COLUMBIA, S.C. - The most technically proficient and highly trained Soldiers within the ranks of the South Carolina Army National Guard gathered for an information-sharing forum and workshop during the first drill period of 2017 and were joined by other experienced Soldiers eager for the challenge of joining the ranks of this special and distinct group.
The forum was the South Carolina Army National Guard's Warrant Officer Professional Development and Career Day and took place at the Office of the Adjutant General in Columbia, South Carolina, Jan. 8, 2017.
The event was held to discuss current topics relevant to warrant officers in the South Carolina Army National Guard, as well as to encourage eligible Soldiers to pursue available opportunities to commissioning in the warrant officer cohort.
Career paths for warrant officers encompass technical and aviation fields. Both offering unique assignments and specialized training opportunities, many of which are not available to Soldiers outside of the warrant officer cohort.
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kent B. Puffenbarger, South Carolina Army National Guard state command chief warrant officer and primary organizer and host of the event, laid out the requirements and expectations of both current and future warrant officers in the South Carolina Army National Guard during the workshop.
"Don't just do your job," said Puffenbarger. "Do it to a level that your unit can't do without you."
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. R. Van McCarty, South Carolina National Guard assistant adjutant general - Army, stressed the importance of the warrant officer cohort.
"You help provide a long-term technical competency that, in a world rapidly changing, allows us as an organization the capability and edge to stay out in front," said McCarty.
Attendees received briefings on several pertinent subjects during the workshop before breaking out into groups within their respective branches, including Air Defense, Signal, Ordinance, Engineers, and Aviation, among others. The event was concluded with an open forum and a question-and-answer session among all the participants.
Social Sharing