Squadron Hats

[0]

Figured this didn't have to be a polling a question.  But how many people out there have Squadron hats?  How did you design them and where did you get them from?  We're looking into maybe doing them ourselves.  So far there's only one in ours right now.  I call it the Boston Cadet Squadron Hat Mark 1.2.  I just had an addition put on to it.  Since I like fitted caps I had a Squadron Patch put on the front (little big but it's a test) and on the back I just had a gound team badge sewen on.  Since I wear it out of uniform I like to have something there when I put a hat backwards.  Plus I wear the hat in my BBDU's or my CAP utility. 

[trekkindave]

Almost all the squadron here on Long Island have pretty basic squadron covers....

Each has a unique color (navy, black, green, red, etc) with the last three digits of the charter numeber on the front in 3-4 inch numerals in a contrasting color.   MY squadron is a black hat with the numbers 117 on the front. Its a one size fits all and the numbers are embroidered.   Cost the member about $11 dollars, and the first one is free when you join (at least i think it was).   


And another question as long as we are on the line of covers...

How many people out there "crown" thier covers in the front?    Almost all the cadets around here seem to (mins from WIWAC).   

[MIKE]

Organizational baseball caps are lame... and when the ABU is rolled out hopefully they will be banned just like the USAF has done.  BDU caps all 'round.

At least the Coast Guard does organizational caps right IMO.

Edit:  And we don't wear covers.

[PHall]

Organizational baseball caps are lame... and when the ABU is rolled out hopefully they will be banned just like the USAF has done.  BDU caps all 'round.

Ah, but the USAF has not banned Organizational Baseball Caps, at least not with the Woodland BDU's, which is what CAP wears.
They have banned them when wearing the DCU (Desert Combat Uniform), we don't wear that.
They have banned them when wearing the ABU, we don't wear that one either. We may in the future, but not right now.

Per the 39-1, Organizational Baseball Caps are worn at the Unit Commander's discretion.
You don't want your unit to wear them and you're the Commander, no problem, it's your decision.
But if you're not the Commander, and the Commander authorizes them then about all you can do, if you don't like them, is to not wear it.
You still have the option of wearing the BDU cap.

[Pylon]

But if you're not the Commander, and the Commander authorizes them then about all you can do, if you don't like them, is to not wear it.
You still have the option of wearing the BDU cap.

Can't the commander proscribe members from wearing certain uniform options for the sake of uniformity, though?   For example, the commander can order that only a certain t-shirt color option is worn in the unit with the BDUs for example, or that at a certain function, nobody will wear ties with their short-sleeve SDBs.  Wouldn't logic follow that the commander could require everyone to wear one cap or the other?

[0]

Well small stuff like certain colored shirts, no ties with short sleve shirts, they're more squadron tradition.  Like in my Squadron only staff can wear a black t-shirt with their BDU's. 

[Pylon]

Well small stuff like certain colored shirts, no ties with short sleve shirts, they're more squadron tradition.  Like in my Squadron only staff can wear a black t-shirt with their BDU's. 

Perhaps it's a tradition in some squadrons, but it's the commander's perogative to allow that or to change that.

[Hawk200]

Well small stuff like certain colored shirts, no ties with short sleve shirts, they're more squadron tradition.  Like in my Squadron only staff can wear a black t-shirt with their BDU's. 

Personally, I have an issue with only staff allowed to wear black t-shirts. My unit is 130 miles from the nearest military installation. That and Vanguard are about the only options as far as quality brown t-shirts go for our members.

On the other hand, you can buy black t's at the local Walmart. We have one of those about three miles from where our unit meets.

I think that any commander restricting black t's to staff isn't considering the impact on all the unit members.

[0]

We meet in a DOD building with uniformed personel.  Plus we do it so if we have to deblose we can be told apart but the public. 

[SeattleSarge]

The Seattle Composite Squadron has a distinctive blue baseball cap with our squadron insignia embroidered.  What I call the "Frasier" logo with any outline of the Seattle skyline.

I can get source/cost info if needed.

Here is a link to the hat page on our website.  We started a tradition (sort of) of taking pictures of the hat in distant or exotic locations.  Kinda fun:

http://www.capseattlesquadron.org/squadron_hat.htm

-SeattleSarge

[0]

Those are awsome, I was actually taking a look at them yesterday.  Did you go through a local company to get them made?

[SeattleSarge]

I'm pretty sure we used a local firm.  I'll check with my logistics guy and let you know.

-SeattleSarge

P.S.  They also match the shade of the BBDU.

[0]

Thanks.  The one I've come up with is fairly close to the BBDU.  I'll post pictures later once I take some of Mark 1.2.  Plus I have to learn how to post a picture on here. 

[SARMedTech]

Well small stuff like certain colored shirts, no ties with short sleve shirts, they're more squadron tradition.  Like in my Squadron only staff can wear a black t-shirt with their BDU's. 

Personally, I have an issue with only staff allowed to wear black t-shirts. My unit is 130 miles from the nearest military installation. That and Vanguard are about the only options as far as quality brown t-shirts go for our members.

On the other hand, you can buy black t's at the local Walmart. We have one of those about three miles from where our unit meets.

I think that any commander restricting black t's to staff isn't considering the impact on all the unit members.

Hawk-

What about internet ordering?  I recently ordered package of 6 brown t-shirts online and had them in my hands in 4 days. I dont think that with the ease of getting just about anything through the internet that access to certain items is really a valid argument against using them.

[Stonewall]

My opinion:  Don't care for organizational hats.

My experience:  Was in a squadron that wore black baseball caps for 20 years before I showed  up.  I wasn't about to change that, so I got me a black hat.  It was a right of passage for some.  Once they graduated T-Flight, they'd be issued a black hat.  Not sure where it came from, but it could have been worse.

Problem I had was that there were 4 or 5 different types of plain black baseball caps, but only 1 BDU hat.  I know, why didn't we just purchase the hats from the same place?  Well, people, over time, got them from different places, companies, manufacturers etc.  Some had mesh, some didn't, some were adjustable, some were fitted, some were low-profile, some were high.  Yadda yadda yadda...

Then....having a squadron hat meant that you still had to own [read: purchase] a BDU cap, because you couldn't wear your baseball cap outside of squadron activities.  So now, instead of being required to buy just one hat, you had to buy two, and as a squadron commander, I did everything I could to limit what anyone had to spend money on. 

And then, what happens when someone loses their black hat?  They wear their BDU cap, now you've got one knucklehead in a different cap.  Keep everyone in a BDU cap and all is solved.

Again, I've worn it because it was the right thing to do, but if I were king, I'd limit hats to BDU hats only, except, maybe, just maybe, during encampment for flight designation.

[O-Rex]

Personally, I like squadron ballcaps with the BBDU's and blue utilities.

I dont foresee the ballcaps going away when we adopt the ABU: USAF loves all that stuff that makes CAP uniforms "distinctive."

Does anyone wear the woodland ballcap w/BDU's?? 

[JayT]

Personally, I like squadron ballcaps with the BBDU's and blue utilities.

I dont foresee the ballcaps going away when we adopt the ABU: USAF loves all that stuff that makes CAP uniforms "distinctive."

Does anyone wear the woodland ballcap w/BDU's?? 

I have once or twice. I don't remember why.

[floridacyclist]

Personally, I have an issue with only staff allowed to wear black t-shirts. My unit is 130 miles from the nearest military installation. That and Vanguard are about the only options as far as quality brown t-shirts go for our members.

On the other hand, you can buy black t's at the local Walmart. We have one of those about three miles from where our unit meets.

I think that any commander restricting black t's to staff isn't considering the impact on all the unit members.

Wal-mart carries brown Ts as well. I had to check into that as we have the same issue with Ranger schools where only Expert Rangers are allowed to wear black. Incidentally, I don't wear black Ts to them either.

[jimmydeanno]

Expert Rangers

*snicker* *snicker*

[Sgt. Savage]

Expert Rangers

*snicker* *snicker*

"HEH HEH HE HEH HEH HEHHEH" (in my best BEAVIS voice)