As the Army continues to battle the global war on terrorism while at the same time transforming to a modular expeditionary force, warrant officers will continue to serve in vital roles. On the battlefield today, Quartermaster Warrant Officers are true Warrior Logisticians serving in a multitude of organizations performing key logistical functions. Commanders at all echelons expect warrant officers to operate and sustain critical combat support functions on the battlefield. If warrant officers are to continue to serve as the Army’s premier technical experts expected to administer, manage, maintain, operate and integrate key Army logistical systems and equipment, they must be adequately trained not only to serve as officer technicians, but also as leaders at all levels within the Army. The future expectations and requirements of warrant officers will require a more robust education system that offers training much like the current Officer Education System. While numerous transformational efforts are ongoing throughout the Army, the Warrant Officer Education System must meld into one Officer Education System.

     As work continues to realign Quartermaster functions to operate in the future modular structure, the Quartermaster Corps will introduce a new Quartermaster Warrant Officer Specialty – Petroleum Systems Technician (military occupational specialty 923A). The driving force behind the requirement for Petroleum Warrant Officers centers on the shift in Petroleum Officer (92F) management in recent years. Previously, the Army produced a cadre of functional officers, among them petroleum officers who were primarily trained in petroleum operations and served most of their careers in petroleum units. While 92F Petroleum Officers are still trained in petroleum operations, their time assigned to petroleum units has decreased. The Officer Personnel Management System-XXI (OPMS XXI) transformed combat service support officers into multifunctional logisticians, in essence requiring those officers to serve in a multitude of assignments where knowledge of all tactical logistics functions was the focus. Simultaneously, the need for fuel experts on the battlefield grew as the Army’s operating tempo has increased since the first Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s.

     To respond to the growing requirement for petroleum expertise, focus shifted to pursue creating a Petroleum Warrant Officer specialty, one that will provide a cadre of technicians who by the nature of their career progression will bring stability to technical positions and provide sustained petroleum expertise on the battlefield. The Petroleum Warrant Officer initiative will create positions in each Army component: Active Army, Army National Guard and the US Army Reserve. To field this new specialty, selected petroleum officer positions were identified for conversion. Positions selected for conversion were those deemed more technical in nature that would serve as an excellent transition to be filled by a warrant officer. Existing Petroleum Officer (92F) leadership and branch-qualifying positions were not identified for conversion because those positions will continue to serve as critical developmental assignments for petroleum officers.

     Recruiting efforts will target Petroleum Noncommissioned Officers in the Quartermaster Corps as the primary candidates to serve as Petroleum Warrant Officers. Accessions will commence during the FY05 warrant officer recruiting year. Specifically, the first Quartermaster Soldiers are expected to appear before the US Army Recruiting Command Accessions Board in November 2005.

     The creation of the Petroleum Systems Technician is one example of change in response to the needs of the Army. Warrant officers must be continually aware that change is necessary in order to meet the needs of the future force. Success will depend on the ability to recognize the need for change, adapt and transform to change. To ignore or resist the need for change will lead to irrelevance.

     I am excited by the prospects this new Quartermaster Warrant Officer specialty will bring to the force. Future Petroleum Warrant Officers will join an already elite cohort of officers who provide unparalleled technical expertise to the Army.