Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia was a breast insignia of officers in the United States Merchant Marine who also served in the United States Navy or United States Naval Reserve . The insignia was replaced by the Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia ( SSOWI ) in June 2011 , per OPNAVINST 1534 . 1D . The Merchant Marine Reserve had its beginnings in 1913 when it was called the Naval Auxiliary Reserve . The original merchant marine insignia was prescribed in " Changes in Uniform Regulations , United States Navy , 1913 No . 10 . " Uniforms for the entire Naval Reserve were authorized by Congress on 31 March 1915 as the possibility of U . S . involvement in World War I increased . The Naval Auxiliary Reserve , comprising officers and unlicensed seamen , was the beginning of the present Merchant Marine Reserve Program . Merchant marine officers at that time wore their steamship line or company uniform with the Naval Auxiliary Reserve device on the collar of the military coat , or on the lapels of the box coat . The Naval Auxiliary Reserve device was a miniature of the commissioned officers cap device . History . In 1925 , the Naval Auxiliary Reserve was renamed the Merchant Marine Naval Reserve . The name was changed to the current Merchant Marine Reserve in 1938 . The breast insignia of the present Merchant Marine Reserve , U . S . Naval Reserve ( Eagle and Scroll ) was approved for wear on merchant marine uniforms on 7 April 1938 , by Secretary of the Navy , Claude A . Swanson . It replaced the miniature cap device . The authorization for the insignia was the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 , which states : " Licensed officers who are members of the United States Naval Reserve shall wear on their uniforms such special distinguishing insignia as may be approved by the Secretary of the Navy . " In April 1938 , at a conference chaired by Captain Chester W . Nimitz , U . S . Navy , Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation , the new insignia was presented to the four heads of the state maritime school ships . The insignia was accepted at this meeting along with the inclusion of naval subjects in the regular course of instruction at the schools . This was the beginning of the Naval Science Departments at the maritime academies . Regulations require the insignia to be a " gold embroidered or bronze gold plated metal pin consisting of a spread eagle surcharged with crossed anchors and shield . " It is underset with a scroll bearing the letters " U . S . " on one side of the shield and " N . R . " on the other side . Originally , this insignia was to be worn on the merchant marine uniform . The eagle design is based on the original eagle carved into the stern of the , which reflected the country ' s determination to remain free . The scroll pattern was often found on the sterns of ships and contained the ships ' names . The shield has 13 stars and stripes with crossed anchors and was taken from the U . S . Navy officer ' s cap device which was first authorized in 1869 . Following the design of the cap device , the original merchant marine insignia had the eagle looking to its own left . In 1941 , Secretary of the Navy , Frank Knox decreed that all Navy insignia bearing eagles were to have the heads facing to their own right . Current Usage . The Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia was authorized for wear by students at the United States Merchant Marine Academy ( USMMA ) who are Midshipmen , Merchant Marine Reserve , in 1942 . Presently , all Midshipmen , USNR at the United States Merchant Marine Academy wear the device . According to U . S . Navy Instructions , in order to qualify for the new SSOWI , candidates shall :