The campaign hat, sort of, returns, or not

[Pat Holscher]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2011/04/01/54 ... ome-title7

Note the last line of the article.

[Todd]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2011/04/01/54202-stetson-hat-to-be-new-army-standard-headgear/?ref=news-home-title7

Note the last line of the article.

Not sure it'd look much goofier than some of the folks that sport the black brass-n-cord farms that are around now - didn't you find a "desert tan" version in a photo some time back?

[Pat Holscher]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2011/04/01/54202-stetson-hat-to-be-new-army-standard-headgear/?ref=news-home-title7

Note the last line of the article.

Not sure it'd look much goofier than some of the folks that sport the black brass-n-cord farms that are around now - didn't you find a "desert tan" version in a photo some time back?

I did find one that showed some unit wearing brown ones. It might be up in the slouch hat thread.

[george seal]

Looks like a humorous article to me, but I've got some questions. What is the black beret they are talking about? The only US Army black beret I've heard of was used by armor units during the 80s. What about Marine drill instructor's hats. Are those Stetsons?

[Pat Holscher]

Looks like a humorous article to me, but I've got some questions. What is the black beret they are talking about? The only US Army black beret I've heard of was used by armor units during the 80s. What about Marine drill instructor's hats. Are those Stetsons?

Black Beret. The tradition of wearing black berets began with armored units. In 1924 the British Royal Tank Regiment adopted the first modern military beret, based on the Scottish highland bonnet and French Bretonne beret. The regiment selected the headgear for its practicality--brimless for use with armored vehicle fire control sights and black to hide grease stains. In the US Army, HQDA policy from 1973 through 1979 permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing distinctions, and Armor and Armored Cavalry personnel wore black berets as distinctive headgear until CSA Bernard W. Rogers banned all such unofficial headgear in 1979. Rangers received authorization through AR 670-5, Uniform and Insignia, 30 January 1975, to wear black berets. Previously, locally authorized black berets had been worn briefly by the 10th Ranger Company (Airborne), 45th Infantry Division, during the Korean War before their movement to Korea; Company F (LRP), 52d Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, in 1967 in the Republic of Vietnam; Company H (Ranger), 75th Infantry, 1st Cavalry Division, in 1970 in the Republic of Vietnam; and Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade, in 1971 in the Republic of Vietnam.

See http://www.army.mil/features/beret/beret.htm

The Army adopted the black beret service wide on June 14, 2001, although I'm sure it was being phased in before that. It has been worn by all soldiers, excluding Special Forces, Rangers, and paratroopers since that time. Paratroopers were already wearing maroon berets. Rangers were shortly authorized to wear a tan beret, following the tradition of the SAS. The Special Forces, of course, kept wearing the green beret.

The adoption of the black beret was controversial in some quarters, and some serving soldiers at that time did not want it, either disliking berets in general, or feeling that it was really the special province of the Rangers.

Since some point in the Vietnam War the use of black Stetsons has been unofficially worn in cavalry units. It's become very widespread in those units and is a fairly extensive practice now.

Drill Instructors in the U.S. Army, the USMC and the USAF all wear versions of the M1911 campaign hat. Manufacturers vary, and they are also privately acquired by various manufacturers. The Marine and Army versions are an OD color. The Air Force version is blue. The M1911 style hat has also become increasingly common amongst civilian law enforcement agencies, and a felt and straw version of it are also worn by the U.S. Park Service.

[Pat Holscher]

The Black Stetson is the quintessential image of the Cavalry. LT. Col John Stockton brought this tradition to the Air Cavalry during the Vietnam War. A new tradition in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment is actually the rebirth of an old one. They have hung up their black Stetsons and donned the brown as a tradition embracing the campaign hat of WWI.

I approve of the brown campaign hats, but those wouldn't recall the campaign hat of WWI. They'd recall the campaign hats of the pre 1911 Army. In 1911, the Army went to the M1911, which lives on as the "Big Brown Round" used by DIs. That cap features the Montana Peak crown. The prior campaign hats, after switching from black to light brown, featured a more open crown, sort of, but not quite, like these.

[Pat Holscher]

Time for Alpini hats, I say:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... Alpino.jpg

[FtValleyPS]

Time for Alpini hats, I say:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... Alpino.jpg

Maybe I'll grab one of those, show up at Spring branding, ..... yeah, that's the ticket.

[Couvi]

Which one of these is the April Fool's gag, the Stetson or the Alpini hat?

[Jim Bewley]

I used the link over on the site for my old Air Cav unit from Nam. Nobody made it to the punch line before all the crying and swearing started. I let them rant awhile, then pointed out the April Fool part and all got very quiet.

Jim

[Todd]

The very first modern military berets...

[Rick Throckmorton]

When questioned about it's adoption of the "extended floof beret", a spokesman for the French Quartermaster responded, "What ees thees April Foool of which you speak?"

[Couvi]

The very first modern military berets...

The Chasseur d'Alpin still wear them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasseurs_Alpins

[Todd]

The very first modern military berets...

The Chasseur d'Alpin still wear them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasseurs_Alpins

Exactly labeled - from the large numbers on a couple of the tunics/coats - the 199th, sometime in mid WW1 period. Color of the 'tarte' doesn't seem to have been so consistent - likely wartime dress, as there is a lot of uniform inconsistency here in boots, coats, etc.

[Jim Bewley]

Interesting. When I was stationed in Italy (1976ish) they still wore the hat with the feather.

Jim

[Pat Holscher]

As can be seen from the French example above, the modern military beret hasn't really been around all that long. The French alpine version is significantly different in design, or perhaps in expanse. The old Basque beret on the other hand is a different shape, and pretty small. It wasn't until British tankers started wearing black berets between the wars that the modern military beret appeared. Even German tankers, when they went to berets before WWII, were leaning more on the French super sized beret.

Given that, it's odd how quickly they spread. At the same time, however, the often repeated line about them being a "traditional" military headgear isn't really fully accurate.

[Jim Bewley]

I am not all that knowledgeable at all about this type of hear gear. Most "hats" severed some type of function, so what was the reasoning behind the beret, if any?

Jim

[Todd]

I am not all that knowledgeable at all about this type of hear gear. Most "hats" severed some type of function, so what was the reasoning behind the beret, if any?

Jim

I could only guess keeping the head warm, with the 'alpine' large floppy versions being more expansive to fend off rain/snow/wind depending on the direction the user needed it to go. Easy to roll up and stuff in pockets or jackets - can even function as an improvised water bucket when needed.

And who doesn't need a lovely tan line right across the middle of their forehead?

[Jim Bewley]

I am not all that knowledgeable at all about this type of hear gear. Most "hats" severed some type of function, so what was the reasoning behind the beret, if any?

Jim

I could only guess keeping the head warm, with the 'alpine' large floppy versions being more expansive to fend off rain/snow/wind depending on the direction the user needed it to go. Easy to roll up and stuff in pockets or jackets - can even function as an improvised water bucket when needed.

And who doesn't need a lovely tan line right across the middle of their forehead?

Very good points. Thinking about it that way, I can see how the larger version would offer more options for protection and such, with the tan line being a bonus.

The modern one would be for for stylish looks.

Jim

[Todd]

The modern one would be for for stylish looks.

Jim

That would be the only reason, I think. Never did make sense to me to take away a brim, and not allow sunglasses. But that's been done before - have a good shot of AEF cavalry in France, riding on a very sunny day wearing overseas caps - MAJOR 'squintage' going on .