[3] The U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band is organized into local detachments and its performances typically consist of a single piper and drummer performing for U.S. Coast Guard change-of-command ceremonies, military funerals, and Coast Guard ship commissioning events, however, large ensembles have occasionally been raised for parades and other major occasions including the Grand Haven, Michigan Coast Guard Festival and the New York St. Patrick's Day parade.

According to the organization, the restriction to "wartime veterans" is due to Coast Guard uniform regulations which only permit non-serving persons to wear the Coast Guard uniform if they previously served during a declared war or national emergency.

[1] U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band personnel wear modified highland dress consisting of standard Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary Service Dress Blue "Bravo" uniforms, Tropical Blue Long, and Dinner Dress Blue uniforms augmented with a kilt patterned in the Coast Guard tartan in lieu of trousers.

It is patterned in red and blue with a white ten-thread count supposed to represent the first ten cutters of the Revenue-Marine.

[7] The tartan's full thread count is W10 R10 CGB12 R2 CGB12 ("CGB" meaning "Coast Guard Blue").