[beelzepug]

I never knew there was a higher rating than CWO4. When did this happen?

[Gunner TLW]

I do believe it was 1993! Thanks to the Army! They were losing all of their helicopter pilots, after the Gulf War. Since you could enter the Army on one of their WO programs with two years of college, all of their senior pilots were CWO4 at 14 with no upward mobility.

The Marines jumped on it but the Navy did not since it competed against their very successful LDO program. They eventually came around and now only the AF does not have WO,s or CWO5

There are very few CWO5’s since DOD really limited the number each MOS could have. We only rated 4 W5 Marine Gunners when I retired.