The Coast Guard created the Criminal Investigator Chief Warrant Officer specialty in 2003, drawing candidates for this active-duty billet from Coast Guard members serving in the Reserve-only Investigator (IV) rating. An image of the scales of justice with a law-enforcement badge affixed to its center serves as the Criminal Investigator specialty mark and the rating badge insignia for the Coast Guard IV rating.
When white Dress or Service uniforms are prescribed, Criminal Investigator CWOs wear their insignia of grade on Hard shoulder boards (as opposed to sleeve ornamentation worn on Blue Dress/Service uniforms). Issued in a Regular and 3/4 size to help CWOs achieve the best fit for their shoulders and body shape, Hard boards feature the specific CWO 2-4 rank insignia, a gold Coast Guard shield, and the Criminal Investigator mark, and they’re worn on the Dinner Dress White Jacket, Full Dress White, Service Dress White, and Dinner Dress White uniforms. They’re also permitted for wear on the legacy Reefer Coat and on Bridge Coats featuring shoulder loops.
Enhanced shoulder boards feature the same ornamentation as Hard boards but are worn on the epaulettes of the Light Blue shirts worn with the Tropical Blue and Service Dress Blue “Bravo” uniforms. Like Hard shoulder boards, they’re also authorized for Bridge Coats (if made with epaulettes rather than loops), and they may be worn with sweaters (Wooly-Pully and Cardigan) from April through October
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