Warrant officer conference plans way ahead

By Keith Desbois, Combined Arms Support Command Public AffairsMay 10, 2012

Warrant officer conference plans way ahead
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael J. Wichterman Sr., Combined Arms Support Command senior warrant officer advisor, addresses the attendees of the Sustainment Warrant Officer Conference May 7 at the U.S. Army Logistics University here. Wichterman led th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. - Warrant officers are the technical experts in their fields, often called upon to provide the specialized knowledge required to successfully complete challenging missions.

Focusing on future challenges was the purpose of the Sustainment Warrant Officer Conference held here May 7. The half-day event, part of the 2012 Sustainment Commander's Conference, provided Army senior warrant officers the opportunity to gather, share information and discuss the way ahead. The goal of the event was to plan out training and mentoring to the year 2022.

Senior mentoring, thoughts on leadership and open discussions were popular highlights for the gathered warrant officers. Another popular topic was a historic overview of the corps.

"I wanted the most senior warrant officers, who are working in the education and strategic communications arena, to focus on ten years from now," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael J. Wichterman Sr., Combined Arms Support Command senior warrant officer advisor. "By presenting them a senior mentoring session on not what to think, but rather how to think, they will be better prepared to tackle training development and mentoring in their units."

Discussions also involved considering how their roles are changing and what it will take for them to be successful in the future.

"I expect participants to put what they received to good use by developing training that is more focused on the future. This group can reach out and touch, literally, thousands of warrant officers annually," Wichterman said. "This conference should change the context of their mentoring sessions so they will be able to say here is what you need to focus on."

After this year's conference, Wichterman said he will strive to make next year an even bigger professional development opportunity.

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