The Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) specialty of Marine Safety Specialist Engineering (MSSE) was established by the Coast Guard in 2008, drawing on Guard personnel serving in the Damage Controlman (DC), Electrician’s Mate (EM), and Machinery Technician (MK) ratings.
Marine Safety Specialist Engineering Chief Warrant Officers wear their insignia of grade and specialty mark on shoulder boards on white Service and Dress uniforms, as well as on select shirts, sweaters, and outerwear garments. Shoulder boards come in two styles, Hard and Enhanced, and in regular (Large) and 3/4-scale (Small) sizes which CWOs choose based on their physical stature.
Hard boards are primarily worn on male and female versions of the Dinner Dress White Jacket (with the eponymous uniform) and the Service Dress White Coat (Full, Service, and Dinner Dress White uniforms). They’re also worn on Bridge Coats sporting shoulder loops and legacy Reefer Coats.
Enhanced shoulder boards are designed for Coast Guard garments with epaulettes, including long- and short-sleeve Light Blue shirts (and corresponding women’s overblouses) worn with the SDB “Bravo” and Tropical Blue uniforms. Additionally, they’re approved for wear with Cardigan sweaters and the Wooly-Pully (unless the Commander has prescribed wear of the optional Winter Dress Blue uniform) and on Bridge Coats with epaulettes.
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