Greenport resident Aaron Pacholk enters Army National Guard Warrant Officer Candidate program

Related Media

New York Army National Guard Spc. Aaron Pacholk receives a certificate of his selection as a Warrant Officer Candidate from Brig. Gen. Raymond Shields during a Sept. 24 ceremony in Latham.

LATHAM, NY (10/10/2014)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Specialist Aaron Pacholk, a Greenport resident, has been selected to participate in the Army National Guard's Warrant Officer Candidate program.

Pacholk, who joined the New York Army National Guard in 2011, recently returned from a year long deployment to Kuwait with Company B of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion.

In civilian life he works for the Internal Revenue Service.

Army warrant officers are technical experts who posses special skills and expertise they range from intelligence specialists, to administrative experts, to artillery fire support technicians to helicopter pilots. They receive their name because they receive a "warrant" appointing them to their positions and not the commission that traditional officers receive.

Warrant Officers fall between the non-commissioned officer corps (sergeants) and the commissioned officers (lieutenants to generals) in the Army chain of command.

Pacholk is currently an aircraft mechanic. After completing Warrant Officer School he will serve as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot in Company B, 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation which is based at the Albany International Airport in Latham.

Pacholk holds a bachelors degree in criminology and a masters degree in homeland security management.