OVERVIEW OF WARRANT OFFICER CANDIDATE
PROGRAM PROCESSING

1.  Basic requirements for initial appointment of warrant officers in the Army National Guard (ARNG) are (NGR 600-101, paragraph 2-7, 1 Oct 2006):

    A.   Age - at least 18 years old and not attained age 46 on effective date of Federal recognition - exceptions are for former commissioned and warrant officers and Master Sergeants with over two years time-in-grade who may be waived to 48 years. Age waivers may be submitted. Applicants for rated aviation positions must be approved and have started aviation flight school by 27.5 years or up to 30 with waiver. Master Sergeants and Sergeants First Class with over two years time-in-grade are initially appointed as WO1 and subsequently promoted to CW2 upon completion of the Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC).

    B.   Citizenship: Must be US citizen by birth or naturalization

    C.   Mental: Must have GT of at least 110. Applicants for rated aviation positions must score 90 or higher on the Flight Aptitude Selection Test (FAST). Coordination for taking the FAST should be made with the

    D.   Education: HS graduate or pass the General Education Development (GED) test at the high school level and additional requirements of individual MOS prerequisites as applicable.

    E.   Character: Good moral character (Processing Moral Waivers)

    F.   Chapter 2 appointment physical completed by MEPS or Active Duty MTF

    G.   Security Clearance: Must have valid final security clearance (may attend WOCS with interim SECRET clearance approved by Ft Rucker)

    H.   Must be able to complete the three primary events of the APFT. Waiver may be requested   

    I.    Paragraphs 21-14 and 2-15, NGR 600-101, list other circumstances requiring waiver or circumstances that cannot be waived

    J.   Leadership: Must complete Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) by one of two methods:

Six week active component WOCS.

Four week reserve component (WOCS-RC); Phases I and II with up to one year apart

Four week reserve component (WOCS-RC); Phases I and II are completed back to back

    K.  Proponent branch qualification to enter program: Submit predetermination packet through ARNG chain of command with documents as required by NGR 600-101, Warrant Officers – Federal Recognition and Related Personnel Actions. Approval must be granted by Department of the Army MOS proponent to enter the Warrant Officer Education System (WOES).

2.  Review WO MOS Prerequisites. If you meet the basic eligibility criteria and the MOS prerequisites, prepare and submit a predetermination packet through command channels IAW NGR 600-101, paragraph 2-8. Predetermination packets are forwarded by WAARNG G-1 to the appropriate active duty proponent of the warrant officer MOS. Processing of the packets can take up to three months. Additional position requirements are involved if you are a Technician or AGR soldier and you must coordinate with HRO-Tech or HRO-AGR. Predetermination requests are not required for aviation warrant officer appointments. The initial point of contact for aviation warrant officer appointments is the .

3.  If the predetermination packet is returned from the MOS Proponent favorably considered, you will be required to submit an application for warrant officer (NGB Form 62-E) prepared and submitted through command channels IAW NGR 600-101, paragraph 3-1, 1 Oct 96. The approved predetermination packet must be an enclosure to the application. You will be required to personally appear before an WAARNG WOC Order of Merit Board for subsequent placement on an Order of Merit List for current and future warrant officer vacancies. Upon identification of a WO vacancy, a personal appearance before a local Federal Recognition Board (FRB) will be required. An under Chapter 2, NGR 40-501 must be completed by a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or a Active Duty Medical Treatment Facility and must be included in the application packet. If you have a physical profile of any kind that precludes you from successfully completing the three primary events of the Army Physical Fitness Test without modification, you are not authorized to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School, unless a request for an excepion to policy is approved by the WO MOS Proponent.

4.  Should the FRB approve your application, you will be appointed a Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) with a PMOS of 09W0O and assigned to the appropriate warrant officer position. You will be required to attend the Warrant Officer Candidate School within two years of appointment as WOC and complete MOS certification training (WOBC) within two years of appointment as WO1. There are exceptions to these requirements that are established by the MOS proponent on an individual basis. Review NGR 600-101, paragraphs 2-9 and 2-10, for additional exceptions.