Commissioned Army Officer to Aviation Warrant Officer

Drew · October 16, 2015

This thread is for those who are on the Commissioned Officer side of the Army looking to apply to WOFT... There are scattered answers on various threads for the commissioned side looking to revert, but I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a thread specific to it. I know there are several of us on the forum who can help answer questions.

For the most part, the process for applying is the same as everyone else, but there are some extra steps you have to take to make things happen. Army computer systems and what not have a panic attack when we try and do this, so we have to jump though some hoops to make it happen.

So, post your questions here and I (and others) will do my best to answer them. If I can't, there are several reverts hanging around B Co that I can talk to to find the answers. Good luck to everyone applying! I know it's tedious but if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.

cptamerica2 · October 16, 2015

There are a bunch of us!

Lindsey · October 16, 2015

There are a bunch of us!

How's primary going?

Luofynerd · October 17, 2015

Cough cough taking slots from us inbred non college graduates. Lol kidding

cptamerica2 · October 17, 2015

How's primary going?

We started instruments two weeks ago. Loving life!

dovq2011 · December 8, 2015

I'll be there in July. Can't wait to finally get started.

dovq2011 · December 10, 2015

I'm sure I'll find out when I get there but just for my SA - with us reverting back, how does that work in regards to the ORB and OERs? Will our OERs be masked? What about previous duty positions - will those transfer over to our warrant ORBs or just "go away"?

cptamerica2 · December 11, 2015

Your previous duty positions stay in your ORB, and you OERs do not get masked. We were given a brief by one of the CW4s at B co, and he said that we need all of our OERs since we board for CW3 a year earlier than out peers.

Drew · December 11, 2015

Also for your SA, make sure you get a complete and squared away copy of your ORB before conversion, because there is a good chance it's going to get jacked up when you convert. Mine literally blanked out completely with nothing on it and I had to take my old one in to get the warrant ORB squared away.

dovq2011 · December 11, 2015

Mine's blank right now... and says WO1 and RC. Haha.

Drew · December 11, 2015

Mine's blank right now... and says WO1 and RC. Haha.

If you go into S1 or your MPD they should be able to pull up your commission ORB... Hopefully lol

dovq2011 · December 11, 2015

Yeah that's what I've been doing. It blew our S1's mind when I told him I needed him to pull up my ORB because mine was more or less "non-existent" from my perspective. Haha. It's all good though - can't wait to get down to Rucker in the summer.

chaosad · December 14, 2015

How about going from an Army Aviation Officer to Warrant Officer?

Can we apply at any point or do we have to fulfill our ADSO before switching over? Is there another application we have to fill out and submit?

I'm curious as to what the process is.

Drew · December 16, 2015

How about going from an Army Aviation Officer to Warrant Officer?

Can we apply at any point or do we have to fulfill our ADSO before switching over? Is there another application we have to fill out and submit?

I'm curious as to what the process is.

You fill out a packet just like anyone else and go before the same board as all the other active duty folks. As far as I know you would have to finish your ADSO unless you got a letter from branch releasing you of your contract. Rather then waiting for orders to Rucker for flight school you would just get PCS orders, revert to WO1 then the next day CW2 (if you have been an officer for 2 years), and move to a new unit as a warrant.

dovq2011 · December 16, 2015

You fill out a packet just like anyone else and go before the same board as all the other active duty folks. As far as I know you would have to finish your ADSO unless you got a letter from branch releasing you of your contract. Rather then waiting for orders to Rucker for flight school you would just get PCS orders, revert to WO1 then the next day CW2 (if you have been an officer for 2 years), and move to a new unit as a warrant.

The branch letter of release (IMO) was probably the hardest part for me. Maybe easier for you guys in the aviation community - from the Ordnance side there were some troubles due to the fact that it's less common to see a letter of release to revert to warrant.

apacheguy · December 16, 2015

You fill out a packet just like anyone else and go before the same board as all the other active duty folks. As far as I know you would have to finish your ADSO unless you got a letter from branch releasing you of your contract. Rather then waiting for orders to Rucker for flight school you would just get PCS orders, revert to WO1 then the next day CW2 (if you have been an officer for 2 years), and move to a new unit as a warrant.

Do you know this from personal experience?

In my experience, there's no packet or board to go from CPT to WO1 and the ADSO can be cut short based on needs of the army. You will need to have your CAB CDR's support and branch has to approve as well obviously - both of which are not guaranteed depending on your circumstances.

Also, the vast majority of the time, AV branch hates to allow RLO's to become active duty WO's and they will fight it tooth and nail. It's a complex issue and changes from day to day depending on who's in charge at HRC when you start the process. I would imagine they get a ton of people requesting this action; usually post command CPT's who are in a crappy staff job and miss flying. If they allowed all who requested it there wouldn't be many Majors or above in our branch.

dovq2011 · December 16, 2015

Do you know this from personal experience?

In my experience, there's no packet or board to go from CPT to WO1 and the ADSO can be cut short based on needs of the army. You will need to have your CAB CDR's support and branch has to approve as well obviously - both of which are not guaranteed depending on your circumstances.

Also, the vast majority of the time, AV branch hates to allow RLO's to become active duty WO's and they will fight it tooth and nail. It's a complex issue and changes from day to day depending on who's in charge at HRC when you start the process. I would imagine they get a ton of people requesting this action; usually post command CPT's who are in a crappy staff job and miss flying. If they allowed all who requested it there wouldn't be many Majors or above in our branch.

I can't speak from experience in regards to the AV branch and it's release of their officers to WO, however, for all commissioned officers, anyone can submit a warrant officer packet (I did). The big difference between, say an NCO vs. Officer applying is the requirement of additional documents (I.e. - Conditional Resignation Memo). After acceptance, you have to submit a UQR packet as well as a Branch Letter of Release (which, as I stated earlier - is the most annoying part, especially if your branch has little to no experience with CO -> WO). I also had to submit a waiver for my ADSO (don't ask why I ADSO'd for Ordnance - I was a young senior in college).

As far as approval goes, for the WO packet itself, you only need your BN CDR's LOR (for me that was hard just because my BC wanted to retain me as an officer and send me to career course). After you get picked up on the WOSB, you'll need your BDE CDR's signature for part of your UQR packet.

Hope this helps the OP.

153orbust · December 18, 2015

Just dropping a line, as I've been a long-time lurker on this forum.

Headed for the January 16 board, and would love to hear from anyone selected about the conversion process and whether or not attendance at WOBC etc. is handled. I've heard its skipped making the transition from "Commissioned" to Warrant. If so, how does the orders process work out? What is the first course one attends? Dunker/Sere, etc.

Also, for those who have already made the successful transition, what was your average timeline from selection to PCS to Rucker? (not to put the cart before the horse as I'm still hoping to get that happy-gram in January, but rather for potential planning purposes with uprooting family, etc.)

Thanks for all the good info guys and gals.

Drew · December 19, 2015

Do you know this from personal experience?

In my experience, there's no packet or board to go from CPT to WO1 and the ADSO can be cut short based on needs of the army. You will need to have your CAB CDR's support and branch has to approve as well obviously - both of which are not guaranteed depending on your circumstances.

Also, the vast majority of the time, AV branch hates to allow RLO's to become active duty WO's and they will fight it tooth and nail. It's a complex issue and changes from day to day depending on who's in charge at HRC when you start the process. I would imagine they get a ton of people requesting this action; usually post command CPT's who are in a crappy staff job and miss flying. If they allowed all who requested it there wouldn't be many Majors or above in our branch.

Not exactly from personal experience. When I got accepted in January, I emailed all the other LTs that got in on the same board as I did. There was one LT stationed at Drum as a 60 pilot. She went before the same board I did, and per her correspondence with me, PCS'd strait to another duty station several months after being accepted as a warrant.

Drew · December 19, 2015

Just dropping a line, as I've been a long-time lurker on this forum.

Headed for the January 16 board, and would love to hear from anyone selected about the conversion process and whether or not attendance at WOBC etc. is handled. I've heard its skipped making the transition from "Commissioned" to Warrant. If so, how does the orders process work out? What is the first course one attends? Dunker/Sere, etc.

Also, for those who have already made the successful transition, what was your average timeline from selection to PCS to Rucker? (not to put the cart before the horse as I'm still hoping to get that happy-gram in January, but rather for potential planning purposes with uprooting family, etc.)

Thanks for all the good info guys and gals.

Congrats on getting your packet done! Where are you stationed? Be prepared for a decent headache when going through the conversion process... Most duty stations are not familiar with the process of converting from CO to WO, making the process tedious. You will pretty much have to coach them through everything to make sure everything gets done in the right order. You will get to know the peeps in your MILPO office quite well by the end of it.

Once you get selected, a WOBC date will appear in ATRRS (end of Feb, March ish). The date will more than likely be Aug-Sep timeframe... Once you get this date you can start the resignation process because it can take some time to get all the way to Battalion, then to your local HRC, back to your S1, then out to HRC. When the date gets closer, you will be able to finish your resignation (DD214) do a new DA71, and finish up your PCS stuff. Then you will head on down to Mother Rucker.

Once here you should take PTDY (get approved by your leaving command if possible), then in process at B Co, take your APFT, and then show up at your first day of WOBC. Here you will sign a piece of paper saying you already attended a BOLC, and you will leave. Next will be a flight physical and gear draw. Your first training gig will be Dunker (probably that same week), then you will go on SERE hold. If you have no hold ups (security clearance, etc) you will go to SERE in the next available class.

I was accepted 16Jan2015 and PCS'd to Rucker 18Sep2015.

Sorry if this is confusing. You kind of have to take it one step at a time, ask lots of questions, and have a positive attitude (because you will want to kill certain people involved in your transition). Good luck in Jan!

StockTrader · December 20, 2015

Congrats on getting your packet done! Where are you stationed? Be prepared for a decent headache when going through the conversion process... Most duty stations are not familiar with the process of converting from CO to WO, making the process tedious. You will pretty much have to coach them through everything to make sure everything gets done in the right order. You will get to know the peeps in your MILPO office quite well by the end of it.

Once you get selected, a WOBC date will appear in ATRRS (end of Feb, March ish). The date will more than likely be Aug-Sep timeframe... Once you get this date you can start the resignation process because it can take some time to get all the way to Battalion, then to your local HRC, back to your S1, then out to HRC. When the date gets closer, you will be able to finish your resignation (DD214) do a new DA71, and finish up your PCS stuff. Then you will head on down to Mother Rucker.

Once here you should take PTDY (get approved by your leaving command if possible), then in process at B Co, take your APFT, and then show up at your first day of WOBC. Here you will sign a piece of paper saying you already attended a BOLC, and you will leave. Next will be a flight physical and gear draw. Your first training gig will be Dunker (probably that same week), then you will go on SERE hold. If you have no hold ups (security clearance, etc) you will go to SERE in the next available class.

I was accepted 16Jan2015 and PCS'd to Rucker 18Sep2015.

Sorry if this is confusing. You kind of have to take it one step at a time, ask lots of questions, and have a positive attitude (because you will want to kill certain people involved in your transition). Good luck in Jan!

Damn Drew. Not only capable of growing a sweet stache, but knowledgable too!

dovq2011 · January 13, 2016

Finally got my approved REFRAD from HRC today. Now the waiting game until the conversion process. I think Riley's pretty familiar with it - no hiccups yet.

Drew · January 14, 2016

Well, that REFRAD was a pain for me. If I remember right it was pretty strait forward from there. If your MILPO office has any idea what they are doing, which they should, you should be in the clear from here on out. When do you report to Rucker?

dovq2011 · January 14, 2016

I report 31JUL. Still in good ole Kuwait until the very last minute possible. Going to be a great transition. Haha.

153orbust · January 20, 2016

Gents,

quick question. I'm waiting for the January board results to come out, and I'm going crazy over here. For those that have been selected, does anyone know what time HRC usually publishes new MILPER messages? Thanks ahead of time