Chief Warrant Officer Five
James "Jim" E. Thompson

Chief Warrant Officer Five James “Jim” Thompson was born on August 10, 1952 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1971, he joined the Army Reserve and completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Knox certifying as a Track Vehicle and Wheel Vehicle Mechanic.

In 1983, Chief Thompson transferred to the Active Guard and Reserve program. In 1986, he received a direct appointment to Chief Warrant Officer Two and began his twenty-six year, warrant officer career.

In 2007, Chief Warrant Officer Five Thompson was honored with his selection to the senior Warrant Officer billet in the Army Reserve as the Command Chief Warrant Officer – Army Reserve in the office of the Chief of the Army Reserve. During his tenure, Chief Thompson developed relationships with the units in the field, the Army Reserve Careers Division, and senior proponent warrant officers to improve recruiting procedures through a comprehensive mentorship program. Through his efforts, Army Reserve Warrant Officer strength increased from 2,700 at the beginning of his tenure to 3,200 when he retired in 2012.

Chief Thompson developed programs that enabled warrant officers to attend the Warrant Officer Staff Course prior to selection to Chief Warrant Officer Four and Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course prior to selection to Chief Warrant Officer Five. These changes had an immediate and positive impact on senior warrant officer morale and increased the demand to attend these courses.