The Coast Guard Auxiliary Shield serves a role similar to that of the gold Coast Guard shield: it is placed above rank stripes on some uniform sleeves and on shoulder boards. But it additionally tells the viewer what kind of position the wearer holds and how he or she it reached it. This Coast Guard Auxiliary shield with a red letter “A” is worn by Auxiliary members Appointed to staff positions by Elected leaders.
As an all-volunteer, non-military organization, the Coast Guard Auxiliary employs what is known as a parallel staffing system to assign leadership roles rather than dividing its personnel into enlisted personnel and commissioned Officers. This system is the basis for the Auxiliary’s unique insignia system.
At each of the four levels (Flotilla, Division, District, and National) of the Auxiliary, members vote to elect Auxiliarists to leadership roles, e.g., Commander and Vice Commander at the Flotilla level. Elected leaders then appoint qualified Auxiliarists to serve in the various non-military Officer positions; a Flotilla Commander, for instance, appoints several Staff Officers (SFOs) in different areas, such as Communications, Public Education, etc.
The insignia system is color-coded to so a member’s status is immediately clear. A blue or silver letter “A” (“Auxiliarist”) in a shield or on a rank device indicates an Elected leader or standard member of the Auxiliary, while a red letter “A” means the wearer is Appointed to an office. Embroidered insignia are always placed on fabric matching the type of fabric on which the insignia will be worn: either blue (for the Service Dress Blue coat) or black for the Dinner Dress Blue Jacket. They’re also embroidered on shoulder boards worn on white uniforms.