Eight Idaho Army National Guard and one Utah National Guard warrant officer candidates were among the first in the nation to graduate and pin on their new ranks in their home state or Regional Training Institute, on Aug. 4 under a revamped training timeline being implemented to the phased commissioning program across the country.

The graduates from the 2nd Modular Training Battalion 204th Regiment Warrant Officer Candidate School, Class 24-001 are: Warrant Officers Jesse J. Bliss, Simonne A. Boice, Tori J. Frederick, David G. McKenna, Devon K. Middleton, Phillip D. Pallister, David A. Reese, Jared A. Scott and Cade D. Terry.

Historically, National Guard warrant officer candidates who choose to commission through the phased program have begun Phase I of their Warrant Officer Candidate School training at RTI’s located on their home station or regionally over the course of five drill periods.  Phase II of the training took place over the course of two weeks at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, and candidates graduated and pinned on their new rank there.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chad Thomas, commander of the Idaho National Guard’s WOCS, said the change reverses the phases, allowing candidates to begin their training at Camp Atterbury and complete WOCS at their home station or regional RTI. It also reduced the number of training days in the accelerated course hosted at Fort McClellan, Alabama, from 28 to 24. Thomas said the modifications came about as the result of input received during a two-day Reserve Component Warrant Officer Candidate School Regional Training Institute Workshop. During the workshop, more than 80 personnel from all 27 RTI’s collaborated with senior leadership from the National Guard Bureau to modernize the program.

Thomas said the Idaho National Guard is also working to keep attrition low by including a pre-WOCS course to prepare candidates for Phase I prior to reporting to Camp Atterbury.

“This was the perfect class, said Thomas. “They really gave the cadre a lot of grace, the candidates understood the changes and it was a really good experience.”

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Edward Barnowski, Idaho’s command chief warrant officer, said the changes allow home state units to personalize the course, focus on local history and make graduation celebrations more accessible to family members. 

“The new schedule and POI (program of instruction) has really opened things up for us here and allows us to have culminating events,” said Barnowski.

The Idaho candidates participated in a staff ride to Minidoka, a World War II-era Japanese national internment camp near Twin Falls, hosted a mentorship dinner and took part in a victory run on Gowen Field.

“It’s just a more personable experience for the candidates,” he said. “There were so many families at the graduation. They were really excited to see their Soldiers graduate from this course, and they never got that opportunity before.”