The
Submarine Warfare Insignia (usually known as
"dolphins" or "fish") is a
uniform breast pin worn by enlisted men and officers of the
United States Navy to indicate that they are qualified in submarines. The Submarine Warfare insignia is considered one of the Navy's three major warfare pins along with the
Surface Warfare Badge and the
Naval Aviator Badge. To earn the right to wear the pin, American submarine sailors complete an extensive qualification process that lasts about one year which covers virtually all of the submarine's systems onboard.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_Warfare_insignia
It seems to me, based on this that the "Dolphins" need to be awarded. Although. if someone could limit its wear to only the Captain, this would look alright unless someone can figure out how to award it.