Ahoy! Geocaching has been a longstanding pastime in my family so I figured it is only suited that we place a couple along the way every once in a while. Today is somewhat of an important day for me in the Coast Guard so I wanted to place a Cache that would provide a little knowledge about the Service I’m in. Specifically, the ranks of the Chief Warrant Officer.
The Coast Guard has three ranks for CWOs. We start at 2 and typically promote every 4 years. You must be an E-6 or higher to apply to become a CWO, and once you are promoted, you start at CWO2 instead of W1. The USCG does not have a W5 paygrade like the US Army does, nor do we have a W1 (The Air Force does not have ANY Warrant Officers). The following was taken directly from the Coast Guard’s public website and describes a little more about the Coast Guard’s CWOs:
“Chief Warrant Officer's are officer technical specialists, qualified by performance and experience, who have the expertise and authority to direct the most difficult and exacting technical operations in a given occupational area. If you and your command feel you have the maturity, leadership, and technical expertise required to become part of this elite group, then go for it!”
And there you have it…Just some information about the ranks of Warrant Officers, and a nice new cache to add to you collection.
I placed this Cache on June 1, 2016, after taking the Oath of Office up in the Shenandoah National Park up the Stoney Man Trail on the Park’s highest peak (4,000 feet). I’d like to be able to place a cache a little closer to the spot, but it’s a little more complicated to get permission from the National Park Service than it was to get it from this property owner. Property owner is a very nice lady, feel free to stop in an buy some of the yummy Blackberry Preserves or Peach Cider! Besides, there is a great Virtual Cache already up that trail which is a nice short hike to the Stony Man peak (we did the shorter, 1.6 mile round trip Lariat vs the 3+ mile circuit hike).