Fort Huachuca, Arizona -- Eight military intelligence (MI) warrant officers (WO) completed five weeks of training and graduated Feb. 9 from the inaugural MI Warrant Officer Intermediate Level Education (WOILE) Follow-on class, a new program now being offered quarterly for chief warrant officers (CW)3 and new CW4s in the MI field.
The graduating warrant officers, who celebrated their accomplishment during a ceremony at Fort Huachuca's CW2 Christopher G. Nason Military Intelligence Library, represent seven of the eight warrant officer MI military occupational specialties (MOS) in the Army, according to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeffery Jaggars, 304th MI Battalion senior Warrant Officer Training Branch advisor for MI WOILE/WOSSE (WO Senior Service Education).
The Phase III MI WOILE is open to MI warrant officers who have already completed phases 1 and 2 of WO training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The student population represents seven of the eight MI WO MOSs except the signals collection technician 352S MOS.
The new class was developed to address the need for advanced training for senior-level warrant officers to enhance their ability to perform their higher level duties.
The WO education system begins with attendance of all newly assessed Active Army Soldiers, at Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker," Jaggars said. "Upon graduation, the newly appointed warrant officer one will attend a branch-specific qualification course, the Warrant Officer Basic Course. The next educational opportunity is for CW3s and 4s with three to seven years of warrant officer service to attend the Warrant Officer Advance Course (WOAC), a combination of common-core Army and branch/MOS-specific education.
"In order to support our Army's ability to 'Win in a Complex World,' as described in the Army Operating Concept and the principles of Force 2025 and Beyond, MI warrant officers require improved training and education focused on enabling our ability to support Mission Command and develop commanders' situational understanding," according to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Maricela Grove, WOILE Course manager.
"The MI WOILE Follow-on course was developed to address critical gaps in knowledge for field grade warrant officers in the MI Corps. The MI WOILE follow-on provides CW3s and newly promoted CW4s with intermediate level education and influential leadership skills," he explained, "These leadership skills are critical and necessary to integrate the warrant officer technical expertise in support of leaders as staff officers, trainers, managers, systems integrators and leaders at the tactical and operational levels of Army, joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational organizations executing unified land operations through decisive action," according to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kevin Boughton, chief, MI Warrant Officer Training Branch.
The Army Operating Concept (AOC) asserts that future leaders must be capable of achieving globally integrated operations with limited resources to be prepared to win in a complex environment. This requirement necessitates flexible and adaptive leaders. MIWOILE provides field-grade WOs essential education and exposure to functional areas that many WOs have limited operational knowledge of, but in which they may be required to serve in advisory or staff roles. When overlaid with the technical expertise inherent in senior warrant officers, this education creates conditions for a more rounded, more flexible and more adaptive leader capable of operating in a complex environment and of providing multifaceted prospective and advice the commander.
"The MI WOILE Follow-on is specific to Military Intelligence Corps warrant officers," Jaggars said. "The Army understands that investing in professional military education for Soldiers of all ranks in essential to support the AOC for adaptive and flexible leaders capable of operating in a complex world. Branches will tailor WOILE to best suite educational needs of target demographics.
"Prior to the development of the MI WOILE Follow-on course, MI WOAC was the last time a MI warrant officer would receive training specific to the MI profession. The MI WOILE Follow-on course emphasizes rigorous academics within a professional MI environment," Jaggars added.
MI WOILE is broken into three modules: How the Army Runs, Advice to the Commander, and Joint Intelligence. It is 200 hours long.
Three of five new graduates interviewed Feb. 9 felt the most challenging and-eye opening portion of the training was learning about the big picture, the way the Army supports national strategic concepts and operates in a joint environment with other military services, national agencies and international powers.
"We learned a lot of information we didn't know that we didn't know," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Amanda Tanquaya, a 351M human intelligence collection technician. "Everything I learned will help me better support my command and my unit," she added. Tanquay is headed to a new assignment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
"It is absolutely important that as warrant officers, we start working at the joint and strategic levels and that we understand how the Army mans its forces and where it fits in at the joint level," added Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nicholas Goffena, a counterintelligence coordinating authority with the 470th MI Brigade, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "The most beneficial aspect of the training for me was learning about the Army manning cycle."
Graduation guest speaker Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wendy Wayman, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, called the inaugural group "Class Golf Pappa," for "guinea pig," as they were the first students to go through the training. Following graduation, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Diehl, Warrant Officer Intermediate-Level Education instructor, said that, based on feedback from the graduates, course material for future iterations of the class might be adjusted, with some information taught earlier in a warrant officer's career.
One graduate of the inaugural class shared his feelings about playing a role in directing future WO training.
"During Phase II [of WO training at Fort Rucker], they asked for volunteers [to attend WOILE]," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kirby Williams, a 350G imagery intelligence technician with the 513th MI Bde., Fort Gordon, Georgia. "I was excited about the opportunity to help shape the direction of where future professional WO education is going. Warrant officers are special in that we train ourselves and we develop each other. We know what strengths we have in the [WO] cohort and we capitalize on them."
What makes warrant officers unique is that WOs are selected from the enlisted ranks for their technical expertise, and the Army grows them into technical officers, although their roles are shifting.
"NCOs are the backbone of the Army and, as such, the Army will continue to rely on NCOs to execute training and operations," Jaggars said. "However, warrant officers have seen ever-expanding roles and responsibilities throughout recent history.
"The collective wisdom and experiences of warrant officers, as well as data collected in the execution of the WOCLS 2012 (the Warrant Officer Continuum of Learning Study 2012), affirms that warrant officers will continue to serve in traditional subject matter expert and system integrator functions, but increasingly will assume command and exercise senior leadership in advisory roles for operational units, our basic branches, and at senior levels up to, and including, the chief of staff of the Army."
New WO senior service education class begins in March
Another new WO education opportunity, the MI Warrant Officer Senior Service Education (WOSSE) Follow-on class, begins in March and will be taught at Fort Rucker through a combination of distance learning and resident training.
"WOSSE will teach senior CW4s and new CW5s knowledge and communication skills to clearly articulate technical solutions to complex problems at the tactical and operational levels of Army, joint, interagency, inter-governmental and multinational organizations executing unified land operations through decisive action," Jaggars stated.
The MI WOSSE Follow-on will provide senior CW4s and new CW5s with the senior level education, knowledge, and influential leader competencies necessary for success in the contemporary operation environment.
"The Army Operating Concept asserts that future leaders must be capable of achieving globally integrated operations with limited resources to be prepared to win in a complex environment. This requirement necessitates flexible and adaptive leaders. The MI) WOILE Follow-on and WOSSE Follow-on Professional Military Education Course address the core requirements for MI professionals to achieve success as the Army transitions from numerous years of concurrent combat operations," Boughton explained.
"The curriculum [for both classes] is rigorous, engaging and addresses the current needs of senior intelligence professionals by empowering senior warrant officer leader development in a profession of arms," Jaggars stated.
"As the Army continues to downsize to meet the numbers dictated by Congress, every member of the total force will continue to be leveraged to meet mission requirements which continue to increase as globalization becomes a way of life," Jaggars continued. "There is a need for a more skilled, more agile total force. Accessions of qualified Service members will remain key to ensuring quality warrant officer candidates are identified and educated to meet the demands of the changing Army."
"Increased educational opportunities ensure warrant officers are trained to conduct the day-to-day business of the Army." Boughton concluded. "The MI WOILE and MI WOSSE Follow-on courses serve the purpose of preparing our intelligence warrants officers for the ever-increasing requirements levied upon them as we conduct operations in even more complex environments. It is ultimately the responsibility of the Intelligence Center of Excellence to provide the very best training and education to our warrant officers to ensure the continued success of our Army's Intelligence Profession of Arms."
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