Chief Warrant Officer Randy Niedt (left) accepts the Lineage Box from Chief Warrant Officer 4 (retired) Kenneth Langer (right) while Chief Warrant Officer Albert G. Curving (center) stands at attention during the Command Chief Warrant Officer Change of Authority Ceremony at Fort Dix on Feb. 10.

The United States Army is rich in tradition, some going back more than 200 years. In New Jersey, a new tradition was added to that immense and historic lineage, with the introduction of the Command Chief Warrant Officer Change of Authority Ceremony, which took place Feb. 10, at Fort Dix. On that date, newly promoted Chief Warrant Officer (Five) Randy Niedt took the reins as the next state Command Chief Warrant Officer from Chief Warrant Officer (Five) Albert G. Curving.

Creating Tradition One of the duties and responsibilities of the Command Chief Warrant Officer is upholding military customs and traditions, and to enhance the professionalism of the warrant officer corps, and the ceremony at Fort Dix accomplished just that. While the position of state Command Chief Warrant Officer has been in the National Guard since 1996, when Alabama requested that the position be created, the ceremony which took place on February 10th was unique in that the ceremony itself was fashioned by Warrant Officer’s Curving and Niedt to include a number of steps during the ceremony which are symbolic only to the Warrant Officer Command. One of those is the Warrant Officer Charter.

The charter used in the ceremony is a symbol of the charging of care of the Army National Guard Warrant Officer program. The act of passing the charter during the ceremony was symbolic of the transfer of responsibility from the outgoing Command Chief Warrant Officer, to the incoming Command Chief Warrant Officer.

The ceremony was videotaped and sent to National Guard Bureau where it may be adopted for use throughout the country as the official Command Chief Warrant Officer ceremony. After acknowledging the six years of stellar service of Chief Curving, Chief Niedt spoke about the challenges ahead for the Warrant Officer program. “The Warrant Officer Corps is changing fluidly, with the transformation of the Army,” he noted.

“It is imperative that we strive for excellence among the corps.” In addition, Niedt noted that he would be focusing on three important tasks as Command Warrant Officer, including beefing up the 50th Brigade Combat Team, developing a Warrant Officer detachment at the 254th Regiment, and to continue to develop and implement a Warrant Officer Professional Development Program to help sustain the Warrant Officer Corps in New Jersey.

A Rich History Warrant Officers have served in the Armed Forces of the United States since the Revolutionary War. After World War II, the Corps grew in size and significance as warrant officers made their mark as technical experts. Warrant Officers in the Army are brought in with specific levels of technical ability.

They refine their technical expertise and develop their leadership and management skills through tiered progressive assignment and education. While there are many Warrant Officers within the state of New Jersey, there is only one Command Chief Warrant Officer. The state Command Chief Warrant Officer is responsible for proposing and executing policies and procedures, and with directing the career management of the Warrant Officer Corps in New Jersey.

By providing particular emphasis on Warrant Officer morale, welfare, discipline, performance, training and recognition for achievement and equal opportunity, the Command Chief Warrant Officer fulfills the responsibility to the army National Guard leadership. With the creation of the Command Chief Warrant Officer Change of Authority Ceremony, Chief Niedt seems to be off to a good start.