Commandant’s Corner

By Colonel Kevin E. McHugh, Commandant, USAWOCC

Article published on: January 1st 2025, in the Volume III, Issue 1, January-March 2025 Edition of Strength in Knowledge: The Warrant Officer Journal

Read Time: < 3 mins

A military man in uniform stands proudly with an American flag displayed prominently behind him.

Colonel Kevin E. McHugh, Commandant, USAWOCC

 

What an exciting time to join this great Army and Cohort. As of the publication of this issue, the team here at the USAWOCC is closing in on the completion of over two years of analysis, design, and development targeting the modernization of warrant officer education, USAAWOCC’s number one priority. The new curriculum is squarely aligned to TRADOC’s modernized warrant officer educational continuum, facilitating progressive and sequential education from WO1 all the way to CW5. USAWOCC did not do this work alone nor in a vacuum; USAWOCC and COEs collaborated over the last several months to identify and eliminate any potential educational redundancy across the Centers to ensure we collectively maximize every training hour focused on enhancing WO warfighting skills. Moving forward, this requires a focus on the technical or branch-specific necessary training to sharpen WO capabilities, but also an understanding of the broader skills achieved through the continued pursuit of knowledge gained by the study of leadership, doctrine, and the lessons learned through our nation’s storied history delivered by the USAWOCC faculty. Together, future Warrant Officers will report to their units better educated, trained, and ready to integrate themselves (and their systems) to meet the requirements of large-scale combat head-on. The scheduled implementation for all modernized courses at the USAWOCC and the Centers remains 1 October 2025. Part of the analysis indicated a gap at the most senior warrant officer levels. To close this gap, the team at USAWOCC is also developing the Warrant Officer Master Course (WOMC) that will be delivered a year later, on 1 October 2026 (FY27). Altogether, a tremendous effort from a great team, all working to ensure the cohort remains ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.

This issue highlights how warrant officers continue to enhance Army readiness through support to Army transformation and warfighting initiatives. Enjoy the read, and thanks for all you do!

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