US Army to switch headgear again...

[Brigade Commander]

You mean the PA State Police, of course!

No, seriously, will we have the D. I.'s going on strike?!?!? Refusing to ever teach anyone that gets to wear the same hat they have and demeaning it?!?

Can you imagine the level of grief trainees will get then?

[groundlber]

My failed attempt at jokimg aside, I think going back to the patrol cap is a good idea. As I said in my first post, there is nothing more American looking than a baseball cap. Army regulations aside, I have seen troops wearing the patrol cap instead of the beret ever since the beret was authorized(required).
Happy Father's Day, all you dad's out there!
Groundlber

[Mk 1]

Well for a baseball look-alike the "Cap, field, hot-weather" of the Vietnam era is the way to go. Works in OD or desert tan. Never saw a decent camo rendition, though...

But as I understand it the Patrol Cap has a superior ability to keep the head cool in direct sunlight, do to the air space between cap and head caused by the floppy flat-top.

So as a practical bit of headgear I think the patrol cap is the winner. Visors are VERY useful things, and not baking your brains is a useful thing, too.

But ya gotta admit them cav boys look good in their stetsons!

[jb]

maybe they could go back to wearing shakos; man, you could carry 3 MREs in one...

[TAMMY]

As an European there is one thing I do not undestand of this subject. In Europe the beret is a standard headgear in most country both for service and combat uniform and it is so since many years without particular objection.

Leaving aside Scottish units, the first military unit to adopt the beret was the French Chasseur Alpins in 1888. During First World War they inspired the British tank Corps for their black beret, albeit of different shape.

After the Second World War the beret became a standard in many army. In Italy, for example, is used by all ground units (except Bersaglieri and Alpini that abitually use thair traditional headgear) since 1970's. Initially it was khaki than black, except for specialized unit that have it of their traditional colour (maroon for paratroops, navy blu for marine infantry, dark turqoise for the navy raiders (incursori), light blue for theur divers, etc.).

As far as I know the beret was brought to the States by the Rangers after the Second Worl War and become a standard (black for all but khaki for the rangers) only ten years ago. Possibly the need to change it come from dfferent needs in respect of the field use but this sounds a bit strange as French and British has used it all over the world. More probably has always been seen as a "foreign" fashion out of national tradition.

[Mk 1]

Possibly the need to change it come from dfferent needs in respect of the field use .... More probably has always been seen as a "foreign" fashion out of national tradition.

Regarding Field Use:

As I understand it, the main practical advantage of the beret is for use in light to medium rainfall.

In it's common-man civilian form it is headgear of dense wool, with a surplus of cloth which can be pulled over the front (the eyes) for some modest level of shade in sunlight (it is commonly worn pulled forward as a visor in southern France and among the Basque people). But there are many styles of hat that can shade the eyes from sunlight. The beret's unique value is the option to pull it to the side to wick water away from the field of vision when it rains . So in regions that have both bright sun and many rainy days per year, it has some practicality for folks who work outdoors.

But the military beret is generally fixed to the side, and so is entirely useless as a sun visor. It retains some modest practical utility in rain, but even that is limites as the military beret has a very modest surplus of cloth, and so does not drop the rain off of the head onto the shoulder, but rather drops it onto the ear or down the neck. Not so useful, that.

The only remaining utility of the beret, in its military style, is that it is a headcover that is mostly out of the way, much like the old US Army sidehat or russian pilotka. That's useful for tank crews. And pilots. And anyone else who wears headphones or is required to have some kind of headgear but doesn't actually want anything of substance on their head.

Regarding Symbolism:

The non-field utility is as a symbol. Military uniforms are full of symbology, and the appropriate use of symbols can help foster esprit de corps among the troops.

This is where I think the US Army's adoption of the beret came from. No practical field utility, but a symbol. The problem is, there is very little symbology linked to the beret in the US. The beret is alien. It is, indeed, foriegn.

The only symbology associated with the beret in US military is with the US Army Special Forces, the "Green Berets". How or when they chose to adopt the beret is unknown to me. But they did. And over time, they built some meaning into it as a symbol. Every person in the US military recognizes the Green Berets as an elite.

I believe that the US Army was seeking to draw on that symbology when they adopted the beret as a standard across the army. But trying to "promote" the status of a large group by adopting the symbology of a small elite really only serves the purpose of diluting the symbol, not promoting the status of the group.

An example of this dilution can be seen in the Russian experience with the term "Rifles". During the 1800s the term riflemen was honorific, and rifle formations were considered the elite of the Imperial Army. So the Soviets changed the name of the Red Army "infantry" units to become "rifle" units. Did it help the Red Army? Were all of those hundreds of Rifle Divisions and thousands of Rifle Regiments really more effective because they were no longer called Infantry Divisions or Infantry Regiments? No, they gained nothing. Rather, the lable "rifles" became meaningless and is now nothing more than another word for "infantry".

I think most soldiers in the US Army are practical and professional enough to perceive this. The beret was a bit of an insult. Give me a useless hat, and then try to make me think I'm some kind of elite as I fix trucks in the motor pool? No thank you.

But the patrol cap is very practical. Keeps the sun out of your eyes, and keeps your brains from baking in on a hot day. And the symbology probably works better -- it looks very American (although some of us must suffer the occasional comparisons to Fidel Castro when wearing one ).

Just my $.02 worth.

[jb]

Regarding Field Use:
. . .But the patrol cap is very practical. . . -- it looks very American (although some of us must suffer the occasional comparisons to Fidel Castro when wearing one ).

Just my $.02 worth.

Rather Long winded to just say this...Sir
p.S. more like a $1.02 . . .but thanks!

[TAMMY]

Mark 1

you have best explained than me the subject of symbolism confirming the "alien" apect of this headgear type.

About the inconvenient i have some doubt simply because the beret is of standard use in most European armies without particular claims against. The exceptions are fo0r mountain/snow environment where it is often replaced in the field by what is called a Norwìvegian cap (a sort of patrol cap made of cloth and often with ear protection).

I have used the beret and I have not found a particular "baking" effect under the sun. The lack of a visor may be sometimes an inconvenience but today most of the soldiers use sunglasses (this was not at all commn yearts ago).

You are right about rain but the patrol cap has the same problem for the rain. I do not know if in case of rain you are allowed to wear the patrol cap at the reverse, thet is with the visor at the back, to keep the rain out of your neck. It is an inconvenience of any headgear without a brim.

The beret was adopted by the Rangers in Euroope during Second World War when they trained with the British Commandos that used it. At the time it was considered the symbol of an elite. The "green beret" was authorized for Special forces by Pre4sident Kennedy in 1961.

A last point. The beret is a general definition but each country has its own size and shape. Some are really small (if you look at the Green beret of the French Legion it covers just the top of the head, besides being worn with the "wing" on teh left) in other countries are bigger and fuller as you can easily judge from the size of the badge in front usually worn over the left eye but also in the center. Moreover it has changed in the time, once it was usually bigger. For an example give a look to the berets of the Italian X Mas of the Secondo World War. Btw in Italian the beret is callde "basco" (Basque) just to refer to its origin.

[Schwerepunkt]

I liked the service hat which you wore with your poplin/khaki uniform or with your dress greens (not the formal dress blues which only E5s and above could wear). That would be worn during travel, Garrison cap or c**nt cap was worn on post and in the immediate area of you duty station.
Fatiques (ODs) were worn for work in the Field (office work allowed for khakis or fatigues.
The idea of the stetson reminded me of Robert Duvall riding in the the 101st Air Mobile to the sound of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and doing an number on NVA ears.
Overall, today, choice of uniform is simpler and so is the hat. Further protective properties need to be developed for the Kevlar helmet since so many soldiers receive serious head injuries.