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Warrant officers as Navy pilots
http://www.washingtontimes.com/natio...4314-4356r.htm
New pilots The Army long has relied on warrant officers to pilot attack and transport helicopters. Now the Navy is going to give it a try. Navy planes and helicopters are piloted by line officers who serve as pilots. Other officers serve as naval flight officers . Under a pilot program, the Navy is asking "hard-charging sailors" to apply to become chief warrant officers and be among 30 selected for flight school, says a message from the chief of naval operations. New warrant officers must, on receiving their wings, sign up for at least eight years' service. The Navy plans to keep fighter jets off limits for now, but will open up four aircraft: two types of helicopters, a patrol plane and the venerable EA-6B electronic jammer that targets enemy tracking radars. A selection board will pick 16 enlisted personnel this July and 14 others next year. All must complete flight training and fleet qualifications before being promoted to senior warrant officer. Capt. Mark Guadagnini, division director for aviation personnel at Navy Personnel Command, said tapping the enlisted ranks does not mean the Navy has a pilot shortage. In fact, he told us, there are 12,500 pilots on active duty and more waiting in line. The new policy is being adopted for somewhat complicated reasons. It has to do with freeing up a backlog of junior pilots who need to spend time as squadron department heads in order to be promoted. The problem is not new, Capt. Guadagnini said. It's just that someone thought of this new way to solve it. "The Navy is always looking for better ways of doing business," the test pilot said. He said the fighter community will not necessarily stay off-limits to enlisted personnel forever. "If it works, and then there is a requirement to change the way we are doing personnel business, we can put them in any community," he said. |
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