Squadron Hat

[captrncap]

I am looking for a vendor to produce our squadron hat. The last vendor was awful. The hat color ran and shrunk when washed.

The hat specifications - baseball hat (navy) with an embroider squadron number (white).

Looking for a balance in quality and price.

[BigMojo]

Where are you located? I have a great vendor here in South Florida if you are interested.

Sunshine Sportswear
Todd Richards
954-568-1984
todd@sunshinesportswear.com
www.sunshinesportswear.com

I haven't used them for hats for CAP, but have and do for my day job (over 500 pcs a year) and have yet to be disappointed in anything embroidered from them.

[RogueLeader]

Just as a warning, it is hypothesized that the ball caps may be disallowed with the ACU's.  It may happen, it may not.

[LtCol White]

If you live near a base, in the mall area of most exchanges, they have the embroidery shops that have everything u want in colors and quality.

[mikeylikey]

Most sporting goods stores have the ability to heat transfer what you want onto anything!

[mynetdude]

Most sporting goods stores have the ability to heat transfer what you want onto anything!

heat transfers are a good idea, though they are bad after washing/drying or even if you don't wash/dry but they go through the elements the vinyl or whatever they use cracks and peels... doesn't hold up the same kind of quality like embroidery work does.

It depends what you want it for? Encampment? Sure heat transfers are cheap/better for this because its only going to be used that year if it has say 2007 on it... who is going to wear the same 2007 encampment hat at the next year's encampment? You might wear it to pre-encampment activities such as staff selection and such but it is just a memorabillia to keep

I would go embroidered for those squadron hats with your charter number or squadron name for routine/regular wear.

[mikeylikey]

^ I personally like felt Numbers or Letters on the ball caps.  Looks super-cool, and feel good!   

[jimmydeanno]

^eewww....

[jb512]

^ Gross.  With a velvet hat, I'm sure...

[mikeylikey]

^ Purple of course!

[jb512]

^ With or without the feather?

[mikeylikey]

Feather!  Maybe two!!

[jb512]

Dig it...

We are so getting this thing locked...

[mikeylikey]

LOCK   Whats that??

Oh ya.....hats, my wing makes me wear an Orange one.  I would gladly trade that for a pink one.  Anyone else wear colors other than orange or BDU??

[CASH172]

Just as a warning, it is hypothesized that the ball caps may be disallowed with the ACU's.  It may happen, it may not.

The USAF has banned never authorized unit-specific caps with the ABU. 

[Hawk200]

Just as a warning, it is hypothesized that the ball caps may be disallowed with the ACU's.  It may happen, it may not.

The USAF has banned unit-specific caps with the ABU. 

No, they have not. They were not been authorized for wear with the ABU in the first place. That may change. AF people like their bling, too.

Even with BDU's, the unit caps were not permitted when deployed, and some bases didn't allow them to be worn when TDY.

[Avery]

Sporty's Pilot Shop is a good source, but I don't know if they do large quantities. (sportys.com)

[captrncap]

Just as a warning, it is hypothesized that the ball caps may be disallowed with the ACU's.  It may happen, it may not.

The USAF has banned unit-specific caps with the ABU. 

No, they have not. They were not been authorized for wear with the ABU in the first place. That may change. AF people like their bling, too.

Even with BDU's, the unit caps were not permitted when deployed, and some bases didn't allow them to be worn when TDY.

Please not another uniform thread -- not the purpose of this post...

I think it has been well covered in the 1,500,000 other uniform threads on this board

Thank you to the ones who responded with vendors --- that's really appreciated.

[mikeylikey]

^ Where do the rest of the Squadrons in your Wing get them done at?  Is this colored hat a Wing Requirement or is your SQD trying to be different?

[mynetdude]

Our squadron has its own hats, not required though (not by wing or the SQD) so its optional and sometimes I wear it with my BDUs or in civvies. Most of the time I wear it with my civvies though or other distinctive uniforms other than the corporate dress uniform or the AF style class A/B

[jeders]

Our squadron has its own hats, not required though (not by wing or the SQD) so its optional and sometimes I wear it with my BDUs or in civvies. Most of the time I wear it with my civvies though or other distinctive uniforms other than the corporate dress uniform or the AF style class A/B

Wait... you wear the squadron baseball cap with AF uniforms OTHER than the BDUs or flightsuit? Pretty sure that's against the regs.

[mynetdude]

Our squadron has its own hats, not required though (not by wing or the SQD) so its optional and sometimes I wear it with my BDUs or in civvies. Most of the time I wear it with my civvies though or other distinctive uniforms other than the corporate dress uniform or the AF style class A/B

Wait... you wear the squadron baseball cap with AF uniforms OTHER than the BDUs or flightsuit? Pretty sure that's against the regs.

No I wear only with the BDU, civvies or the BBDUs, I don't wear it with my AF blues or corporate dress uniforms ever. I hope that is clear now you're right it probably IS against regs, although I have seen members wear their green flight suits with the squadron baseball cap (I'm not sure if that is against regs, but I know cover is required for these flight suits).

[jeders]

Our squadron has its own hats, not required though (not by wing or the SQD) so its optional and sometimes I wear it with my BDUs or in civvies. Most of the time I wear it with my civvies though or other distinctive uniforms other than the corporate dress uniform or the AF style class A/B

Wait... you wear the squadron baseball cap with AF uniforms OTHER than the BDUs or flightsuit? Pretty sure that's against the regs.

No I wear only with the BDU, civvies or the BBDUs, I don't wear it with my AF blues or corporate dress uniforms ever. I hope that is clear now you're right it probably IS against regs, although I have seen members wear their green flight suits with the squadron baseball cap (I'm not sure if that is against regs, but I know cover is required for these flight suits).

Ok, that clarifies it.

Last time I checked squadron baseball caps are allowed with the flight suit.

[Bear Walling]

I get alot of my stuff from www.customink.com

They do good quality work. I like doing business with them because they have "lab" on their website that you use to design your own... Whatever you want to have made. They do it all. Caps, shirts, Jackets... Et cetra.

[DC]

I get alot of my stuff from www.customink.com

They do good quality work. I like doing business with them because they have "lab" on their website that you use to design your own... Whatever you want to have made. They do it all. Caps, shirts, Jackets... Et cetra.

That lab thing is really cool, you can see pretty much what your product will look like right on you computer...

[Bear Walling]

Thats just one of the reasons I like them.

[afgeo4]

What are we allowed to put on these unit caps?

Is metal rank authorized? Embroidered rank? Emblem? Squadron patch? Anything talks about this?

[jeders]

CAP Baseball Cap: May be worn with the utility uniforms if authorized by the unit commander.
The color, material, unit designation, or silk screen organizational emblem or badge will be
prescribed by the unit commander. Emblem or badge, if authorized, will be centered 1/2 inch above
visor.

[afgeo4]

LOL so pretty much anything goes, huh?

[wacapgh]

Also in table 2-3 (6):

"Color, unit designation, and cloth or silk screen organizational emblem
or badge as prescribed by unit commander. Emblem or badge, if
authorized, will be centered 1/2 inch above visor. No other features
such as stars, designs, individual's name and so forth, are authorized."

(Hmm just found a post for the "Inconsistencies in 39-1" topic)

With the inclusion of the third sentence, it would seem to actually prohibit anything but:

A baseball type cap - Cloth, Foam, mesh or a combination, in a color as prescribed by the unit commander;
With either your "unit designator" - generally the last digits of your charter "06", "101", etc.
or
Your approved unit patch, either silk screened or sewn on (centered, 1/2" up).

In a military settings, "organizational" generally means the unit to which you are assigned (USAF=Squadron, Army/Marines=Company). In our case that would be a Flight, Squadron, Group, Wing, etc. that has an actual charter from NHQ.

[pixelwonk]

Putting any sort of rank on a unit ballcap will ensure that many people point and laugh at you. 

[afgeo4]

Putting any sort of rank on a unit ballcap will ensure that many people point and laugh at you. 

Right Tedda... as all people in the military laugh at officers with grade insignia on their ballcaps?

It's a pretty standard thing.

[jimmydeanno]

Yeah, but the military doesn't wear neon orange ball caps with 4 inch tall felt letters and numbers with an ultra marine blue square in the middle...

[afgeo4]

Yeah, but the military doesn't wear neon orange ball caps with 4 inch tall felt letters and numbers with an ultra marine blue square in the middle...

Neither do I.

The ball cap should really be a dark color like black, blue or olive. There is NO need for an orange ballcap. If they don't see your reflective vest then your cap isn't going to do any better anyway.

[SJFedor]

Yeah, but the military doesn't wear neon orange ball caps with 4 inch tall felt letters and numbers with an ultra marine blue square in the middle...

They're 2 inch numbers....

....I just grabbed one of my old hats n checked   

[mikeylikey]

^ you didn't burn that yet?

[SJFedor]

I burned a few of them. But I had 3 or 4 from a few different units.

[teesquared]

Could a couple of you post pictures of your squadron caps? I would like to see some examples. We may try to do something like this for our squadron.

[mikeylikey]

Why do squadrons want to add more expenses to the already huge uniform expense that members pay? 

There is no logical need for a ball cap.  The AF just did away with them, except for redhorse units (which is understandable).  If and when the switch to the ABU's ever comes, the policy should be "NO other hats/ballcaps are authorized". 

In the past I could see a black or blue ball cap, but freaking orange or red is ridiculous.  We need to move away from things that make each member look different than another member.  One team, lets look like it!

[JayT]

Our squadron has its own hats, not required though (not by wing or the SQD) so its optional and sometimes I wear it with my BDUs or in civvies. Most of the time I wear it with my civvies though or other distinctive uniforms other than the corporate dress uniform or the AF style class A/B

What's Class A/B again? Is that the green one or the khaki one? Or the one the local fire and police departments wear?

[mikeylikey]

^ Don't be a smart ass dude!  Everyone in CAP knows what Class A and Class B (maybe even C) are, even though it's not written down anywhere. 

[SarDragon]

NO, not everyone in CAP does not know what Class A's and B's are, because they haven't been taught a very long outdated nomenclature.

Joe's not being the smart ass, you are, for getting on his case about it, and doing your part to perpetuate this crap. You complain about various color ball caps, and then give us this line on Class A/B. Give me a break.

[pixelwonk]

that's quite enough.  Topic please.