Warrant Officer 1 Marcus A. Hursey completed warrant officer training at Fort Rucker, Ala. on Dec. 18.

All Army warrant officer candidates, including some reservists and National Guardsmen, go through warrant officer candidate school at Fort Rucker. About 2,700 students graduate from the program every year. While the majority of WOCs attend training here for flight school, about 15 military occupational specialties employ warrant officers. For almost 90 years the U.S. Army has relied on specially-trained technical officers to accomplish missions and become experts in the fields.

New soldiers coming into the school attend a six-week course which teaches leadership development skills. During the training candidates must complete basic warrior tasks such as land navigation, urban operations and forward operating base training.

Included in their training is the history of the warrant officer corps to reporting, evaluation, operations, staff procedures, and the importance of their roles as leaders in today’s Army at war. Warrant officers assume duties as platoon leaders or commanders to meet the needs of their unit.

Hursey will continue his studies at Fort Rucker as he prepares for flight school. He is currently stationed at Fort Rucker in B Company 1/145 Aviation Battalion.

After completing his training, WO1 Hursey will return to the Georgia Army National Guard as a CH-47D Chinook pilot.