§ 5503. Navy and Marine Corps: warrant officer grades

The warrant officer grades in the Navy and the Marine Corps are:

(1) Chief warrant officer, W–5.

(2) Chief warrant officer, W–4.

(3) Chief warrant officer, W–3.

(4) Chief warrant officer, W–2.

(5) Warrant officer, W–1.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 314; Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title XI, § 1131(9), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1506.)

Historical And Revision

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
5503	34 U.S.C. 135a(a) (less last sentence).	May 29, 1954, ch. 249, § 3(a) (less 3d and last sentence), 68 Stat. 157.

This section is included in subtitle C for completeness and clarity. In duplicates, in part, §§ 555 and 597 of this title, which cover, respectively, the “permanent regular warrant officer grades” and the “permanent reserve warrant officer grades” in the armed forces. The concept that regular grades differ from reserve grades and that a grade held under a permanent appointment differs from the grade of the same name held under a temporary appointment is foreign to the naval service. In the Navy and the Marine Corps, all officers serving, for example, in the grade of chief warrant officer, W–4, are considered to be serving in the same grade regardless of whether they are Regulars or Reserves and regardless of whether they are temporary or permanent officers holding temporary or permanent appointments in that grade. This section, therefore, lists the four warrant officer grades as applicable to all warrant officers of the naval service.

Reference to the pay grades corresponding to the military grades is omitted as unnecessary for the purpose of this section.

Amendments

Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–190 added par. (1) and redesignated former pars. (1) to (4) as (2) to (5), respectively.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1991 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–190 effective Feb. 1, 1992, see section 1132 of Pub. L. 102–190, set out as a note under section 521 of this title.