Badges of the United States Coast Guard are issued by the Department of Homeland Security to members of the United States Coast Guard to denote certain qualifications, achievements, and postings to certain assignments. Prior to 2002, the issuance of such badges was under the authority of the United States Department of Transportation.
In addition to the U.S. Coast Guard badges listed below, uniform regulations also authorize the wear of some specific U.S. Navy insignia as well as some Department of Defense and Executive Branch Identification badges. [1] [2]
The following are the current U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary badges authorized for wear on the Coast Guard uniform: [1] [2] [3] [4]
Astronaut Badge** | |
Aviator Badge** | |
Aviator Badge - USCG Auxiliary | |
Flight Officer Badge (no longer awarded but still authorized for wear) | |
Flight Surgeon Badge | |
Aircrew Badge** | |
Aircrew Badge - USCG Auxiliary | |
Aviation Mission Specialist Badge** | |
Aviation Rescue Swimmer Badge | |
Diving Officer Badge* | |
Diving Medical Technician Badge* | |
Master Diver Badge** | |
First Class Diver Badge** | |
Second Class Diver Badge** | |
Scuba Diver Officer Badge | |
Scuba Diver Badge** | |
Command Afloat Pin | |
Command Ashore Pin | |
Officer-in-Charge Afloat Pin | |
Officer-in-Charge Ashore Pin | |
Commandant-designated Command Senior Enlisted Leader Identification Badges | |
Non-designated Command Senior Enlisted Leader Identification Badges | |
USCG Auxiliary Past Officer Badge | |
Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security Identification Badge | ||
Office of the Secretary of Transportation Identification Badge (no longer awarded but still authorized for wear) | ||
Commandant Staff Badge | ||
National Staff Identification Badge - USCG Auxiliary | ||
Coast Guard Recruiting Badge | ||
Coast Guard Academy Admissions Recruiting Badge | ||
Coast Guard Honor Guard Badge | ||
Coast Guard Band Badge | ||
Coast Guard Port Security Law Enforcement Badge | ||
Coast Guard Special Agent Badge | ||
Distinguished International Shooter Badge** | |
Coast Guard Distinguished Marksman Badge | |
Coast Guard Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge | |
Coast Guard Rifleman Excellence-In-Competition Badges - Rifleman EIC Badges awarded at national competitions have the word "NATIONAL" embossed at the base of the shield | |
Coast Guard Pistol Shot Excellence-In-Competition Badges - Pistol Shot EIC Badges awarded at national competitions have the word "NATIONAL" embossed at the base of the shield | |
President's Hundred Tab |
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The awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces include various medals, service ribbons, ribbon devices, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career.
Military badges of the United States are awards authorized by the United States Armed Forces that signify rating, qualification, or accomplishment in several career fields, and also serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments. Personal recognition is granted to service members by a number of awards and decorations. Together with military decorations, such badges are authorized for wear on military uniforms.
A marksmanship ribbon is a United States Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard award that is issued to its members who pass a weapons qualification course and achieve an above-average score. Additionally, there are select state National Guard organizations that award marksmanship ribbons for high placement in state-level marksmanship competitions.
A "V" device is a metal 1⁄4-inch (6.4 mm) capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes a decoration awarded for combat valor or heroism from the same decoration being awarded for a member's actions under circumstances other than combat.
In the United States (U.S.), a marksmanship badge is a U.S. military badge or a civilian badge which is awarded to personnel upon successful completion of a weapons qualification course or high achievement in an official marksmanship competition. The U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps are the only military services that award marksmanship qualification badges. However, marksmanship medals and/or marksmanship ribbons are awarded by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Air Force for weapons qualifications. For non-military personnel, different U.S. law enforcement organizations and the National Rifle Association (NRA) award marksmanship qualification badges to those involved in law enforcement. Additionally, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the NRA award marksmanship qualification badges to U.S. civilians. Most of these organizations and the U.S. National Guard award marksmanship competition badges to the people they support who succeed in official competitions.
Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia was a breast insignia of officers in the United States Merchant Marine who also served in the United States Navy or United States Navy Reserve. The insignia was replaced by the Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia (SSOWI) in June 2011, per OPNAVINST 1534.1D.
The diver insignia are qualification badges of the uniformed services of the United States which are awarded to servicemen qualified as divers. Originally, the diver insignia was a cloth patch decoration worn by United States Navy divers in the upper-portion of the enlisted service uniform's left sleeve during the first part of World War II, when the rating insignia was worn on the right sleeve. When enlisted rating insignia were shifted to the left sleeve in late World War II, the patch shifted to the upper right sleeve. The diving patch was created during World War II, and became a breast insignia in the late 1960s.
The Recruiter Badge is a decoration of the United States uniformed services that is awarded to personnel who have performed recruitment duties as service recruiters. The Recruiter Badge is issued by every branch of the U.S. uniform services except for the Marine Corps and the NOAA Commissioned Corps. With the exception of the U.S. Army, a Recruiting Service Ribbon is also awarded to those personnel who have completed successful tours as recruiters.
The U.S. military issues instructor badges to specially training military personnel who are charged with teaching military recruits the skills they need to perform as members of the U.S. Armed Forces or teach continuing education courses for non-commissioned officers and officers in the military. With the exception of the U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard, these badges are considered temporary military decorations and must be surrendered upon completion of one's duty as a military instructor. Because of this, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps award Drill Instructor Ribbons as a permanent decoration to recognize service members who have qualified and performed as military instructors.
A Marksmanship Ribbon device is primarily a miniature metal rifle, pistol, target, service star, or letter E or S which may be worn if authorized on a Marksmanship Ribbon awarded to members of the United States Coast Guard, United States Air Force, and United States Navy.
The Marksmanship Medal is a United States Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard military award and is the highest award one may receive for weapons qualification. The Marksmanship Medal is the equivalent of the Expert Marksmanship Badge in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. Additionally, select State National Guard organizations award marksmanship medals to guardsmen who achieve some of the highest aggregate scores at state-level marksmanship competitions.
The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. Some services, such as the Marine Corps, officially refer to it as an insignia instead of a badge. The United States Space Force and United States Coast Guard are the only branches that do not award the Parachutist Badge, but their members are authorized to receive the Parachutist Badges of other services in accordance with their prescribed requirements. The DoD military services are all awarded the same Military Parachutist Badge. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force issue the same Senior and Master Parachutist Badges while the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps issue the Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia to advanced parachutists. The majority of the services earn their Military Parachutist Badge through the U.S. Army Airborne School.
Identification badges of the uniformed services of the United States are insignia worn by service members conducting special duties, many of which can be awarded as permanent decorations if those duties are performed successfully. There are a few identification badges that are awarded to all services, others are specific to a uniform service. The Office of the President and Vice President and department/service headquarters badges are permanent decorations for those who successfully serve in those assignments. Some of the service level identification badges can be permanent decorations and others are only worn by a service member while performing specific duties, such as the Military Police Badge.
Badges of the United States Army are military decorations issued by the United States Department of the Army to soldiers who achieve a variety of qualifications and accomplishments while serving on active and reserve duty in the United States Army.
Insignias and badges of the United States Navy are military badges issued by the United States Department of the Navy to naval service members who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on both active and reserve duty in the United States Navy. Most naval aviation insignia are also permitted for wear on uniforms of the United States Marine Corps.
Badges of the United States Air Force are specific uniform insignia authorized by the United States Air Force that signify aeronautical ratings, special skills, career field qualifications, and serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments.
Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and 21st centuries that are no longer used today. After World War II many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces in favor of more modern military badges which are used today.
The President's Hundred Tab/Brassard is a badge awarded by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) to the 100 top-scoring military and civilian shooters in the President's Pistol and President's Rifle Matches.
Command Senior Enlisted Leader Identification Badges are special United States Navy and United States Coast Guard badges which are issued to the most senior Chief Petty Officer or higher in a given U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard command. The command may either be a shore or sea unit.