JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Former Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Jason Roach was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 3 at the Red Bank Club on Joint Base Charleston - Naval Weapons Station, S.C., on January 29, 2016.
As a new Chief Warrant Officer 3, Roach is now the fire control officer aboard the USS Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
"I wanted to get commissioned because I wanted to expand my horizons and experience another side of the Navy," said Roach.
A Chief Warrant Officer is a subject matter expert in a specific occupational field whose knowledge level is beyond what's expected of a senior enlisted member. Applications are limited to Chief Petty Officer through a Master Chief Petty Officer. However, 1st Class Petty Officers' who are eligible to be promoted to Chief Petty Officer also may apply.
Capt. Charles Phillip, commanding officer of the Navy Munitions Command Atlantic unit Charleston and Roach's former commander, believes the Chief Warrant Officer program is an important option the Navy has to offer.
"The Navy Chief Warrant Officer program is an essential commissioning source of the Navy officer corps which provides an unprecedented level of experience and expertise," said Phillip.
Roach would have accepted a full commission but there were restrictions preventing him from doing so.
"I would've accepted a full commission as a normal officer," Roach said, "but I was past the time limit in my career to commission, so I decided to become a Chief Warrant Officer."
Roach still has goals and ambitions he wants to achieve.
"I want to qualify as a command duty officer and hopefully make Chief Warrant Officer 5. I would also love to be the officer in charge of the Naval Munitions Command detachment in Crete, Greece," said Roach.
While it took a lot of hard work and dedication to become a Master Chief Petty Officer and a Chief Warrant Officer, Roach is able to share his advice on how to succeed.
"You want to find out who the best person in your unit is and mold yourself after them and from there you can do anything you want," said Roach.
Though Roach is the one who has become a Chief Warrant Officer, he did not do it alone and knows he couldn't have done it without help.
"If it weren't for my family, friends and the people I've served with who pushed me to where I am today," Roach said, "I wouldn't have been able to make it this far."
The application process to become a Chief Warrant Officer is easy. It's getting selected that's the hard part.
"It's a very easy process, actually," Roach said. "You just go onto the Navy website, download the application, submit it and present all of your awards and evaluations. Then it becomes a competitive process. A board reviews the application and selects the people they want to commission to Chief Warrant Officer."
Roach's former commanding officer had high praise for the new Chief Warrant Officer.
"Chief Warrant Officer Roach is one of the most highly professional, extremely talented, motivated, and passionate Sailors I've ever seen," Phillip said, "And he is the finest senior enlisted advisor I have ever served with."