Army will entertain creating a data warrant officer specialty

The Army will entertain the creation of a warrant officer position specializing in data as part of its effort to transform combat echelons, according to a top training officer.

After delivering a morning keynote address Wednesday at the TechNet Conference in Augusta, GA, Army Gen. Gary Brito, the commanding general of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), said the service will need to examine the organization of its data capabilities within units and echelons to determine where a specialized warrant officer position would be most useful.

“We need to do the proper analysis on the capabilities that we need within the respective echelons of our transforming Army,” Brito said, responding to an audience question on the service’s plans to retain data experts.

In 2021, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth unveiled a plan to modernize the service’s data capabilities and information technology infrastructure at all levels, including both combat and non-combat uses.

Brito did not get into details but said the Army would need to make sure the capabilities can be linked at the division, corps and service component commands.

Currently, the Army has a Data Operations Warrant Officer position (MOS 255A) which focuses on maintaining data networks and related software.

TRADOC is currently conducting a mission analysis to determine the training requirements and whether the position should be included as an additional skill identifier, career management field or entirely new branch, Brito said.

He noted the exact type of position would need “to be determined” which “comes with some complexity.”

“I kind of sense yes, but I’m not going get ahead of the analysis that’s ongoing,” Brito added.