Aviation Warrant Officer
The roles of the aviation Warrant Officer in leadership.
The year was 2000, it was a hot and dry summer day at the magical wonderment known as Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I was standing at the position of attention for a few hours, and this Private was receiving his daily dose of L.D.R.S.H.I.P (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage). At the time, I’d repeat anything they wanted as to avoid some unwanted attention from the Drill Sergeants. I understood then, that they wanted us to live by these values. It was a shaping and shifting of a culture amongst the new recruits. We were to live by a higher standard. We were told our leaders would exude these traits. So to this day, I expect nothing less of all my leaders and I try to exceed these expectations to my subordinates. …show more content…
True, the average aviation Warrant Officer does not fit the conventional or traditional sense of a combat leader.
When most people think a combat leader, they picture a Noncommissioned Officer and Commissioned Officer charging the hill to overpower an enemy. Warrants by definition are technical and tactical experts in a particular system or job field. ADP 6-22 states Army leadership defined is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization. I think Warrant Officers define the last part of the Army leadership definition, "Accomplish the mission and improve the organization." If it happens to influence people to provide purpose, direction and motivation, it’s a secondary effect. Aviation Warrants always have an obligation to train their own, but they are leaders on a grander scale none the
less.
For example, March 16, 1968, WO1 Hugh Thompson who piloted an OH-23 Raven during the My Lai Massacre. It was an unfortunate incident in which U.S. ground forces were found to be killing innocent civilian women, elders and children while hunting the Viet Cong in Vietnam. WO1 Thompson immediately recognized that something was wrong as he observed droves of dead and dying bodies lying in ditches. He relied on integrity and personal courage to deliberately place his aircraft between advancing American forces and a group of innocent civilians hiding in a ditch. After he disembarked his aircraft, he deliberately challenged the Lieutenant in charge about what was going on. After being told to, “Mind his own business.” He reported the incident to higher command. He was later awarded the Soldiers Medal for his actions during the My Lai Massacre.
WO1 Thompson did not command troops. He did not have soldiers underneath him. However, he did prove he was a Warrant Officer leader. He accomplish the mission and improved our organization as a whole. He is the very definition of an Army leader. We should all strive as Warrants to live by his and our Army values.
The year was 2000, it was a hot and dry summer day at the magical wonderment known as Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I was standing at the position of attention for a few hours, and this Private was receiving his daily dose of L.D.R.S.H.I.P (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage). At the time, I’d repeat anything they wanted as to avoid some unwanted attention from the Drill Sergeants. I understood then, that they wanted us to live by these values. It was a shaping and shifting of a culture amongst the new recruits. We were to live by a higher standard. We were told our leaders would exude these traits. So to this day, I expect nothing less of all my leaders and I try to exceed these expectations to my subordinates. …show more content…
True, the average aviation Warrant Officer does not fit the conventional or traditional sense of a combat leader.
When most people think a combat leader, they picture a Noncommissioned Officer and Commissioned Officer charging the hill to overpower an enemy. Warrants by definition are technical and tactical experts in a particular system or job field. ADP 6-22 states Army leadership defined is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization. I think Warrant Officers define the last part of the Army leadership definition, "Accomplish the mission and improve the organization." If it happens to influence people to provide purpose, direction and motivation, it’s a secondary effect. Aviation Warrants always have an obligation to train their own, but they are leaders on a grander scale none the
less.
For example, March 16, 1968, WO1 Hugh Thompson who piloted an OH-23 Raven during the My Lai Massacre. It was an unfortunate incident in which U.S. ground forces were found to be killing innocent civilian women, elders and children while hunting the Viet Cong in Vietnam. WO1 Thompson immediately recognized that something was wrong as he observed droves of dead and dying bodies lying in ditches. He relied on integrity and personal courage to deliberately place his aircraft between advancing American forces and a group of innocent civilians hiding in a ditch. After he disembarked his aircraft, he deliberately challenged the Lieutenant in charge about what was going on. After being told to, “Mind his own business.” He reported the incident to higher command. He was later awarded the Soldiers Medal for his actions during the My Lai Massacre.
WO1 Thompson did not command troops. He did not have soldiers underneath him. However, he did prove he was a Warrant Officer leader. He accomplish the mission and improved our organization as a whole. He is the very definition of an Army leader. We should all strive as Warrants to live by his and our Army values.