Belt Buckle with Navy Officer/Warrant Officer Insignia
Title: Belt Buckle, Officer/Warrant Officer
Accession #: NHHC 2006-49-1
Circa: 2006
Size: 2.125 x 1.75
Medium: Metal
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command
One pewter metal custom belt buckle with Officer/Warrant Officer insignia. Center insignia consists of two crossed fouled anchors with burnished shield surmounted by a burnished spread eagle facing left. A cutlass is engraved on both sides of the central image. Officers and enlisted are allowed to wear custom belt buckles on certain occasions.
Officers/CPOs: Naval officers are required to wear plain gold anodized Navy belt buckles for official inspections and ceremonial functions in their dress uniform. Outside of that, officers can choose between plain or decorated gold belt buckles. Decorated belt buckles must be decorated with naval insignia, designs, emblems, or other symbols related to their command, or if they’re stationed ashore, to a previous sea command.
These regulations apply to the belt buckles worn by the following ranks:
- Chief Petty Officers (CPO)
- Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)
- Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)
Enlisted Sailors: For official inspections and ceremonial occasions, lesser ranks are allowed to wear a plain anodized silver belt buckle. Like their officers, they otherwise have a little more leeway outside of those occasions, with choices between wearing plain belt buckles and decorated belt buckles bearing naval insignia, designs, emblems, or other symbols related to their group.
These regulations apply to belt buckles worn by the following ranks:
- Seaman Recruits (SR)
- Seaman Apprentices (SA)
- Seaman (SN)
- Petty Officer Third Class (PO3)
- Petty Officer Second Class (PO2)
- Petty Officer First Class (PO1)
