ðə pˈeɪ ɡɹˈeɪd ʌv dˈʌbəljˌuː wˈʌn ɪz nˈoːɹməli ɹɪzˈɜːvd fɔːɹ ˈɑːfɪsɚz ɐpˈɔɪntᵻd jˈuːzɪŋ ˈeɪ "wˈɔːɹənt" ɹˈæðɚ ðˌænə "kəmˈɪʃən" baɪ ðə sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌv dᵻfˈɛns ɔːɹ baɪ ˈiːtʃ əv ðə sˈɜːvɪs sˈɛkɹətɹiz, jˈuːzɪŋ ɐθˈɔːɹɪɾi dˈɛlɪɡˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌmðə pɹˈɛzɪdənt, tʊ ɐn ˌɪntɚmˈiːdiət ɹˈæŋk bᵻtwˌiːn ɛnlˈɪstᵻd nˈɑːŋkəmˈɪʃənd ˈɑːfɪsɚz ænd kəmˈɪʃənd ˈɑːfɪsɚz stˈɑːɹɾɪŋ æt dˈʌbəljˌuː tˈuː.
The pay grade of W-1 is normally reserved for officers appointed using a "warrant" rather than a "commission" by the Secretary of Defense or by each of the service secretaries, using authority delegated from the President, to an intermediate rank between enlisted non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers (starting at W-2).