Patrol insignia. Military courtesy and etiquette requirements for these Civil Air Patrol uniform combinations are similar to those of the U.S. Air Force. U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps mess dress uniforms date from the late 19th century. Mess dress-style uniforms in the USMC are reserved for officers, and staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) of grade E6 and above (staff sergeant to sergeant major/master gunnery sergeant); NCOs and junior enlisted members wear dress blues or Service "A" (also known as "Alphas") as their most formal uniform. The uniform coat of commissioned and warrant officers is fastened at the neck, similar to that of the dress blue uniform, but is cut away, "cavalry-style", to expose the white dress shirt and scarlet cummerbund (general officers have a scarlet vest with small gold buttons). This version is known as evening dress "B," and is equivalent to formal "black tie" civilian attire. It is worn to formal dances, balls, dinners, and events such as the annual USMC Birthday Ball. Officers (all ranks) may wear, in lieu of the scarlet cummerbund or vest, a white vest for white tie events (known as the evening dress "A" uniform, and equivalent to "white tie" civilian attire for the most formal occasions such as a State Dinner or Presidential Inauguration Ball). Officer rank, in gold or silver wire, is embroidered directly on the shoulder epaulettes, which are bordered with gold wire and scarlet piping. The collar and cuffs are also bordered in gold wire and scarlet, bearing a quatrefoil for warrant officers and company-grade officers, a single row of oak leaves for field officers, and a double row of oak leaves for general officers. The uniform is completed with midnight blue trousers with gold and red stripes. The individual also has the option to wear the boat cloak of dark blue broadcloth material lined with scarlet wool (for male officers and SNCOs) or an optional dress cape of dark blue polyester-wool tropical material lined with scarlet satin rayon cloth (for female officers and SNCOs). Staff noncommissioned officers wear a double-breasted evening dress uniform similar to that of navy officers, with high waist dress blue trousers with blood stripe, scarlet cummerbund, and black bow tie. The jacket is cut so as to have no overlap, but with the sides clasped together. The grade chevrons are in the style of the 1890s, larger than other USMC enlisted grade chevrons,