Uniforms of the Day

 Images courtesy of Daren Lewis, Flotilla 76, Swan Island, OR

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed, volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has granted us the right and the privilege to wear their official uniforms with only a few, subtle differences in insignia to distinguish the Auxiliary from active duty Coast Guard members. The most obvious differences: they wear buttons and braid of gold; ours are silver, and our collar and shoulder insignia all have a small "A" signifying "Auxiliary".  Since most of the general public will be unable to tell us from active-duty shipmates on the "gold side", we have a responsibility to adhere to high standards of dress, grooming, and behavior. We wear the uniform with pride.  

Uniforms of the Day

Different uniforms are worn for different tasks and different levels of formality. For most Auxiliary functions, three uniforms will suffice: Tropical Blue (“Trops”), the Operational Dress Uniform (ODU) or the Service Dress Blue uniform (SDB).

• Tropical Blue is suitable for most non-operational Auxiliary functions such as boat shows, informational booths, meetings and public education classes.

• Service Dress Blue is a dress uniform, and should be worn for those occasions where appropriate civilian dress would be a coat and tie.

• The Operational Dress Uniform or ODU is a working uniform for operations and patrols. It can also be worn for VEs and meetings.
  

• Winter Dress Blue is authorized by some commands, including District 9, for wear during winter months in lieu of Tropical Blue or Service Dress Blue.

If you ever have a uniform question, consult Chapter 10 of the Auxiliary Manual.

Uniform Changes

In December 2014, Uniform Board 46 of the Coast Guard authorized changes to Auxiliary uniforms. Those changes can be found here.