Stetson hat to be new Army standard headgear

[B.J. Hedberg]

My buddy in the reserves wishes it wasn’t a joke. I’m sure Stetson thinks it’s a great idea too.

 

[Mr Vim]

If the article didn't tip you off, note one of the photos has a Army canine wearing a stetson... so yeah.

That's funny though, speaking from a man who is authorized to wear a Stetson having served in a cavalry unit in combat. They are fine hats, the Stetson issued cover was always considered the best one to get, but most of us lower ranked folk could not afford to give up our beer drinking money, see?

 

[DRB]

That was an April fools joke I belive. The stetson is however worn by a few in the army, U.S. Cavalry (they fly helicopters) for dress/formal occasions.


Sorry Mr. Vim, I just noticed your posting. Hats off to you! I was Infantry.

 

[Sam Craig]

Yeah, the Army ... government in general ... isn't in to this level of good taste.
Not to mention the incredible expense it would be for taxpayers.
Stetson would sure like it though

Notice it will be 'implimented' next April Fool's Day!

Last line

Sam

 

[Widebrim]

That's funny though, speaking from a man who is authorized to wear a Stetson having served in a cavalry unit in combat.

I became authorized to wear the Stetson and gold spurs, but after duty with the Cav, I went briefly back to my Infantry unit, and was then discharged. [huh]

 

[Raider]

Carswell AF Base (Fort Worth) Bomb Loading Team - 1989 - outfitted in Peters Bros Westerns:

 

[Tango Yankee]

Carswell AF Base (Fort Worth) Bomb Loading Team - 1989

fftopic:
Hey, Raider!

Cool photo! My wife was at Carswell in '89; she was in the Comm Squadron. She closed the place. I was down at Bergstrom AFB in Austin. We weren't married back then, but dating so I spent a lot of weekends up there.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Brad Bowers]

This joke seems to have legs...

A few days ago, Stetson commented on it on Facebook and it didn't look like their tongue was in their cheek. Today, the latest Hat Life newsletter reprinted the article again, as if it were news. Maybe everyone is playing it straight to actually put some pressure on the army to adopt Stetsons.lol

Brad

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I refrained from commenting because I knew it was a joke, BUT (a really big one), the purpose of a hat is to protect your head by keeping sun and rain off it, and keeping both out of your eyes. The Beret does neither, the patrol cap keeps the sun off your face, but not the back of your neck. My old neighbor from back home has hide on the back of his neck where skin used to be and he's 47. In short, the ground forces should switch to headgear that protects the head like it's supposed to in the field and on parade. I have experience here in that the entire back of both ears burnt and flaked off at a 2 hour baseball game. I got sun screen on my neck, but missed my ears...

While I know that Armor was fathered (to a large extent) by the Cavalry, a beret inside a tank / armored car actually makes sense. The guys who walk around in the sun are the ones that actually need a different hat. My old man wore a Marine Pith Helmet during WW2. He was in the USAAF, but couldn't get one of his own service's pith helmets. He was however able to trade with the Marines, go figure.

Later

 

[Widebrim]

^^Well, we did use the boonie hat sometimes when out in the field, which does make more sense than the patrol cap.

 

[Edward]

Are they going to be made in China just like the current issue berets?

They are? I was under the impression the US military preferred to source US made items, I must have been wrong. From a resources pov, it makes sense to go overseas, though, to keep costs down.

Hi

I refrained from commenting because I knew it was a joke, BUT (a really big one), the purpose of a hat is to protect your head by keeping sun and rain off it, and keeping both out of your eyes. The Beret does neither, the patrol cap keeps the sun off your face, but not the back of your neck. My old neighbor from back home has hide on the back of his neck where skin used to be and he's 47. In short, the ground forces should switch to headgear that protects the head like it's supposed to in the field and on parade. I have experience here in that the entire back of both ears burnt and flaked off at a 2 hour baseball game. I got sun screen on my neck, but missed my ears...

While I know that Armor was fathered (to a large extent) by the Cavalry, a beret inside a tank / armored car actually makes sense. The guys who walk around in the sun are the ones that actually need a different hat. My old man wore a Marine Pith Helmet during WW2. He was in the USAAF, but couldn't get one of his own service's pith helmets. He was however able to trade with the Marines, go figure.

Later

I should imagine the big 'plus' for the beret is a financial one: it's one hat that can be worn both in the field (when not wearing a combat helmet) and with dress uniform.

 

[1961MJS]

They are? I was under the impression the US military preferred to source US made items, I must have been wrong. From a resources pov, it makes sense to go overseas, though, to keep costs down.

I should imagine the big 'plus' for the beret is a financial one: it's one hat that can be worn both in the field (when not wearing a combat helmet) and with dress uniform.

Hi, true, foreign made hats would probably be less expensive, but would likely be difficult to get in case of an actual war. An additional plus is that PETA couldn't nag about shaving bunnies to get the raw material for the felt. I'm perfectly certain that shaving a live bunny to get it's fur is considered animal cruelty to say nothing about killing them first.

You're right about the beret, but I don't know if I would bother carrying a beret AND a helmet. For that matter, I almost certainly wouldn't carry a Stetson and a helmet, but I would carry a boonie hat and a helmet. Personally, I'd have a lot of trouble with the beret anyway, even if I had the guts etc to earn the Tan ones, Maroon ones, or even the Green ones.

Later

 

[Harp]

even if I had the guts etc to earn... even the Green...

Laterter

...those guys are bastards.

 

[Tiller]

Hi, true, foreign made hats would probably be less expensive, but would likely be difficult to get in case of an actual war. An additional plus is that PETA couldn't nag about shaving bunnies to get the raw material for the felt. I'm perfectly certain that shaving a live bunny to get it's fur is considered animal cruelty to say nothing about killing them first.

You'll get no argument from me that PETA is nuts. I already know for a fact that they believe shaving a sheep is cruel, but how much does their opinions really affect the US Army?

 

[JimWagner]

If the article didn't tip you off, note one of the photos has a Army canine wearing a stetson... so yeah.

And a badly photo shopped picture it was.

 

[danofarlington]

You'll get no argument from me that PETA is nuts. I already know for a fact that they believe shaving a sheep is cruel, but how much does their opinions really affect the US Army?

Following that kind of animal logic, we would have to substute vinyl for leather shoes, belts, and leather anything. As far as I'm concerned, that's why a lot of these animals are raised in the first place. There wouldn't be a lot of those animals around without the products they generate.

 

[Tiller]

Following that kind of animal logic, we would have to substute vinyl for leather shoes, belts, and leather anything. As far as I'm concerned, that's why a lot of these animals are raised in the first place. There wouldn't be a lot of those animals around without the products they generate.

Oh I agree, I'm not arguing that point. I just have a hard time believing the US Army would change their policy because PETA is protesting something.

 

[Lefty]

Following that kind of animal logic, we would have to substute vinyl for leather shoes, belts, and leather anything. As far as I'm concerned, that's why a lot of these animals are raised in the first place. There wouldn't be a lot of those animals around without the products they generate.

The same argument was once made for slavery.

 

[Tiller]

The same argument was once made for slavery.

You only wear cloth hats Lefty?

 

[Lefty]

Nope. I just hat(e) bad logic.