Arizona National Guard candidates receive warrant

News: Arizona National Guard candidates receive warrant

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Story by Spc. Danielle Gregory Subscribe To This Journalist

Spc. Danielle Gregory

A soldier sings the national anthem during the class of 2012 Warrant Officer Candidate School graduation ceremony with the 215th Regional Training Institute, Oct. 14.

PAPAGO PARK MILITARY RESERVATION, Ariz. – “The Warrant Officer Corp. is definitely one of the best kept secrets in the Army, said WO1 Sherilyn Gardener, who recently graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School. “We have a lot of pride in our heritage.”

Gardener and three other Soldiers in the Arizona Army National Guard graduated from the 215th Regional Training Institute’s five month WOC School as the class of 2012 during a graduation ceremony, Oct. 14.

The graduation ceremony included a guest speaker, a video recapping the graduating class’s experience and a pinning ceremony.

In order to graduate from the RTI, warrant officer candidates have to go through three phases. Phase one is a distance learning phase; phase two is five, 2.5 day drills and phase three is a two-week annual training at Fort Mcclellan, Ala., where the graduates did a 6.2 mile ruck march at Talladega Superspeedway.

“Warrant officers have to have the technical skills to be leaders, advisers and subject matter experts in their given fields,” said Chief Warrant Officer John C. Vitt, the state command chief warrant officer and guest speaker at the ceremony.

The RTI program in Arizona has been producing new warrant officers since 2006 with one graduation class a year and has produced 37 warrant officers to date, Vitt said. So I’m definitely proud.

“For junior soldiers and noncommissioned officers who are looking for an opportunity to advance your career and have a voice, you are heard much more clearly when you’re a warrant officer,” Gardener said.

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