Why is the boonie cap so demonized in the army?

As a physician I would think that using a full brim hat would actually be healthier tha a cap

Simple, the Army for the last 70 years has had no desire to look better than any other branch. Also, anything that makes sense is questioned with idiotic scrutiny i.e. you can't roll the sides of your boonie hat up like a "cowboy hat" looks unprofessional, but stickingbit on your head all wrinkled up is ok.

The Army has forgotten more of its own history and tradition that it no longer has a sense of pride. Example, the new "pinks and greens".....

The way regs are written is another issue. When the Army re-introduces something from the past, it is written as though it is something new, when in reality it's an old policy being brought back.

Finally, the Army G1 is incompetent and ignorant when explaining the regulations.

The military has never issued any headgear more practical than the boonie. I bought one at a flea market a few years ago that was a small notch too small and gave it to my son. He is retired Air Guard and had never seen one it is now his favorite hat for working outside. Outside of safety concerns, there is nothing in the entire uniform closet to beat it.

In my opinion, Boonie-hats should be the uniform of the day while in the field. In many combat units, it pretty much is! In mine, it was. The only one I liked more was the old "Ranger" patrolling hat. Kept your ears warmer. :) And to answer your question, many people, when they get into leadership positions, act as if they have a poker up their butts most of the time. My advice? Lighten up. Don't take yourself too seriously. If you can do that, the troops will work their asses off for you and make you a general someday! IMHO

Great question, I have often wondered this myself. Clearly it is the most effective cover, other than a Stetson, in the Army.

Like most things associated with combat/ combat arms some REMF officer wasn't issued one so he was
butt hurt and wrote a reg to eliminate them. Tankers lost tanker jackets and berets, Rangers lost black berets, etc.

Wore mine every day on deployment, and at the theater gateway before I got pushed forward. Pissed off the chain of command to no end and I was trying to care but...it just didn't work out.

As a retired Army medic wear it… I have said this before it shades eyes and head from sun burn… after serving in Middle East the boonie hat is the medics friend it saves on treating sun burns which are a disciplined offense or were when I was in.

Let me school you, and I am not making fun of you at all. The boonie cap, along with the fleece jacket, sunglasses and boot are the wheelhouse, bailiwick, purview of underemployed CSMs. CSMs have no function in life other than to make the lives of the troops under them miserable. They do this by sucking the joy out of the little things that make army life tolerable.

As you can tell, I loved my boonie hat.