Looks like the black berret will not last to become an iconic symbol of the U.S. Army soldier. (ie: not in place long enough for GHQ to model new figs).
Instead we go to a retro look. Maybe some of the 10mm ACW masters can be repurposed to moderns?
p.s.
Note the date.
d.s.
-Mark 1 Difficile est, saturam non scribere. "It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD
Stetsons? As the article says, I don't think the armor and air cav folks will be happy with that. If the Army is going to be changing headgear again, why not go back to the garrison cap? In my opinion, there is nothing more American looking than a baseball cap.
If the Army really wants it's uniform to reflect it's roots, why not go back to tricornes and knee breeches?
Jeesh, what a joke.
Groundlber
I'm from Europe, but I have great admiration for the US Army. Yet somehow the current combination of ACU's and the black beret always reminds me of scifi movies or series in which the US has gone totally fascist and repressive.
Giving a cavalry hat to the whole army is just nuts though. We had the same situation in the Netherlands a few years back, when the army switched to a general beret with the colour green that is traditionally worn only by the Korps Commando Troepen (Corps of Commando Troops). They were absolutely furious and I believe in the end even lawsuits were filed. All to no avail, but I still think its wrong.
The Stetson thing was an April Fools joke. Only Cavalry Troopers or 19D scouts in Armor Units wear the Stetson, and then only for designated events or at the commander's discretion. I break mine out whenever I have to wear my Blues.
The army is switching back to the patrol cap for the ACU, and the beret for the Greens/Blues. Many units in the national guard went back to patrol caps over the last decade, and big army is finally catching up. (In Washington it was a hassle to have to keep a beret around for whenever you visited Fort Lewis.)
I'm glad we went back to the Patrol cap. Now it only takes one hand to put it on your head when you leave the building instead of two for the Beret.
Apachex said:
" The army is switching back to the patrol cap for the ACU, and the beret for the Greens/Blues. Many units in the national guard went back to patrol caps over the last decade, and big army is finally catching up. (In Washington it was a hassle to have to keep a beret around for whenever you visited Fort Lewis.)"
I don't know where Apachex got his intel about the Army National Guard going back to the patrol caps about a decade. I'm serving in the Guard and our uniform and appearance standards are the same as the Active Army.
He may have just seen some Guard Soldiers "out of uniform" going to and from Drill weekends. The only time a Soldier could wear the PC was in the field. Beret was to be worn at all other times.
Anyhow, glad to have the PC back and put the Beret in the closet next to my Blues.
sfcgreg29er wrote:
I'm glad we went back to the Patrol cap. Now it only takes one hand to put it on your head when you leave the building instead of two for the Beret.
When you have a long enough AIT you get good at one handed beret forming coming out of a building.
Its a sniper rifle, not a "sniper"! You don't call an assault rifle an "assault"!
First Command Master Gunnery Staff Sergeant Major First Class of the Army (1CMGSSMFCOTA, E-25)
As I said, several states switched back to the patrol cap over the last 10 years. The Washington Army National Guard switched back to the patrol cap about 8 years ago. We could wear it everywhere except on Fort Lewis, where we had to switch back over the the beret. I think Idaho and Oregon has similar policies. The policy originated from our State Command Sergeant Major, and cited the same reasons the active army did in the new policy (primarily a bill to keep the sun and rain out of your eyes.)
I am also an active Guardsman, so my intel is first hand.
