Normally, Chief Warrant Officers are taken from the ranks of Senior Petty Officers, meaning you must be at least a Chief before you can be commissioned.
However, in 2006, the Navy started a test program called the "Flying Chief Warrant Officer" Program, which allows enlisted personnel E-5 and up to qualify as Naval flight officers. To earn a commission to Warrant Officer 2, the prospect must have at least a 2-year Associate's Degree, and not be serviing in the Diver, Master-at-Arms, Nuclear, SEAL, SWCC, or EOD communities.
In most armies, a Warrant Officer was a rank just below Lieutenant. Anything from Lieutenant and above is referred to as a commissioned officer.The natural progression of ranks would be private then up through grades of Sergeants (names vary by country) and then Warrant Officer. Then the next step would be an officer, beginning with a 2nd Lieutenant (in the US).
Warrant Officer 1st Class
Enlisted E-1 = Private E-2 = Private Second Class E-3 = Private First Class E-4 = Specialist/Corporal E-5 = Sergeant E-6 = Staff Sergeant E-7 = Sergeant First Class E-8 = Master Sergeant/First Sergeant E-9 = Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant Major Warrant Officer WO1 = Warrant Officer 1 CW2 = Chief Warrant Officer 2 CW3 = Chief Warrant Officer 3 CW4 = Chief Warrant Officer 4 CW5 = Chief Warrant Officer 5 Officer O-1 = Second Lieutenant O-2 = First Lieutenant O-3 = Captain O-4 = Major O-5 = Lieutenant Colonel O-6 = Colonel O-7 = Brigadier General O-8 = Major General O-9 = Lieutenant General O-10 = General
The U.S. Navy has many different ranks. These ranks include Seaman Recruit, Seaman Apprentice, Seaman, Petty Officer 3rd Class, Petty Officer 2nd Class, Petty Officer 1st Class, Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer, Fleet and Commander Master Chief Petty Officer, Chief Warrant Officer 2, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Chief Warrant Officer 4, Chief Warrant Officer 5, Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral Chief of Navy Ops, and Fleet Admiral.
Enlisted E-1 = Private E-2 = Private Second Class E-3 = Private First Class E-4 = Specialist/Corporal E-5 = Sergeant E-6 = Staff Sergeant E-7 = Sergeant First Class E-8 = Master Sergeant/First Sergeant E-9 = Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant Major Warrant Officer WO1 = Warrant Officer 1 CW2 = Chief Warrant Officer 2 CW3 = Chief Warrant Officer 3 CW4 = Chief Warrant Officer 4 CW5 = Chief Warrant Officer 5 Officer O-1 = Second Lieutenant O-2 = First Lieutenant O-3 = Captain O-4 = Major O-5 = Lieutenant Colonel O-6 = Colonel O-7 = Brigadier General O-8 = Major General O-9 = Lieutenant General O-10 = General
There were many more military positions in Colonial times. The go from, Crewman Apprentice, Crewman, Specialist, Petty Officer Second Class, Petty Officer First Class, Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer, Warrant Officer, Ensign, Junior Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, Commander, Rear Admiral, and Admiral.
They're officially Warrant Officers, if you're referring to the US military. They're in a separate class, between enlisted personnel and commissioned officers, and there are five Warrant Officer ranks, grades one through five.
From bottom to topPrivateLance Corporal/BombardierCorporal/BombardierSergeantStaff SergeantWarrant Officer Class 2(Sergeant Major), (Quartermaster Sergeant)Warrant Officer Class 1Officer Cadet (student)Second LieutenantLieutenantCaptainMajorLieutenant ColonelColonelBrigadier GeneralMajor GeneralGeneralField Marshall (wartime and ceremonial only)
Enlisted E-1 = Private E-2 = Private Second Class E-3 = Private First Class E-4 = Specialist/Corporal E-5 = Sergeant E-6 = Staff Sergeant E-7 = Sergeant First Class E-8 = Master Sergeant/First Sergeant E-9 = Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant Major Warrant Officer WO1 = Warrant Officer 1 CW2 = Chief Warrant Officer 2 CW3 = Chief Warrant Officer 3 CW4 = Chief Warrant Officer 4 CW5 = Chief Warrant Officer 5 Officer O-1 = Second Lieutenant O-2 = First Lieutenant O-3 = Captain O-4 = Major O-5 = Lieutenant Colonel O-6 = Colonel O-7 = Brigadier General O-8 = Major General O-9 = Lieutenant General O-10 = General
Private - PTE Lance Corporal - LCPL Corporal - CPL Sergeant - SGT Staff Sergeant -SSGT Warrant Officer Second Class - WO2 Warrant Officer First Class - WO1 Regimental Sergeant Major Of The Army - RSM-A 2nd Lieutenant - 2LT Lieutenant - LT Captain - CPT Major - MAJ Lieutenant Colonel - LCOL Colonel - COL Brigadier - BRIG Major General - MAJGEN Lieutenant General - LTGEN General - GEN __________________ Field Marshal - FM (Only 2 Known Ever Field Marshal's)
If you have a Third Class Petty Officer and he is a Storekeeper, you can either call him/her "Petty Officer ______" or just as easily call him/her "SK3". But with the latter of the two, usually you have to know the person or their rating. Boatswain
Philippines Civil Service commission