I wake up in the morning, go to warrant officer school, and assist in the organization and planning of human resource collection for mobilization of a unit. Once home, I care to my ten-year-old with special needs. After she is in bed, I finish homework for school.
This is the life of Arizona Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jaime Valdez after she decided to start the transition from enlisted to warrant officer all the while preparing for a deployment.
Valdez’s first introduction to the world of Warrant Officers was from her best friend Chief Warrant Officer 4 Lupecelia Leon, a pilot who deployed with Valdez during her first deployment in 2016. During this deployment, they realized their mothers knew them when they were infants. Leon had always encouraged Valdez to reach for more and initially told her to go for warrant officer.
After being in for 10 years, Valdez did not feel like she had much influence to make change, though she loved being a non-commissioned officer. She saw Warrant Officers as the middle ground between worlds.
“[Warrant officers] connect with the command staff, mentor the enlisted and guide the command team,” said Valdez.
When she decided to attend school, she had a goal and a plan; increase her Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score and work on her physical fitness. Valdez hired a tutor to assist her in increasing her ASVAB score. She struggled with the verbal and mathematics portion, as English is her second language.
Despite her struggle with the language, she persevered increasing her score by 27 points on the first try.
“A lot of people doubted my abilities, the MEB never doubted, felt like home,” said Valdez.
After applying, in June 2023 she was federally recommended for Warrant Officer candidacy. She began Warrant Officer school in May 2024 and graduated August 2024.
During her time at School, she studied hard, worked on building up her strength by rucking, and increased her Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) score from 450 to 548 points, almost hitting the maximum of 600.
The most difficult part of everything was being able to find a balance between home, work and the schoolhouse. She planned and coordinated all of the pre-mobilization for the 158th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade as they prepared for their deployment to Africa. During this time she also drilled with the schoolhouse.
“I love chaos, I like to organize it. Everything we do in the HR realm is like a project. I like seeing a project to its finality,” said Valdez.
Valdez mentions a great motivator were her friends she met through the Warrant Officer Candidate School who had the same passion for making a difference. Two other soldiers from the human resource department went through the program with her, and together they persevered.
As the human resource department NCO in charge for the on Camp Lemonnier Djibouti-Horn of Africa, she is able to hone the skills she learned from the WOCS course. With her newly gained acumen, she researches not only Army, but other branches when sending memos and regulation.
When asked about this deployment, Valdez said she, “Loves the opportunity to grow and learn.”
Valdez is working on her bachelor’s degree while she is in Africa, with four classes left of her Human Resource Management degree from Grand Canyon University. She is set to graduate while also preparing to pin Warrant Officer on when she gets home from deployment.
Valdez is waiting for an open slot which happens to be opening soon. Her mentor, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joshua Allen will be retiring after the deployment, opening a space for her to become a Warrant Officer.
“[Valdez’s] overall potential is unparalleled. Quality and drive are unmatched in her leadership expertise and technical expertise, her attention to detail sets her apart from her peers,” says Allen.
Allen has helped form Valdez into the Warrant Officer she wants to become. She’s learned about setting standards and demonstrating how to have a balance with her leadership abilities when it comes to enlisted service members and officers. According to Allen, Valdez represents everything a Warrant Officer should be.
“[Valdez’s] overall potential is unparalleled. Quality and drive are unmatched in her leadership expertise and technical expertise, her attention to detail sets her apart from her peers,” says Allen.
After she pins on Warrant Officer, Valdez’s goal is to spend more time with her daughter. After three deployments and long days working on her Warrant Officer candidacy, she says turning her work brain off when she gets home to spend time with her daughter is her priority. She wants to shift focus and dedicate more time to her daughter and her daughter’s education.
Valdez’s advice to anyone wanting to go the Warrant Officer route is, “have the mentality of, if you want to do it, do it, if you don’t do it, no one is going to do it for you. Look at the predeterminations and work your way up, start as early as possible.”
