The Coast Guard Auxiliary Marine Safety Insignia was created as the service’s counterpart to the Coast Guard Marine Safety Insignia, which was introduced in 2000. Because it was designed to serve to fulfill specific Coast Guard needs in various Sectors, some Personal Qualification Standard (PQS) that count toward earning the Auxiliary Marine Safety Insignia may not available for every Auxiliarist. For example, if a Sector command does not have a need for Auxiliarists qualified as an Assistant Facility Inspector, Auxiliarists in that Sector should not expect to be able to pursue that particular PQS.
To earn the right to wear the insignia, Auxiliarists must complete the Introduction to Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Course; the Good Mate Course; four Incident Command System (ICS) Courses (100/200/700/800); and either the ICS 210 Course (Coast Guard) or ICS 300 (FEMA). Additionally, they also must earn a minimum of four Auxiliary Marine Safety Program PQS, and log at least 96 hours or program activity per year for at least five years (not necessarily consecutive).