Today, the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Cohort marks its 107th birthday, celebrating more than a century of technical expertise and adaptive leadership that has strengthened America from World War I to modern multidomain operations.

Established in 1918, the Army Warrant Officer Corps has evolved from serving as masters, mates, chief engineers, and assistant engineers on mine-planting vessels to become the Army's premier technical experts across all domains of Army operations.

The Army defines warrant officers as self-aware and adaptive technical experts, combat leaders, trainers, and advisors who administer, manage, maintain, operate, and integrate Army systems and equipment across the full range of military operations.

As the Army Reserve strengthens its role as an operational force designed to deliver combat-ready Soldiers and formations when the nation calls, the Warrant Officer Cohort is intensifying its focus on operational readiness.

To support the Army Reserve’s efforts to build operational readiness, I am focusing on innovation, mentorship, and recruiting through the Region IV Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council.

The nature of warfare is rapidly changing, as seen in Ukraine and the Middle East. To support the Army’s transformation, we must innovate our thinking, mentor and develop our warrant officers, and expand our bench.

One way we are doing this is by hosting Warrant Officer Leader Professional Development events across the 99th Readiness Division’s 13-state region to engage as many warrant officers as possible.

As Chief Warrant Office 5 LaShon P. White, command chief warrant officer of the U.S. Army Reserve, said during his assumption-of-responsibility ceremony, “Our warrant officers are involved; plug them in to your training meetings and processes – don’t leave them at the door.

“Use them as they’re meant to be used,” White continued. “Get them into their schools. Make sure they’re getting the training and the systems and money and resources they need to be able to fulfill their mission as subject-matter experts in our Army.”

To learn more about the U.S. Army’s Warrant Officer Cohort, visit https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/warrant-officers.