Navy Chief Warrant Officer 5 Valencia Simmons-Fowler was promoted as the first African-American CWO 5 in the information warfare community, Nov. 3, 2017. Chief warrant officers are technical specialists who performs duties that directly relate to their previous rating. They are accessed from the chief petty officer pay grades E-7 to E-9, and must have at least 14 years of service. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle Hafer