On Jan. 5, 2018, renowned military artist Todd Krasovetz delivered the latest painting (the third in a series) commissioned by USAWOA.

Titled “Eagles Rising,” it will be unveiled in conjunction with the celebration of the warrant officer cohort’s centennial birthday, on July 9.

Ambitious in scope, the painting seeks to encompass 100 years of our history – from our humble beginnings as mine planters in World War I, and through every conflict since, as eagles rising to become the technical experts we are at today’s leadership table.

We sincerely hope all who view this work of art will see a part of themselves, or that it evokes a fond memory of someone they have counted on and perhaps loved in the past … a Warrant Officer – a Quiet Professional®.

The focal point of the painting intentionally seeks to capture the correct role of today’s warrant officers, as enumerated above.

Last month’s column primarily focused on the apparent erosion of critical Warrant Officer technical skills, and the need for warrant officers to “to reclaim [their] logistical, maintenance, and technical footprint, ceded in contracted sustainment plans over more than a decade.”

Army leaders such as Gen. Gus Perna, commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Command, readily acknowledge that to a certain degree, this erosion of skills was an unfortunate byproduct of the OPTEMPO, character, and duration of recent conflicts.

Regardless, the overriding message from Army senior leaders is clear: Even as we continue to engage in counterinsurgency operations, we need to prepare for potentially larger (perhaps imminent) conflicts. Success in these will in part be dependent on a significant reset in warrant officer technical skillsets (and the price of failure could be measured in lives lost).

Having said this, warrant officers must not in any way interpret this as a shift away from their commensurate roles as trainers, leaders and advisors.

In a 2016 speech to graduates of the Warrant Officer Candidate School I stated the following:

“I usually refer to warrant officers as ‘technical leaders,’ because quite frankly the Army expects us to be both technical experts and leaders. The question over which is ‘more important’ is ridiculous on its face, because it is situationally answered differently, throughout any given career, depending on the demands of various given assignments. The Army expects you to hone your skills in both roles throughout a successful career, and at increasing levels of command and responsibility. The answer really is that plain.”

Army Senior Warrant Officer Council Chairman CW5 Richard R. Kunz Jr. pointed to the doctrinal codification of these responsibilities, in a recent article that underscored the paramount importance of consistent Warrant Officer self-assessment, stating:

“First, we must dissect the doctrinal definition of a warrant officer. Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-3, Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management, defines a Warrant Officer as ‘… a technical expert, combat leader, trainer, and advisor.’”

Adding, “Getting past a simple list of qualities and reaching the heart of the definition will provide a lens to examine how well we assess ourselves, others, and the cohort as a professional segment of the officer corps.”

The challenges we face are daunting.

Nonetheless, with the guidance of our current team of senior warrant officer leaders, our cohort will undoubtedly meet these, and continue to be the collective force-multiplier the Army rightly expects it to be.