management Level II & Level III CISSP

Additional Benefits to the Active Component:

The active component would benefit from Warrant Officers as active component Airmen change duty stations frequently and Warrant Officers will provide stability, career field institutional knowledge and memory wherever they are assigned. Airmen will seek them out when difficult career field challenges arise. They will lend valuable support during shop personnel transition periods. Having Warrant Officers will allow the Air Force to integrate better in Joint environments where ranks align, Warrant Officer to Warrant Officer.

Additional Benefits to the Reserve Component:

The Air National Guard will benefit from the Warrant Officer Ranks by affording an extended career track for these career field experts. Warrant Officers do not block career progression of

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enlisted track Airmen. Members transitioning into the Warrant Officer ranks at the 10 year mark will continue service to CW4, possibly CW5. If an Airman were promoted to CW1 at the 10 year mark, he\she would have another 20 years in the active duty, longer in the Air Guard to reach the rank of CW4\5. That would net the Air Force active and reserve components subject matter experts for 20 plus years. Reinstating Warrant Officers in the ANG would allow an alternate career track for traditional drilling status Airmen blocked by dual status technician Airmen (GS employees) who often serve until they are 55-60 years old. This often results in blocked Airmen transitioning into different AFSCs for promotion opportunities. At that point the USAF loses that Airman’s years of AFSC technical expertise due to a lack of force management options. Cost Advantage Considerations Extracts below from the Congressional Budget Office 2002 report: “The Warrant Officer Ranks Adding Flexibility to Military Personnel Management” http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/32xx/doc3287/warrantofficer.pdf “Every 1 percent increase in military basic pay adds more than $600 million to defense costs after the first year of the raise. That capacity to focus on specific occupations, or even on specific people such as top performers, gives an expanded warrant system a cost advantage even over pay raises limited to certain pay grades. Extracts below from MBA Professional Report: “Benefits of an Air Force Contracting Warrant Officer Program” by Brian E. Williams, John M. Dix, and John A. Muir December 2011 http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a556632.pdf “As a result, in evaluating the Air Force Contracting Organizational Structure costs, it was determined that by implementing a Contracting Organizational Structure with warrant officers, versus an organization without, would result in an estimated delta cost savings of $9.7 million annually. The implementation of an Air Force warrant officer program is both a feasible option and one that is in alignment with the Air Force’s future goals, objectives, and vision.

IMPLEMENTATION Air Force Specialty Code Selection:

The Air Force needs conduct a career field survey and determine which AFSCs require or would benefit the most from Warrant officers. The following list enumerates very demanding AFSCs that require extensive recurring continuing education, certifications and on the job training: computer network attack and defense, the intelligence\geospatial career fields (analysts in particular), PMEL, logisticians, RPA pilots and sensor operators, aircraft maintenance, medical, cryptologic linguists, special operations weather, explosive ordinance disposal , nuclear weapons, missile and space system electronics maintenance, spectrum operations, ground radar systems, biomedical equipment and numerous others.

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Warrant Officer Selection:

The Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions (USAF Recruiting Command) and the USAF Career Field Managers needs to create specific AFSC Warrant Officer selection criteria. When Airmen reach the ranks of Technical Sergeant or Captain they would be counseled on 2 career tracks. One track, continuing on to senior leadership roles, the “Top 3” for enlisted Airmen and senior Field Grade roles for the officers. The second track as a Warrant Officer, an AFSC technical subject matter expert. An important distinction, Senior NCOs would progress to attain their 9 level and Warrant Officers would stop at the 7 level when enlisted and skill level progression after commissioning would be defined by their pay grade. For example, a W1 would be more proficient than a 7 level, a W3 would be more proficient than a W2.

Warrant Officer Roles, Responsibilities and Utilization:

The role of Air Force Warrant Officers will be similar to that of Warrant Officers in other service branches. AFI 36-2618 defines three enlisted leadership levels; tactical expertise, operational competence, and strategic vision. These levels emphasize a different mix of qualities and experience. Warrant Officers operate at all 3 levels. Functional responsibilities of Warrant Officers are similar to NCO’s as defined by 36-2618 2.1.2. the NCO Tier: This tier consists of Staff Sergeant and Technical Sergeant. The primary focus in this tier is mission accomplishment. NCOs continue occupational growth and become expert technicians. Warrant officers are an enlisted\Officer hybrid, they perform the Technical Expert role of an NCO and they also perform the Technical duties (such as Engineering “A-Shreds) of company and field grade Officers. They are exempt from the staff support and shop leadership duties enabling them to focus exclusively on honing technical aptitude. USAF Warrant Officers could be defined as follows: Warrant Officers are specialty code, career field subject matter experts for the length of their career. They attain and maintain the highest level of AFSC skill level competency as outlined in the CFETP and WO career track guidelines. Additionally, they train and pass on advanced institutional and AFSC specific knowledge. Warrant Officers attend schools, conferences and attain certifications sponsored by the Air Force, other service branch components, the Department of Defense, and civilian institutions to insure they maintain the highest levels of technical expertise and are in fact the definitive subject matter experts within their respective career fields.

Warrant Officer Basic Training:

IAW AFI-36-2201 2.1 the Air Education and Training Command, AF/A1DLT, USAF Basic Military Training (BMT) Steering Committee and the Basic Military Training triennial review committee would plan, develop and implement a Warrant Officer basic course education curriculum utilizing the AF Instructional Systems Design (ISD).

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Warrant Officer AFSC training:

The USAF Air Education Training Command in conjunction with Air Force Career Field Manager’s (AFCFM) should utilize the Air Force Instructional Systems Design (ISD) to plan, develop, and implement Warrant Officer specific career field education and training curriculum. The Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD) will need to align to a WO Classification Directory as enlisted AFSCs will feed WO AFSCs . WO’s will utilize Officer CFETPS as defined in AFI-36-2201 5.8.3.

Warrant Officer Professional Military Education:

The Carl A. Spaatz Center for Officer Education at the USAF Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama would create classroom and online Professional Military Education (PME) courses to create Warrant Officers of character, educated to think critically, strategically, and jointly to master and deliver superior Airpower in support of national security objectives. The officer training requirement process is defined in Air Force Instruction 36-2201 4.1.3

Warrant Officer Uniforms:

Air Force Warrant Officer’s can utilize other service branch’s uniform devices on their uniforms until Air Force specific devices can be procured. AFI 36-2903 would require modification to address Warrant Officer uniform requirements. Recommend Navy devices.

Warrant Officer Air Force Instructions (AFIs): Warrant Officer AFI’s need to be created to govern Warrant Officers in the USAF. Warrant Officer Authorization \ End Strength:

With a 2013 USAF end strength of 501,000 Airmen (AC\RC total), a 2.5% WO authorization would net a total of 12,525 Air Force Warrant Officers (AC and RC). By comparison, the US Army’s WO authorizations are under 3% of their total end strength. USAF WO authorizations should vary based upon the needs of the Air Force. Of the proposed 12,525 Air Force WO’s, 8,223 would be from the active component, 1,763 from the Air Force reserve and 2,540 from the Air National Guard. End Strength numbers above are based upon the 2013 Air Force posture statement End Strength numbers of 328,900 active component Airmen, 70,500 Air Force reserve Airmen and 101,600 Air National Guard Airmen.

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RECOMENDATIONS Recommend the USAF & CBO evaluate the MBA paper “Benefits of an Air Force Contracting Warrant Officer Program” by Brian E. Williams, John M. Dix, and John A. Muir (USAF Captains) December 2011 which enumerates a 10 year personnel cost savings of 97 Billion over 10 years in 1 USAF AFSC. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a556632.pdf Recommend that the congressional budget office create a new report, similar to their 2002 report “The Warrant Officer Ranks: Adding Flexibility to Military Personnel Management”, except with a focus on the financial impact and cost savings to the USAF. The Warrant Officer Ranks Adding Flexibility to Military Personnel Management. http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/32xx/doc3287/warrantofficer.pdf Recommend that the Air Force and its reserve component’s A1 and A3 personnel meet with Army, Navy, Marine Corp & Coast Guard senior Warrant Officers to discuss best practices regarding Warrant Officer basic training, advanced career field training, Professional Military Education, and employment of these technical officers. Recommend a group of Air Force Military Training Instructors (MTI) be selected as WO’s and sent to the other service branch WO basic courses. They should asses and extract best practices to create an Air Force specific WO Basic course. Initially, all USAF WO’s could attend other Service Branch WO courses (equal distribution) and continue to provide AARs to an MTI WO working group so a diverse training perspective could be extracted and best practices implemented. Recommend that Airmen from Maxwell AFB be selected as WO’s and sent to attend, evaluate and extract best practices and doctrine from other service branch Warrant Officer Professional Military Education courses. Upon return, in conjunction with Airmen from the Carl A. Spaatz center for Officer education they could create Air Force specific Warrant Officer professional military education courses. Recommend the Air Force initiate strict guidelines for the employment of Warrant Officers. Specifically directing that Warrant officers be utilized as subject matter experts and not utilized in lieu of a regular commissioned officer or assume Senior NCO leadership roles. Recommend that Warrant officers be encouraged and allowed to stay in service for a minimum 25 years (regardless of new retirement constructs including the 15 year model) so their long term expertise may be maximized and there is appropriate time for return on investment.

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SUMMARY

As the Air Force realigns its personnel and resources to support new and evolving strategic missions, Warrant Officers will be invaluable force multipliers. They will provide agility, flexibility, and readiness to their specific AFSC’s. Air Force Warrant Officers will provide length of career AFSC subject matter experts with the ability to serve for up to 30 years, 20 of those years as career field experts. They will provide long term technical expertise, stability, institutional knowledge and memory to specific Air Force specialties. Reinstating Warrant Officers will demonstrate a new and better way to approach future Air Force personnel challenges across the spectrum of domains and career fields. CMSgt of the Air Force James Cody said ”the service must pay credence to the careful development of its airmen, from special duties to education to experience. We will have to be very discerning about who's going to do what, where, and when." I believe Air Force Warrant Officers will help address these questions and solve unique personnel challenges. The MBA paper “Benefits of an Air Force Contracting Warrant Officer Program” by Brian E. Williams, John M. Dix, and John A. Muir (USAF Captains) December 2011 states in conclusion; "The implementation of our contracting structure with warrant officers resulted in $9.7 million in annual savings in personnel costs. This quantified savings has a potential long term return on investment of $97 billion over the first ten years" The 97 Billion savings enumerated above is only analyzing implementation of Warrant Officers in 1 AFSC! The savings if applied to numerous AFSC’s is incredible. In my 26 year career, I have found other service branch Warrant Officers to be necessary and invaluable force multipliers, conspicuously absent from the Air Force. After 54 years, it’s time to bring Warrant Officers back into the Air Force.

CMSgt Michael Esser Ohio Air National Guard 251st Cyber Engineering and Installation Group Springfield, Ohio 419-494-7163 Currently Assigned to: NGB NGCC J6 LNO\JCCC Arlington Hall Arlington, Va 22204 COM: 703-607-8716

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