Diver insignia The Diver Insignia ( also known as " Diver Badges " ) are qualification badges of the Uniformed Services of the United States which are awarded to servicemen qualified as divers . Originally , the Diver Insignia was a cloth patch decoration worn by United States Navy divers in the upper - portion of the enlisted service uniform ' s left sleeve during the first part of World War II , when the rating insignia was worn on the right sleeve . When enlisted rating insignia were shifted to the left sleeve in late World War II , the patch shifted to the upper right sleeve . The diving patch was created during World War II , and became a breast insignia in the late 1960s . Currently , the United States Navy and the United States Army issue Diver Insignia / Badges denoting degrees of qualification . The United States Coast Guard and United States Marine Corps personnel are eligible to earn most of the naval diver insignia . United States Maritime Services . United States naval diver insignia are awarded , per degree of qualification , to Sailors , Marines , and Coast Guardsmen . The elementary naval diver insignia is the Scuba Diver Insignia , awarded upon qualifying as a basic naval diver . Previously , the Scuba Diver Insignia was awarded in two degrees , one for officers and one for enlisted . The Navy eliminated the Scuba Diver Officer insignia in the 1990s , but it remains in service within the Coast Guard . The silver - colored insignia features an old - fashioned diving mask and open - circuit breathing apparatus . In 2001 , the Marine Corps authorized the creation of a new badge , the Combatant Diver Insignia , attesting to the wearer ' s closed - circuit rebreather and reconnaissance combat diver training ; the gold - colored Combatant Diver Insignia depicts a wetsuit hood , low - profile diving mask , and chest - mounted rebreather . The Naval deep sea diver qualification insignia are awarded in four degrees : Second - Class Diver ; First - Class Diver ; Master Diver ; and Diving Officer . However , the Marine Corps does not award the Diving Officer insignia to its officers . In the Navy , the master diver is the most qualified diver ; he must be a Chief Petty Officer before applying to attend the Master Diver course . The Diving Medical Officer and the Diving Medical Technician insignia are awarded to naval medical personnel qualified as divers or medical technicians , respectively . The Master Diver Insignia resembles the diving medical insignia , but is decorated with a caduceus . The Diving Medical Officer Insignia is gold in color while the enlisted version – the Diving Medical Technician Insignia – is silver in color . Since the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard have no organic medical officers , they do not issue the Diving Medical Officer Insignia . Like the Navy ' s surface , submarine , and aviation enlisted specialties , dive - qualified enlisted personnel place a term after the sailor ’ s rating ; for example , if Boatswain ' s Mate Second - Class Jones is dive - qualified , he is referred to , in writing , as BM2 ( DV ) Jones . The only non - armed service of the United States that awards diver badges is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps ( NOAA Corps ) . NOAA Corps officers qualified as NOAA divers may wear the NOAA Diver Insignia after authorization by the Director of the NOAA Corps . The NOAA Diver Insignia is a gold - colored pin consisting of a NOAA Corps device surrounded by two dolphins . United States Army . The United States Army issues Diver Badges in four degrees ( Second - Class Diver , Salvage Diver , First - Class Diver , and Master Diver ) and Special Operations Diver badges in two degrees ( Diver and Diving Supervisor ) . The Second - Class and First - Class Diver badges are identical to those issued by U . S . naval forces . The Army does not issue officer or medical diver badges ; however , Navy - awarded Diving Officer , Diving Medical Officer , and Diving Medical Technician Badges are authorized for wear on Army uniforms with written approval from the United States Army Human Resources Command . On 17 September 2004 , the was discontinued in lieu of a new Special Operations Diver Badge and an additional grade , the Special Operations Diving Supervisor Badge , was created . Prior to this change , the basic Scuba Diver Badge was the same for all of the U . S . armed forces . The new design includes sharks , symbolizing speed , stealth , and lethal efficiency , and two Fairbairn - Sykes Fighting Knives in saltire , representing the heritage of OSS Operational Swimmers during World War II . The Combat Diver Qualification and Combat Diving Supervisors Courses are taught by Company C , 2nd Battalion , 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the Special Forces Underwater Operations School , Naval Air Station Key West . United States Air Force . The United States Air Force issues a polished silver version of the , awarded to U . S . naval forces , as their Scuba Badge to graduates of the Air Force Combat Diver Course at the Navy Diving Salvage and Training Center , Naval Support Activity Panama City .