Established in 2005, the Coast Guard’s Chief Warrant Officer specialty of Operations Systems Specialist (OSS) was preceded in 2003 by the creation of the Operations Specialist rating through the merger of the Quartermaster, Radarman, and Telecommunications ratings. The OSS Chief Warrant Officer specialty mark consists of an A-Scope, an early version of radar used in World War II, superimposed over a diagonal arrow pointing upward and to the front.
Depending upon the uniform, OSS Chief Warrant Officers wear Hard or Enhanced shoulder boards to display their rank and specialty mark. Both boards are issued in regular (Large) and three-quarter-scale (Small) sizes; male and female CWOs may wear either size in order to achieve the best appearance.
Use the Selection Boxes to specify a shoulder board that meets your uniform needs. The chart below is a quick reference to which type of board is prescribed for various uniforms; refer to Section 4.A.1. of COMDTINST M1020.6J, Uniform Regulations, for detailed guidance on shoulder board wear.
| Uniform Name(s) or Outerwear | Board Type |
| Dinner Dress White Jacket | Hard |
| Dinner, Full, & Service Dress White | Hard |
| Service Dress Bravo “B” (shirt) | Enhanced |
| Tropical Blue | Enhanced |
| Bridge Coat | Hard/Enhanced |
| Reefer Coat | Hard |
| Cardigan | Enhanced |
| Wooly-Pully | Enhanced |
Related Items
Operations Systems Specialists CWO Collar Device
Operations Systems Specialists CWO Sleeve Device