Boonie Cap

[Dragoon]

I can understand that there are a lot of reasons why you would not wear a boonie hat...when I do interviews...I take off all my gear, including my orange vest (oh my!), my sun glasses and often my patrol cap.

As for when the press is present...I don't know about that.

The thing that is getting me here...is we are talking about form vs function.

We have this argument all the time about rank not meaning anything...and how we need to change that.

Now we are really talking about a functional piece of equipment that by regulations would only be worn on missions....but we are still hung up on the fact that we may not like the form that it comes in.

Actually, I'd say there's still a fair amount of debate as to whether the hat is even "functional" enough to be worth the "form."

Will there be abuses?  Sure there will be....there are always people who don't know or choose not to know the regulations....even a few that willfully violate them.

The point is that now there will be MORE abuses than yesterday.  And that, to some, is a bad thing.  I'm not sure I buy the "things are already bad, who cares if we make them worse" argument.

IF we were all in one unifrom in the first place....I would maybe buy the "uniformity" argument...but as things stand now...until that problem is corrected, it seems like you are making excuses.

It will never get corrected if we keep adding optional items.  Yup, we're screwed up.  This will make us MORE screwed up.  It's hard to applaud that.

But if the only reason for not allowing them is because of the Kuwl Factor or that it does not look as professional as a soft cap/ball cap.....we have to look at all of our unifroms and think those issues.

Agreed.

If it a safety thing....let's mandate it....make the boonie hat the only head gear authorized for GTms and FLMs...just like we do with orange vests.

Absolutely agree.  It may look silly, but if everyone wears it then at least we'll have increased uniformity a little, and made everyone "safer."  But this is CAP - we won't do that.  We'll just add it as one more item of personal choice.  Another chance to express your individuality.

Ya know, we tend to put GT's in places with overhead cover where they don't NEED a boonie.  After all, if it's wide open, we can search it from the air.... 

[winterg]

I have participated in multiple NBB's as a Tactical Officer which means at least 4+ hours on the flight line every day.  Uniform of the day has always been patrol cap and I have never seen or heard of an incident. 

On the other side, I spent 8 years on an AD Air Force flight line and never wore a cover past the gate to the hanger.  So I could go either way on this. 

But as for boonie hats?  I would say no because I don't think it's practical.  And you know not everyone will bring/have one.  So I would stress that it be all or nothing.

[davidsinn]

I've decided to put my money where my mouth is. Last night I ordered a blue boonie that I intend to test at our flightline/aircrew school(I'm running the Flightline side of the school) in a few weeks. I also intend to test it for our Group I SAREX this summer. I'll let you know how it went.

[Dragoon]

Here's a good question - since National didn't specify, what exactly is a "boonie?"  Looking around the web...

I've seen hats called "boonies" that have a piece of webbing around the crown, and others that don't.

I found one navy blue boonie for sale with black webbing around the crown.

I've seen boonies that are rounded on top, like a baseball cap, and others that are squared off like a BDU cap.

I've seen all different sized of brims.

I realize that the intent was "you know, the same style as the one USAF guys wear on occasion."  But that's not what  the letter says.

I wonder how many different cool hats we'll end up seeing.  Personally, I'm going for a Tilley!

[mikeylikey]

The ICL on the NHQ site has a picture of the boonie. 

[JohnKachenmeister]

How the heck do you enforce any kind of uniformity based on "Yours doesn't look like the picture?"

[SARMedTech]

As a physician in real life and CAP, let me make a few comments about boonie caps and skin cancer.

For those watching the recent National Board meeting proceedings in Washington, DC, you'll know the following that was discussed and approved concerning the boonie caps:

1. Approved for safety reasons, i.e. better protection to the back of the neck and tops of the ears.

2. Blue boonie cap approved immediately for wear with the Blue BDU uniform (BBDU).

3.  Woodland camo boonie cap has been approved by CAP for wear with the woodland camo BDU, but awaits Air Force approval

4. The wear of boonie caps is authorized only by the activity director and is not for every day wear.

No other colors are authorized.

The approval of boonie caps during CAP activities has been pursued by the CAP National Health Services Program for many years.  Bravo to them for finally getting it approved.

Sun exposure is directly related to one's risk for developing skin cancer.  Yes, "sunburns" are all precancerous conditions.  In fact, the number of bad sunburns you've had in your lifetime is a direct and important risk factor for developing skin cancer.

Skin cancer kills.  Period.  Yet, it's completely preventable.

Yes, skin cancer does sometimes develop in those who never get out in the sun.  But, here's a news flash -- everyone dies.  Period.  Even those people who run 5 miles a day -- they die too, just hopefully much later than us couch potatoes.  So if you reduce your risk for developing skin cancer, you can increase your longevity.

Boonie caps will do that in reducing the risk of developing skin cancer in areas not well protected by a BDU cap or baseball cap -- i.e. the back and sides of the neck, the tops of the ears, etc.

Dr. Dave

While I hate to disagree with physicians (actually I love it, but they dont) skin cancer is not COMPLETELY preventable. Just as a non-smoker may get lung cancer, someone who has never spent more than 5 minutes in the sun can still get skin cancer from other risk factors like genetics and environmental exposure to things other than direct sunlight or any kind of light at all. Unknown exposure to certain kinds of chemicals in an industrial or other setting can cause melanoma. No cancer or other disease process is completely preventable from genetic anomalies to environmental risk factors unknown to the patient. If its going to get you its going to get you. I have a friend who has skin like skim milk and red hair who has never had more than about 30 seconds exposure to the sun in her whole life (she avoids it like the plague because of her genetics) and she is currently dealing with multiple melanomas on parts of her body that have NEVER seen the sun, and no, these lesions are not the other kind.  Again, in as much as nothing is completely preventable, no disease process is completely preventable, and as sure as we are sitting here, there will be boonie-wearin', SPF 6000 smearin' monkey's uncles out there who get skin cancer on that patch of their neck that neither covered. I thought they taught doctors to avoid the use of terms like NEVER, ALWAYS, COMPLETELY, TOTALLY.  Heck as an EMT, and MPH student, we are told to avoid these terms.  That being said, Bravo Zulu to CAP for figuring out what the thinking world has known for 50 years.

[0]

As a physician in real life and CAP, let me make a few comments about boonie caps and skin cancer.

For those watching the recent National Board meeting proceedings in Washington, DC, you'll know the following that was discussed and approved concerning the boonie caps:

1. Approved for safety reasons, i.e. better protection to the back of the neck and tops of the ears.

2. Blue boonie cap approved immediately for wear with the Blue BDU uniform (BBDU).

3.  Woodland camo boonie cap has been approved by CAP for wear with the woodland camo BDU, but awaits Air Force approval

4. The wear of boonie caps is authorized only by the activity director and is not for every day wear.

No other colors are authorized.

The approval of boonie caps during CAP activities has been pursued by the CAP National Health Services Program for many years.  Bravo to them for finally getting it approved.

Sun exposure is directly related to one's risk for developing skin cancer.  Yes, "sunburns" are all precancerous conditions.  In fact, the number of bad sunburns you've had in your lifetime is a direct and important risk factor for developing skin cancer.

Skin cancer kills.  Period.  Yet, it's completely preventable.

Yes, skin cancer does sometimes develop in those who never get out in the sun.  But, here's a news flash -- everyone dies.  Period.  Even those people who run 5 miles a day -- they die too, just hopefully much later than us couch potatoes.  So if you reduce your risk for developing skin cancer, you can increase your longevity.

Boonie caps will do that in reducing the risk of developing skin cancer in areas not well protected by a BDU cap or baseball cap -- i.e. the back and sides of the neck, the tops of the ears, etc.

Dr. Dave

While I hate to disagree with physicians (actually I love it, but they dont) skin cancer is not COMPLETELY preventable. Just as a non-smoker may get lung cancer, someone who has never spent more than 5 minutes in the sun can still get skin cancer from other risk factors like genetics and environmental exposure to things other than direct sunlight or any kind of light at all. Unknown exposure to certain kinds of chemicals in an industrial or other setting can cause melanoma. No cancer or other disease process is completely preventable from genetic anomalies to environmental risk factors unknown to the patient. If its going to get you its going to get you. I have a friend who has skin like skim milk and red hair who has never had more than about 30 seconds exposure to the sun in her whole life (she avoids it like the plague because of her genetics) and she is currently dealing with multiple melanomas on parts of her body that have NEVER seen the sun, and no, these lesions are not the other kind.  Again, in as much as nothing is completely preventable, no disease process is completely preventable, and as sure as we are sitting here, there will be boonie-wearin', SPF 6000 smearin' monkey's uncles out there who get skin cancer on that patch of their neck that neither covered. I thought they taught doctors to avoid the use of terms like NEVER, ALWAYS, COMPLETELY, TOTALLY.  Heck as an EMT, and MPH student, we are told to avoid these terms.  That being said, Bravo Zulu to CAP for figuring out what the thinking world has known for 50 years.

Yes scan cancer isn't 100% preventable.  But sun exposure is a factor and if this helps to lessen one factor then so be it.  And that's talking as someone who had a near miss with skin cancer. 

[Dragoon]

The ICL on the NHQ site has a picture of the boonie. 

That'll help a lot.  Too bad they couldn't go the extra mile and specifically state "it's gotta look like this or it isn't authorized."

It took CAP over a decade to realize that just saying "BDU Cap" without a description didn't automatically negate the wear of the USMC/USN railroad engineer-style BDU cap.  They're kinda slow on the details.

[arajca]

That's why they need to send the draft to a bunch of A-retentive members (kinda like many here) to refine and clarify such issues.