From 1921 to 2004, Warrant Officers in the United States Army had their own distinct branch insignia regardless of their specialty: a rising eagle with spread wings, clutching two arrows in its talons and encircled by a wreath. But as Warrant Officers began to take on increasingly important roles as technical experts in specialized fields, the Army decided to move to an insignia that more closely reflected their duties and responsibilities, and replaced the “eagle rising” with standard branch insignia (Infantry, Aviation, Artillery, etc.).
The change was met with some complaints from active-duty Soldiers as well as many veterans, who felt that the switch would diminish the tradition of the Warrant Officer Corps. This might explain why the Army decided to retain the iconic insignia at least for a select group of personnel: Warrant Officer candidates who are entering their senior phrase of Warrant Officer Candidate School. Regulations allow them to wear the insignia beginning with this phase of their training and continuing through their graduation from the Warrant Officer Basic Course, at which point they replace it with the insignia of the branch in which they serve.
Our Warrant Officer cap device is made with 22K gold-plated metal and is worn on the service cap.