Why is the boonie cap so demonized in the army?

I was in Iraq in 2007 and had some 82nd ABN soldiers with me. I saw them wearing the PC but never the 'boonie' hat. I asked why, since I was certainly wearing mine. Their response was that the CSM had told everyone that it was not authorized for wear. I took mine off and looked at the laundry tag which clearly said "Hat, Sun". I never found the CSM that put this out but I always wondered why we would not wear a 'hat, sun' in one of the sunniest places we had ever been stationed. I wonder how many former 82nd ABN soldiers will end up with skin cancer on their nose as a result of not wearing the proper headgear in a sunny environment.

During Tet 68 when the 199th and the 1st ATF Diggers patrolled the same areas in the Bien Hoa/Long Binh approaches. It seemed half my rifle company was sporting a boonie hat after a few patrols. The barter system was alive and well then. The best duty I pulled the first week of Tet was when a few of us were pulled off patrol and assigned to protect the small hospital they had in downtown Bien Hoa. I was 18 and totally loved the way the nurses talked. Only lasted a few days though before they were evacuated, but memorable.

Well, I am a CSM and I have preferred the boonie cap since I was a SSG. Someone said the reason we do not wear it was because we will not wear it correctly. Well we had many not wear the beret correctly and we have even more that do not wear the current patrol cap correctly (Ranger roll is not authorized). I have heard senior leaders say the boonie hat makes Soldiers look unkempt or sloopy, but the hat does it’s job better than the others; 360 degree visor is better than the 180 degree. So why do we not wear it? Beats the hell out of me, I wore it on my last deployment and I saw no other senior leader wear it besides me. In fact some praised me fir wearing but mostly I received dirty looks from them. But my Soldiers sure did love wearing it.

Not everyone who wears rank is a leader. Some failures need cheap and easy ways to throw their weight/rank around. I was once told I can’t wear my Boonie during gunnery operations in July/August by the MSG running the range. My commander and SGM got pissed, told me to put it back on and told the MSG to focus on the tasks at hand and mind his own !@$& business. The leadership then went and got boonies to encourage other soldiers to do the same. It’s a safer and more comfortable option when you spend the day out in the sun.

With all the deployments to very high sun exposure locations taking place then it will just be a matter of time until the VA starts reporting 'increased melanoma' especially to ears and face. Wear the hat! Many world military forces make it a requirement. Check Canada.

Incorrect wear, tired old standards, as much as it is fun to wear it strung up, it’s still not the standard. But get downrange and unless you got a green snco it’s not really addresses unless your junior enlisted or making an asshat of yourself (and your MOS/COMMAND by proxy)

And for the sake of taking shots, some twats gain rank and just need something to bitch about since they’re usually being shit on for being a twat by peers and superiors alike. Just don’t wear the dang thing if it’s a local policy, one of those pick your battle type situations.

During the Vietnam War, the standard headcover was that ugly ass OD baseball cap. Guys in the bush preferred the bush hats because they have a full circle brim and make ya look all badass.

Best damm hat mad, Sun shield, rain stopper, command hated it because the brim was not starched and no one could see rank on it. No one in the bush lined the sides up, it kept the deal from going down your collar. Still have mine after 50 years, great when I cut the lawn

It is because you can not get it to "look sharp" like you can the patrol cap. And doing so would ruin the purpose of the boonie cap. it is meant to be ruffled in order to break up the outline of the head.

Now when we were in the field, we were allowed to wear the boony cap if we were going "soft covers".

Bonnie caps are my favorite piece of uniform clothing ever! I have them in a few different prints from various deployments and I wear them now as a retiree. I get they are not as sexy looking as a beret or as formal as other caps, but I wish they were a daily wear option, because they rock!