USASOC welcomes its first command chief warrant officer

By Sgt. 1st Class Thaddius S. Dawkins II, USASOC Public AffairsMay 24, 2016

USASOC welcomes its first command chief warrant officer
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland (left), commanding general, USASOC, presents Chief Warrant Officer 5 Heriberto Serrano Jr. with the Command Chief Warrant Officer Charge of Orders, June 18, 2015. Serrano became USASOC's first command chief warrant offic... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
USASOC welcomes its first command chief warrant officer
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chief Warrant Officer 5 Heriberto Serrano Jr. addresses the crowd during his induction ceremony June 18, 2015. Serrano was selected as the first Command Chief Warrant Officer of the United States Army Special Operations Command. (U.S. Army Photo by S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BRAGG, N.C. ˗ The United States Army Special Operations Command inducted its first command chief warrant officer (CCWO), Chief Warrant Officer 5 Heriberto Serrano Jr., during a ceremony June 18, 2015, inside the Heritage Auditorium at the command headquarters.

"Everything has a time and a place." said Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commanding general, USASOC. "I don't necessarily think this is overdue, it's the right thing to do now. In the business of talent management and the business of bringing together, our warrant officer capability now marries up nicely with what we've done with the rest of the changes in the command."

Prior to being named the command's first CCWO, Serrano served in a dual-hatted role as the Chief Warrant Officer of the Special Forces Branch and Command Chief Warrant Officer for the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

"It feels a little surreal to be up here to tell you the truth," Serrano said. "I'm a little humbled by looking at all your faces and I'm extremely taken aback by all the things the warrant officers have done in this organization to get to where we are at today. I didn't get here by myself. I got here because of all the warrant officers, past and present, and all the hard work they're doing. That's why this position was created."

Although the Army Warrant Officer Corps traces its lineage all the way back to 1918, the position of CCWO was first instituted by the Army National Guard Bureau in 1996 when it developed the role of state command chief warrant officer.

The presence of warrant officers within USASOC ensures not only the technical and tactical competence expected of the cohort, but also a continuity of expertise managing warfighting systems and equipment that is unique to the Department of Defense.

Serrano, who has 32 years of service, was chosen after a stringent selection process based on his significant Army special operations experience, professional military education, leadership capabilities and other highly desirable traits. He was selected from a pool of 12 other highly qualified candidates from across the Army Special Operations Forces enterprise.

For his newly-inherited role, Serrano will serve as the senior warrant officer advisor for USASOC on all aspects of Army special operations. In addition, he will be the principal advisor to the commander, his staff and subordinate warrant officer leaders regarding the unique recruiting, accession, training, retention, professional development and personnel management of all warrant officers assigned to USASOC.

Serrano will also be responsible for coordination with higher headquarters and external organizations to synchronize and enhance the management of warrant officers within the U.S. Army and appropriate branches, ensuring maximum support to the warfighting commands.

"I'm not up here to be a 180 Alpha," he said. "I'm up here to be the command chief warrant officer for all of you. The bottom line is you get up in the morning to go to work for your commanders and your organization. I get up in the morning to work for you. That's the privilege that I have. With that my vision is pretty clear for my position ˗ support the warfighter so he can protect our nation, without fear, without fail and without equal. Sine Pari."

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