![]() Although United States Navy warrant officers are now legally considered commissioned officers as well, their traditional role as expert technical specialists continues to this day. In recognition of this expertise, these men received warrants to distinguish them from enlisted seamen and to confer lawful authority upon them, while not conveying the responsibility of command that was exercised by commissioned line officers. Unlike commissioned officers, whose purpose was to command ships and Sailors, warrant officers were expert seamen who possessed special skills that were essential to the operation of sailing ships. Warrant officers, on the other hand, held a warrant – derived from the French word warant, meaning variously a protector, a defense, and an authorization – issued by the admiralty. Commissioned officers held a commission from the monarch authorizing them to exercise command of naval vessels and personnel. Eventually they were considered naval rather than army officers, but a distinction was maintained between officers holding commissions and those holding warrants. These officers were in charge of the sailing and maintenance of the ship, while the captains’ and lieutenants’ sole purpose was to command soldiers carried onboard and to lead their troops during combat.īy the fifteenth century, the captains and lieutenants began taking over the executive operation of the ships. As early as 1040, warships furnished to King Edward the Confessor included crews with permanent officers designated master, boatswain, carpenter, and cook. Modern warrant officer ranks trace their origins back to medieval England. The other posts in the series discuss officer ranks () and enlisted rates and ratings (). The history of Navy ranks is equally complicated, and includes an assortment of ranks that no longer exist and some that have disappeared, reappeared, and disappeared again! In this part of a three-part series, we look at the evolution of the Navy’s warrant officer ranks. Navy’s unique rank structure can be confusing. ![]() To outsiders, especially members of the non-maritime services, the U.S. By Nicholas Roland, Historian, Naval History and Heritage Command ![]()
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