(Photo by Sgt. Jonathan C. Thibault, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade ... VIEW ORIGINAL
... VIEW ORIGINAL
... VIEW ORIGINAL
Officers have higher commanders and NCOs have command sergeants major, but until a change enacted Oct. 1, warrant officers haven't had an official command.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 John M. Moseley, command chief warrant officer (CCWO), 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, recently took up the mantle of the new official position on Fort Carson.
Warrant officers make up more than 30 percent of a combat aviation brigade, which makes the unit
structure different from other brigades.
"Seventy percent of our aviators are warrant officers," Moseley said. "We have 19 warrant officer military occupational specialties, which come from 10 branches other than Aviation."
Col. Robert T. Ault, commander, 4th CAB, said there are only 13 CCWO positions in Army Aviation
and the position provides leadership for warrant officers, which gives the CAB a significant portion
of its aviation capabilities.
"The CCWO is a rare command position in which the senior chief warrant officer taking that position
needed to have worked in all the major positions that can be held by a warrant officer aviator and is
experienced beyond any of the warrant officers in the aviation brigade," said Ault. "CCWO provides the command team with an all-encompassing expertise on warrant officers.
"The CCWO helps oversee the training, placement and manning of the warrant officers in our brigade," Ault said. "CCWO also addresses any issues that the warrant officers' Family members may have and acts as a sponsorship representative before they arrive to the CAB. Most importantly, we strive to create a culture of professionalism in our ranks and the CCWO helps the command team instill that culture throughout the brigade."
Moseley recalled a conversation he had with the brigade commander when he became the unit's CCWO.
"During my initial and subsequent counseling with Col. Ault, he told me he didn't want 'just another
field grade officer on the brigade staff,'" said Moseley. "He said he wanted the CCWO to be the subject matter expert on warrant officer issues, to spend as much time as possible with our warrant officers and inform him of any issues that impact the brigade."
Moseley said he has taken the CCWO tasks "head-on" and is involved in all warrant officer issues from "cradle to the grave."
"I have been tasked to cover warrant officer issues which include accessions, professional military education, training, mentoring, professional and leader development, evaluations, assignments, awards and retirements," said Moseley. "My primary role is to be the voice of the warrant officers within our brigade and to champion their causes."
New warrant officers are happy to have an official command position to help give them a voice in the chain of command, said Warrant Officer Terrell Pittman, intelligence technician, 4th CAB.
"For a brand new warrant officer, I believe the formal recognition of the CCWO position is extremely important to the warrant officer corps," he said. "The CCWO is important for mentorship, leadership and direction for us whether we are an aviator or technician. He gives us a voice in the brigade's chain of command and gives valuable insight and vast experience to our field."
Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Antoine Duchatelier Jr. said the CCWO supports the enlisted ranks as well.
"The CCWO brings a vast amount of skill and experience in aviation operations to the table during the daily conduct of his duties, which helps our enlisted maintenance and aircrews," said Duchatelier. "His ability to convey deficiencies within an aircraft's normal flight characteristics to enlisted maintenance personnel greatly reduces the amount of time those Soldiers would spend troubleshooting the deficiencies.
"The CCWO also ensures that the training requirements for the brigade's aviators are met and that their skills are maintained at a high level of preparedness, which ensures our aircrews are prepared and that the organization will be ready to execute its wartime mission," he said.
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