The Difference Between Gold And Silver Badges On NCIS

Many of you were likely taught not to trust everything you see on TV, given that most of the content we watch rarely resembles anything close to what occurs in real life. However, if you are a fan of "NCIS," you might not know you are watching a show that comes pretty close to the real thing, as noted by USO.

Of course, the show is dramatized and things you see on the show aren't exactly what would happen in the real world. MaryAnn Cummings, NCIS communications director, and retired Army colonel told the publication, "It is entertainment. It's the Hollywood version."

However, according to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, the show gets help from the actual Naval Criminal Investigative Service to make it as accurate as possible. "'NCIS LA' is very realistic of what we do," special agent Bob Milie told the outlet. In fact, even the actors' costumes are representative of what an actual NCIS agent would wear — right down to the badge. If you noticed that different agents on "NCIS" wear different colored badges, there is a reason for that.

Fans who pay close attention to the uniforms of their favorite characters in "NCIS" might have noticed some officers sport different color badges. Some have silver badges, while others have gold. If you're wondering what the difference between the badges is, the answer is straightforward.

According to Little Things, the cast members on "NCIS" who are wearing silver badges are part-time officers, while those who wear gold are full-time. If you take a look at the collection of NCIS badges archived on the NCIS History Project website, you will see a combination of both silver and gold badges throughout the organization's history.

At least "NCIS" pulls some of their badges' designs from the real thing, unlike a man who was arrested in Philadelphia who made a fake NCIS badge and actually tried to convince police officers he was the real deal, as noted by The Philadelphia Inquirer, despite his identification photo being a selfie of him sitting casually on a car.  If he was inspired by the television show, he should have paid closer attention to their badges!