Photo By Staff Sgt. Joseph Morgan | Three warrant officer candidates from the 124th Fighter Wing’s 224th Cyber...... read more read more
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GOWEN FIELD, Idaho – Three warrant officer candidates assigned to the 124th Fighter Wing’s 224th Cyber Operations Squadron participated in a Warrant Officer Candidate Pinning Ceremony at Gowen Field, Idaho, March 21, 2025.
Gowen Field is home to both Army and Air National Guard units. As the Air Force develops its own heritage surrounding the warrant officer program, the Idaho Air National Guard looks to the Army and its decades of tradition, including a ceremonial pinning.
Master Sgt. Travis Anderson, Senior Master Sgt. Jason Swenson and Tech. Sgt. Ed Landis, cyber warfare operators assigned to the 224th COS, were all selected to participate in the USAF’s new Warrant Officer Training School program, focused on the cyber operations career field.
“These three members were chosen because they were the most technically skilled members of the 224th COS,” said Lt. Col. Kyle Erickson, 224th COS commander. “Of all the cyber operators in the COS, these three are the ones that every other operator will go to when they are seeking help or guidance for a tough problem. Their appointment to the Warrant Officer ranks solidifies them as technical experts.”
Bridging this gap between the enlisted and officer ranks will fill a critical role in the wing as every sector stands to benefit from the knowledge of experts in the cyber operations career field.
“The COS doesn’t currently have a lot of visibility across the wing,” said Landis. “We’re hopeful this will help us better integrate with the rest of the wing and share our expertise to make a more immediate impact in our day-to-day operations.”
In the spring of 2024, the United States Air Force announced plans to reinstate its warrant officer program. The program was retired in the late 1950s, shortly after the USAF branched off from the United States Army.
Retired Air Force Col. Dale J. Hendry, who achieved the rank of CW2 before commissioning and was one of the IDANG’s last warrant officers, spoke at the pinning ceremony.
“I'm extremely honored to have been a part of the National Guard, the United States Air Force, to have been a warrant officer and to be an American,” said Hendry, addressing the warrant officer candidates. “Now it’s your job to make sure that never changes. I challenge you to always remember you’re living in the greatest country in the history of the world. While we’ve always had our problems, your job is to ensure those problems only result in the best anticipated lives we could hope to lead.”
Upon graduation, candidates for the WOTS program are set to return this fall to begin a legacy - a new chapter of warrant officer service and expertise to the Idaho Air National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2025 23:37 |
| Story ID: | 494895 |
| Location: | IDAHO, US |
| Web Views: | 226 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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