REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Army Materiel Command honored the Warrant Officer Cohort's 99th birthday during a ceremony at AMC Headquarters, July 14.
Warrant officers are the Army's technical experts, combat leaders, trainers and advisors, serving in 17 branches and 67 warrant officer specialties. While they can be traced as far back as 1896, the Warrant Officer Cohort was not officially recognized until Congress passed legislation to form the organization July 9, 1918.
The event was hosted by AMC's Command Chief Warrant Officer, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Darren Cook. It kicked off with an education summit, featuring a retirement class and a briefing on various educational opportunities.
Gen. Gus Perna, AMC commanding general, told those in attendance that the Army relies on the unique skills warrant officers possess.
"After 15 years of war, we need warrant officers back in the trenches. We are never going to go anywhere again without all three components--active duty, Army Reserve and National Guard--together, and we need to continue to build those relationships and rely on each other. We're all structured a bit differently, but you all have to be on the same battlefield together, where the standards are high. Without you, we're not going to get there," Perna said.
The summit was followed by a formal ceremony hosted by Cook on the AMC parade field. Four members of the Athens High School JROTC color guard marched onto the field, led by the senior Army instructor, retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 James L. Chambers.
Typically, senior Army instructors in JROTC programs are retired field grade officers, but Chambers said the opportunity to mentor young minds helps keep him young; in fact, he had gone on a three-mile run with a group of cadets just that morning. The ability to retain skills and camaraderie may be appealing to retiring warrants who are looking for a follow-on career, and a way to continue serving their country, Chambers added.
"For the past six years, I've had the opportunity to mentor possible future Soldiers or individuals who will go on to become productive members of society," Chambers said.
Chambers, who retired in 2011, said he's proud of the cadets who participated in the warrant officer celebration during the summer, but he's not surprised they did.
"It's strictly voluntary. We have a great group of cadets. For any event we have, they're raring to go, whether it's in Madison, Huntsville, or, especially, here on the Arsenal," Chambers said.
The event also included an oral history of the Warrant Officer Cohort, as well as speeches from Nathan Godwin, AMC principal deputy G-3/4 and John Wright, immediate past president of the Redstone-Huntsville Chapter of the Association of the United States Army. Cook also presented Army Community Service's Natalie Taylor with donations from a canned and nonperishable food drive in support of Feds Feed Families, as well as other presentations. Donation boxes will remain in the AMC lobby until about July 21, Cook said.
The ceremony concluded with a cake cutting, where the oldest and youngest warrant officers present sliced it with a saber.
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