Surface Warfare Badge
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The Surface Warfare Badge is a military badge of the United States Navy which is issued to those Naval personnel who are trained and qualified to perform duties aboard United States surface warships. The Surface Warfare Badge was first proposed in 1972 and, by 1980, several classes of the Surface Warfare Badge had been approved for issuance. There are presently five classes of the Surface Warfare Badge, being that of Line, Supply, Staff, Special Operations, and Enlisted. The Line and Enlisted Surface Warfare Badges are also issued by the United States Coast Guard. The various badge types are as follows:
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Line Officer
The Surface Warfare Officer Badge, also called the “SWO Pin”, is the highest qualification one may receive in Surface Warfare. Those receiving the Surface Warfare Officer Badge must qualify as a line Surface Warfare Officer and must hold certifications as Officer of the Deck (both underway and inport), Small Boat Officer, Combat Information Center Watch Officer, and must be trained in shipboard damage control and quality maintenance (3M). The Surface Warfare Officer Badge is a prerequisite for Tactical Action Officer (TAO) training and the Command-at-Sea Badge.
Junior officers assigned to the Surface Warfare community are known as “non-qualified” until they receive qualification as a Surface Warfare Officer and receive the Surface Warfare Officer Badge. Such junior officers are granted 18-24 months to qualify Surface Warfare and must transfer to a different branch of the Navy if qualification is not obtained in the required amount of time. Such officers are known as “SWO non-attainment” with this designation entered into permanent military records.
Supply Officer
The Surface Warfare Supply Badge is granted to those members of the Navy Supply Corps who qualify as Surface Warfare Supply Officers. Such officers are trained in damage control, flight operations, shipboard supply systems, and receive a limited amount of training as an Officer of the Deck.
For advancement in the Surface Supply Community, the Surface Warfare Supply Badge must be obtained by junior supply officers within 24 months from reporting onboard a naval vessel. Those failing to qualify as a Surface Supply Officer are transferred to permanent ground assignment as Shore Supply Officers.
Other versions of the Supply Corps badge include the Submarine Supply Corps Badge and the Aviation Supply Corps Badge.
Staff Officer
The Staff Surface Warfare Badges comprise the qualifications which are available to general staff officers in the medical, dental, science, and nursing fields. To receive the Staff Surface Warfare Badge, an officer must undergo an abbreviated amount of general surface warfare training and also must qualify in field specific training and instruction.
The Staff Surface Warfare Badge is voluntary and an officer does not need to receive the badge to advance in a given staff career field. The Staff Surface Warfare Badges are most often granted to staff personnel permanently assigned to afloat naval commands, such as the medical department onboard an aircraft carrier.
Special Operations
The Special Operations Badge is the rarest of the Surface Warfare qualifications. It is granted to those officers who have qualified in underway special operations tactics to include mine warfare, small boat interdiction, and counter-surface evasion. Such officers are normally qualified and trained in other special operations areas such as diving and special warfare.
Enlisted Specialist
The Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Badge (also known as the "ESWS Pin")is available to any enlisted member of the United States Navy who serves permanently on a navy afloat command and completes the Enlisted Surface Warfare qualification program and personal qualification standards (PQS). For those who possess "underway rates", that is to say enlisted ratings which may only be assigned onboard underway vessels, the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Badge must be obtained after three years as a Second Class Petty Officer. Those failing to qualify are unable to re-enlist in their current rate.
An enlisted person who has qualified for his or her ESWS Pin places the initials "SW" in parentheses after his or her rate and rating; for example, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Jones, having qualified for his ESWS Pin, is identified as BM2(SW) Jones.
For those enlisted personnel who are subsequently commissioned as officers, and receive a Surface Warfare Officer Badge, the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Badge is replaced since Navy regulations do not permit the wearing of both the Enlisted and Officer Surface Warfare Badge simultaneously.
Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard also issues the Surface Warfare Badge for those personnel who have qualified to serve onboard Coast Guard vessels 60 feet in length or greater. In such cases, the Coast Guard issues the Surface Warfare Officer Badge and the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Badge. Coast Guard personnel, who are permanently cross assigned to afloat Navy commands, may also qualify for the Surface Warfare Badge through the standard Navy qualification system. All other Coast Guard personnel, serving on smaller Coast Guard type vessels, are eligible to receive the Cutterman Badge.