"How very stylish of you."
The beret is out and the patrol cap is back.
The US Army is abandoning the beret, after a failed 10-year experiment.
The black beret, which proved deeply unpopular with American soldiers, will be replaced by a patrol cap for everyday wear, US Army spokesman Colonel Tom Collins said Monday.
The move came after outgoing Army chief of staff, General Martin Dempsey, asked the army's sergeant major "to go out and talk to soldiers across the force and see what was on their minds," Collins told AFP.
"One of the things that soldiers consistently brought up was the desire to wear the patrol cap as part of their duty uniform," he said.
The beret will still be part of the Army's dress uniform, but will no longer be worn in the field as soldiers complained that it was impractical, he said.
"It does not have a visor and doesn't shield the sun, doesn't absorb sweat well," Collins said.
One soldier put it more bluntly.
"I hate wearing a wet sock on my head," Chief Warrant Officer Mark Vino, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, told the Army Times. "Plus it makes head/skin break out."
The Patrol Cap: Sensible head covering.
5 comments:
Laughing. I remember when the blue beret (We called it the blueberry.) was introduced in the 101st. We had to buy our own, so it was "voluntary." That drew all manner of tricks from above to compel everyone to get 100% beret. One trick was having to show in formation with alternate headgear, such as the helmet, until the unit was 100% in berets. And, it reflected poorly on the commanders--who had other, more important things to think about--if they could not "lead" everyone to comply.
We used to call the beret a "Monica".
The boonie beats them all hands down. Unless, of course you don't mind sunburned ears, facial skin cancers, rain water down the back of your neck, or an enemy soldier being able to tell which way you're facing in the dark.
[W3]
About time! If you earned a beret (SF, Ranger, Abn), you wear it in garrison. When you're in the field, you're in kevlar or a patrol cap.
Gunner
I though it was comparable to wearing a cow patty on your head.
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