COAST GUARD GOLD SHIELD SLEEVE DEVICES

Originally authorized in 1920 as the Coast Guard Dis-tinguishing Mark to be worn by “every enlisted man of the Coast Guard” and sporting 13 “x” symbols instead of today’s 13 stars, the Coast Guard Shield is today worn in several locations by both Officers and Enlisted alike.

In addition to being employed on Hard and Enhanced shoulder boards, the Coast Guard Shield is worn by Officers on all uniforms on which sleeve stripes are worn on both sleeves, sewn a quarter-inch above the topmost stripe. (Officers never wear the gold shield device on white uniforms that call for shoulder boards.) Similarly, Chief Warrant Officers wear the gold Coast Guard Shield 1/4-inch above their single sleeve stripe on both sleeves, with their specialty mark sewn on a quarter-inch above the shield. Like their Commissioned counterparts, Warrant Officers never wear the Coast Guard shield as a sleeve device on uniforms that call for Shoulder boards.

Enlisted personnel, on the other hand, wear a single gold shield device on the outer right sleeve of Dress and Service uniforms. Here, they are positioned so the bottom of the shield is four inches from the cuff and the shield is centered between the sleeve’s front and back creases. This guidance was not introduced into the Coast Guard Uniform Regulations until the release of COMDTINST M1020.6J in December 2018, and as a result the old instructions—to place the shield midway between the elbow and the cuff—is authorized until 1 October 2025 (unless otherwise directed by a higher authority).

Note that by selecting “White CNT” your selection is limited to a single device; this is because only Enlisted personnel are permitted to wear this device on a white uniform, specifically the Dinner Dress White Jacket.