So while I was sitting around thinking about how much I hate the black beret that we all have to wear...I realized that the Army has really had a tremendous amount of different hats over the years...so this thread is a 2 part question...
first, what is your opinion on the beret?

second, what is your favorite headgear the Army ever had?

Never wore a beret, so I can't comment on that. As for favorite headgear, mine was the patrol version of the BDU softcap, which had a pocket inside and skipped those stupid earflaps you were never allowed to use anyway.

Opinions on the beret? If you shape it right and wear it properly it looks bad@ss. If you don't do either of those things right then it is about the worst looking thing there is.

Favorite head gear? I haven't found one yet that I really like.

give me a graf hat and I'll be happy


Cav

Runfuret Bro how yeah been

Oh you know me. Just getting along and counting down the days til I get home.

thats nice, good to hear.

Cav

Good to see you around dude.

What's a graf hat?
I'm guessing this is another thing you have to be stationed in Germany to understand...

Oh and I just thought of something else...When the Army decided on the beret, wouldn't it have made more sense to let the Rangers keep the black beret they already had and give everyone else the tan beret? It matches the uniform better anyway and it wouldn't have ****ed off so many Rangers...

So you still up in the land of the ice and snow.
Beret wont work up there.
pile cap would be the only one to were.

Cav

I miss my MP White hat.

Technically, it's still authorized, but I haven't seen it worn outside the Old Guard in about 10-12 years.

I also think the 1885 US Army Pith Helmet was quite dashing.

I would kill to be able to wear a boonie hat, and berets look badass if any effort at all is put into them

The beret is a pretty useless piece of uniform. It doesn't keep the sun out of your eyes, it is hot, and gives you a stupid horizontal tanline across your forehead. You need two hands to properly put it on your head and make sure it looks good.

My favorite headgear is the Service Cap (aka Saucer cap, bus-driver hat, etc.). It has a classical professional look to it, keeps the sun out of your eyes, and can be donned with one hand.

I like my boonie too (they look cooler!) but they are a pain to roll-up and stuff in your pocket when you go indoors. So I wear my Patrol Cap more than anything else out here (in Iraq).

Matt
SPC, AV
US Army
OCS Selectee
Class 303-09

From time of the Korean War until late 1963 "blocked caps" aka "Ridgeway caps" were authorized; required in most units. Blocked caps were a purchase item but I've heard they were actually issued to Recruits at Ft. Ord. They were the style favored by Fidel Castro, stiff, with a flat top & impossible to pack without crushing. However, they were a nice garrison item; light, comfortable, & looked pretty sharp. EM usually wore their DUI in front, where officers displayed their insignia of rank. Sometimes, "HONOR GUARD" tabs or Jump Wings were worn on blocked caps.

The beret has no functionality whatsoever, except to dehydrate you from the head, give you a retarded tan line and if you don't form and shave it right you look like a pizza chef. I would definitely prefer to wear the PC instead, at least it'll keep the sun out of my eyes.

So my memory is fading but who wears (or wore) those bright red patrol caps on Army posts, is it range control or EOD? Do they still wear those? Those were an eye catcher.

I absolutely hate boonie hats, annoying to wear and fold to stash away, retaining band gets caught on things, and the brim never looks right at least for me. PC is the best thing that I've worn that is authorized on duty.

Those that I have seen wear a red cap, riggers, seen a few chow hall guys wear them.

Erich the parachute riggers wear bright red baseball caps. Ii'm not sure I've ever seen a BDU/ACU style patrol cap in red at Campbell.

MIKE

quote:

Originally posted by hamrogers:
Erich the parachute riggers wear bright red baseball caps. Ii'm not sure I've ever seen a BDU/ACU style patrol cap in red at Campbell.

MIKE

OK, definitely not riggers. I'm leaning towards EOD. I see their baseball hats are black now but I'll bet in the 1980's they were bright Red. Might have been a baseball cap vs patrol cap.

quote:

Originally posted by ErichG2:

quote:

Originally posted by hamrogers:
Erich the parachute riggers wear bright red baseball caps. Ii'm not sure I've ever seen a BDU/ACU style patrol cap in red at Campbell.

MIKE

OK, definitely not riggers. I'm leaning towards EOD. I see their baseball hats are black now but I'll bet in the 1980's they were bright Red. Might have been a baseball cap vs patrol cap.

Army EOD is wearing black baseball caps for headgear? It could be something that unit's commander is making them do at your post. My husband is EOD and has never worn a baseball cap as part of his uniform. No one has worn a baseball cap at any of the duty stations we have lived.