U.S. NAVY AND USCG CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4 COAT RANKS

Two silver bars set on a blue background is used on pin-on metal grade insignia for the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO4) in the Navy and Coast Guard. This was the highest Chief Warrant Officer rank in the Navy until 2002, when the Chief of Naval Personnel approved establishment of the CWO5 rank and W-5 pay grade. It remains the highest CWO rank in the Coast Guard.

In the Navy and Coast Guard, pin-on metal grade insignia are typically worn on the shoulders of outerwear garments. These currently include the Black Jacket (windbreaker) and All-Weather Coat (single- or double-breasted) in the Navy and the Windbreaker and Trench Coat in the Coast Guard. Both services use the same wear instructions for coat rank devices: the device is placed so its outer edge is 3/4-inch from the shoulder end of the garment’s shoulder strap or epaulets, and it is oriented so that the long axis forms a fore and after line (is pointing toward the wearer’s front and back).