WARRANT OFFICER 1 (WO1) — U.S. NAVY W-1
The Navy's entry-grade warrant officer — a single-track technical specialist appointed by warrant.
OVERVIEW
Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) is the entry-level warrant officer rank in the U.S. Navy at paygrade W-1. Warrant officers are highly skilled, single-track technical specialists drawn from the senior enlisted ranks. Unlike commissioned officers — who are commissioned by the President — Warrant Officer 1s are appointed by warrant of the Secretary of the Navy. WO1 is rarely used in the modern Navy; the service typically appoints qualified senior enlisted Sailors directly to Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CWO2). The grade remains on the books and is included in this directory for completeness.
Warrant officers fill specialized billets — engineering, intelligence, cyber, special operations, ordnance — where deep technical expertise must be retained beyond the typical enlisted career arc.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide technical leadership in a specialized field (engineering, ordnance, cryptology, etc.)
- Mentor enlisted Sailors in their technical community
- Advise commanding officers on technical matters within their specialty
HISTORY
Congress authorized the warrant officer program in the modern U.S. military in 1916 and rebuilt it after World War II. The U.S. Navy's contemporary warrant officer program is governed by 10 U.S.C. and Navy regulations, which permit appointment of qualified Chief Petty Officers, Senior Chief Petty Officers, and Master Chief Petty Officers as warrant officers in technical specialties.
Although the W-1 grade is statutorily authorized, the U.S. Navy has not appointed officers to W-1 in routine practice for many years; new warrant officers are typically appointed directly to CWO2.
PAY
- Senior enlisted rating (typically E-7 and above) with strong technical record
- Selection by the warrant officer accession board
- Appointment by warrant of the Secretary of the Navy
- Technical specialist billets within a community
- Shipboard or shore-based subject-matter expert