Where is the branch pride for female Army dress uniforms?

SSG Mack Rixe — Sun, 17 May 2015 10:46:38 -0400

When it comes to the Army Service Uniform (ASU), there are a few opportunities to display your branch colors. The shoulder board rank for officers is colored for that officer's branch, and this is universal. Some things are not.

For example, I'm in air defense artillery and my branch color is scarlet red. During certain special events such as Saint Barbara's Day Ball (the patron saint of artillery) and other events deemed so by the commander, males can opt for a red bow tie in place of the black one. Females, however, have no such opportunity and are instead required to stick with the same black neck tab as always. As an NCO, this is really the only time I'm affected, but it's a shame I can't display my artillery pride. I have intense pride in my branch as it is the first one out of the main three (infantry, artillery, and cavalry) to allow females to serve, but I can't showcase that and am a black neck tab in a sea of red bow ties. Why can't we authorize something like a red neck tab?

This is just one small case, but it gets worse as rank increases. I am looking into either direct commission or going warrant officer. There are 25 options of hats for the ASU for male officers at the company grade level, each displaying a different color for the branch. Whether you are infantry, signal, logistics, or finance, you have a dress blue cap to go with it and signify your branch. Male officers of all branches can display their branch pride. For female officers, regardless of branch, there is one hat. It is the plain black female officer ASU hat- no branch signifier. The only way you can know a female officer's branch is by looking at her lapels and her shoulder board rank, both of which you'd have to be standing next to her to see.

Why are there no options for females to display their branch? Even if it's a matter of supply and demand (females account for approximately 17% of the active duty Army as a whole, 14% of the officer corps), what's the price for allowing everyone in the same branch and unit to be part of the same group, to show the same pride? Instead, the females are just little specks of black in the sea of red (or blue, kelly green, etc).

As of 2012, there were almost 20,000 female officers (commissioned and warrant) in the U.S. Army and just over 80,000 male officers (commissioned and warrant). That means approximately 1 in 5 commissioned and warrant officers in the U.S. Army are female. Can we really not justify branch-specific caps for female officers? We can't justify something as simple as a red neck tab?

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made May 17 at 2015 10:55 AM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Sun, 17 May 2015 10:55:41 -0400

Submit a suggestion up to your uniform board (or whatever the Army calls it). I will say the army has more options as a whole to share your MOS pride. On the AF side, the only thing that shows what your MOS is are our Occupation Badges.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made May 17 at 2015 11:10 AM

CSM Charles Hayden — Sun, 17 May 2015 11:10:29 -0400

Simple, have a tailor shop make a Scarlet neck tab for you. Then, see if anyone wearing a Scarlet bowtie has the gall to challenge you! My guess is that if anyone notices, they will compliment you!

You will wear ADA collar brass?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2015 3:30 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 17 May 2015 15:30:13 -0400

I have never seen a light blue infantry bow tie. They should make ban it.

Response by SSgt Brett Ontiveros made Feb 13 at 2018 9:21 PM

SSgt Brett Ontiveros — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 21:21:43 -0500

I am still trying to figure out why the Army says it’s a more traditional uniform but everything is in cav yellow???? If they want tradition they should have distinct branch colors both in female and male uniforms. I hate how they only have the cav yellow!!!

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Feb 14 at 2018 5:03 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:03:12 -0500

Probably because no one has had the urge to upgrade the females hat since Korea!

Response by CPT Earl George made Dec 8 at 2018 8:26 AM

CPT Earl George — Sat, 08 Dec 2018 08:26:33 -0500

During 6 years of active duty, I wore my dress blues one time. I'm sure other officers wore theirs more. I just worried more about staying the same in size and weight so they would fit.

Response by LTC Gene Moser made Mar 3 at 2019 10:15 PM

LTC Gene Moser — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 22:15:37 -0500

I'm with you, Sergeant. If you are artillery, you should wear your red with your fellow cannon cockers, period. Red band around the hat, red shoulder boards, red neck thing, red cummerbund with mess jacket, and red stripe down the leg - doesn't make any difference if the legs are in pants or a skirt. Thank you for bringing this to my attention - I never noticed that - but I retired before the first female red leg (post Molly Pitcher, of course). Go for it.
Steel Behind the Rock, Ma'am.