W-5
Military abbreviation · Military Pay Grade
| Stands for | Warrant officer pay grade 5 |
|---|---|
| Categories | Military |
W-5 stands for Warrant officer pay grade 5, a military pay grade abbreviation.
Highest warrant officer pay grade, held by Army CW5s and Navy and Marine Corps CWO5s. The grade was created by the Warrant Officer Management Act of 1991, and holders serve as master-level technical leaders and advisers to general officers.
Example: Only a handful of W-5 billets exist in each warrant career field.
Usage notes
W-5 positions are deliberately scarce. The Navy and Marine Corps write it CWO5. Many W-5s have spent more than 25 years in uniform, often beginning as enlisted members before appointment as warrant officers.
Related abbreviations
More military pay grade abbreviations
- E-1 – Enlisted pay grade 1
- E-2 – Enlisted pay grade 2
- E-3 – Enlisted pay grade 3
- E-4 – Enlisted pay grade 4
- E-5 – Enlisted pay grade 5
- E-6 – Enlisted pay grade 6
- E-7 – Enlisted pay grade 7
- E-8 – Enlisted pay grade 8
- E-9 – Enlisted pay grade 9
- O-1 – Officer pay grade 1
- O-10 – Officer pay grade 10
- O-1E – Officer pay grade 1 with prior enlisted service