Celebrating 100 years with first regional warrant officer symposium

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – The 99th Readiness Division hosted the first Regional Warrant Officer Training and Recruiting Workshop at the Timmerman Conference Center, June 30.

The workshop brought warrant officers and potential warrant officer candidates together for a day of professional development and networking.

“I want [you] the warrant officers, to use your experiences to enable the team,” said guest speaker Lt. Gen. Charles Luckey, the Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General of the United States Army Reserve Command. “I expect you, as a leader to make decisions that will enable your Soldiers and your units.”

Over 100 warrant officers and potential warrant officer candidates came to the symposium to learn about the future of the warrant officer cohort, historical perspective, and various other topics.

“We have to change the culture of the Army Reserve,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Hal Griffin, the command chief warrant officer for the Army Reserve, who went on to say that he was the first reserve Soldier chosen for his current position, noting a true shift in Army culture.

The symposium held importance not only for being the first of its kind, but also to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the creation of the warrant officer.

“We’re celebrating a century of service,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel Sysol, the command chief warrant officer for the 99th Readiness Division. Sysol demonstrated the collaborative efforts amongst the warrant officers during the event through combined efforts of the 99th Readiness Division and the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).

“This symposium was really about three main things: training, networking and recruiting,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sandra Hawkins, a property accounting technician with the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). “We brought together candidates and current warrant officers together to foster opportunities to meet with their proponents and network amongst each other.”

A crucial piece of this workshop was providing the potential warrant officer candidates the opportunity to complete their packets, meet with other warrant officers in their projected proponents, and evaluate those prospective candidates said the Culpeper, Virginia native.

“In the future, we hope that this particular symposium is a blueprint for these types of training events,” said Sysol, who later added that it’s these types of events that help increase readiness among our Soldiers with their quiet professionals.

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Celebrating 100 years with first regional warrant officer symposium