Posted on Dec 16, 2025
Do officers wear the gold or black windstrap while performing funeral honors?
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I have worn the gold wind band that goes around the back of the ASU service cap. I just saw a few pictures of rifle drill OIC's actively wear the black wind band, but I couldn't find any regulation determining which color to wear. Anyone have any insight?
Posted in these groups: 
DA Pam 670-1
Funeral
DA Pam 670-1 Funeral
Posted 2 d ago
Responses: 2
BLUF: Your local SOP will dictate any modification to the wear of the second chin strap (unofficially called a 'wind strap').
A second chin strap is specifically authorized for honor guards to keep their covers secure during the ceremony and is often worn to the rear of the cap when not needed (local SOP, such as the Old Guard's Blue Book*, which many organizations model their Honor Guard SOP after, will dictate).
Chin straps are gold for officers and black for enlisted (DA PAM 670-1*, section 11-10).
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* The Old Guard Blue Book - https://jtfncr.mdw.army.mil/Portals/136/The%20Old%20Guard%20Blue%20Book.pdf
* DA PAM 670-1, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30948-PAM_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf
A second chin strap is specifically authorized for honor guards to keep their covers secure during the ceremony and is often worn to the rear of the cap when not needed (local SOP, such as the Old Guard's Blue Book*, which many organizations model their Honor Guard SOP after, will dictate).
Chin straps are gold for officers and black for enlisted (DA PAM 670-1*, section 11-10).
--------------------------------
* The Old Guard Blue Book - https://jtfncr.mdw.army.mil/Portals/136/The%20Old%20Guard%20Blue%20Book.pdf
* DA PAM 670-1, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30948-PAM_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf
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2LT(P) (Join to see) I have also seen some details wearing the windstrap. But it always confused me because they also have a chinstrap on the service cap.
The windstrap is not explicitly authorized by AR 670-1. The most right answer: Modifications (adding a windstrap) to the service cap may be requested by the first O-6 in the chain of command. At that point, the color and make of the windstrap would be determined by the requesting party. But I suspect few, if any, detail OICs submit a request to add the windstrap. Officers wear the gold chinstrap with the Service Cap. NCOs wear the black leather chinstrap. The chinstrap is used to keep the cap on the head. Some members of the Old Guard replace the chinstrap with one that has a chin cup when wearing the chin strap to secure the cap, but the ones I have seen are all black leather and I have never seen an Officer wear one with a chin cup. My guess is that the windstrap became popular because many service members have a service cap that does not have the two-piece chinstrap and lowering one is a pita for the one time you need it. A windstrap/ windcord is just easier.
Hopefully, someone from an Honor Guard detail that uses them can shed more light on the thought process.
DA PAM 670-1:
"The chinstrap is natural or light brown, full-grain pigskin or sheepskin, nonbleeding with pointed ends covered with two-vellum gold wire lace or synthetic metallic gold-colored lace or a one-piece strap manufactured from anodized aluminum in 24-karat gold color"
The windstrap is not explicitly authorized by AR 670-1. The most right answer: Modifications (adding a windstrap) to the service cap may be requested by the first O-6 in the chain of command. At that point, the color and make of the windstrap would be determined by the requesting party. But I suspect few, if any, detail OICs submit a request to add the windstrap. Officers wear the gold chinstrap with the Service Cap. NCOs wear the black leather chinstrap. The chinstrap is used to keep the cap on the head. Some members of the Old Guard replace the chinstrap with one that has a chin cup when wearing the chin strap to secure the cap, but the ones I have seen are all black leather and I have never seen an Officer wear one with a chin cup. My guess is that the windstrap became popular because many service members have a service cap that does not have the two-piece chinstrap and lowering one is a pita for the one time you need it. A windstrap/ windcord is just easier.
Hopefully, someone from an Honor Guard detail that uses them can shed more light on the thought process.
DA PAM 670-1:
"The chinstrap is natural or light brown, full-grain pigskin or sheepskin, nonbleeding with pointed ends covered with two-vellum gold wire lace or synthetic metallic gold-colored lace or a one-piece strap manufactured from anodized aluminum in 24-karat gold color"
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