Chief warrant officer 2 (W-2)

How to read it

CWO2 follows warrant officer (W-1) and comes before chief warrant officer 3. It is the rank at which a Marine warrant officer becomes a commissioned officer; the Department of Defense says the commission comes from the president. The Marine Corps says warrant officers are generally technical advisors to commands and organizations in their field. The uniform regulations arrange the three blocks as on the CWO4 bar: a wider block in the centre and a narrower one each side.

Also searched as: CWO2.

Gold or silver?

The gold bar marks W-1 and W-2; from W-3 up the bar is silver. The chief warrant officer 4 has the same three scarlet blocks on a silver bar. The Navy’s officer-training guide counts the other way, describing the CWO2 device as a red background with two gold breaks.

The Marine Gunner’s bursting bomb

A chief warrant officer serving as an infantry weapons officer also carries the title Marine Gunner, which does not replace the rank. The Marine Gunner wears a bursting bomb on the left collar in place of the warrant officer insignia.

Marine or Army?

The Army’s chief warrant officer 2 wears a silver bar with two black enamel squares.