Peace Time: August 26, 2002

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The Army has 11,200 warrant officers, but even that number is 600 short of the number they need. Efforts are being made to recruit senior NCOs to become warrants, but the main obstacle is that a senior sergeant has a guarantee that he can serve long enough to get a pension, but gives up that guarantee to become a warrant. The Army, however, has the authority to give warrant officers twice passed over for promotion a waiver to remain in the service, and does so routinely due to the shortage. Of course, if the shortage is ever made up, the waivers might no longer be offered.Stephen V Cole