Why is the boonie cap so demonized in the army?

I remember the 20th EN Bde in 2008 in Iraq hated the boogie cap. Kind of made little to no sense to me I figure they'll be a bunch of skin cancer from that. Though on a deployment in Kuwait out at Camp Buehring the wind tended to make boonie cap wearing impractical so I stuck with the patrol cap. There is something to the variations in wearing the boonie that tends to give SGMs the heebie-jeeblies. Soldiers jazz up their patrol caps so no accounting for that reason either.

I wore the boonie hat in 1969 while stationed at a NATO special weapons site in West Germany. The NATO site was located deep into the German forest so we were isolated from other military installations and towns at our site. We had to wear that ugly baseball style cap during guard mount inspection with our steel pot helmets and liners which we carried. When on duty in the special weapons exclusion zone I changed
my headgear over to the boonie hat which I still have bringing it back to the states.

Insert smart ass remark here. We wore them in the field at Polk as OPFOR. We wore the OG ball cap when in garrison. I'm all for anything that better keeps the sun off my melon.

Heck if I know. The only time this came up was on deployment. We were issued the boonie and told not to wear it. One day, the BC and CSM came in wearing it. The next day, I did too. I was immediately chastised: “You think just because the commander and CSM wore it, you can too?” Um… yeah. That’s exactly how that works. Not a fight that I won, nor was it even worth my time. I’m pretty sure they were trying to get me to quit.

As a Marine (outside looking in) I would say that it is based on the same reason you decided to give everyone a "Beret". Which, to me, is the same reason children get a "participation" trophy. So that nobody's feelings will be hurt. Nobody will feel "SPECIAL" Uniformity is wonderful, up to a point. It seems as if they purposely took away the visible pride (not that rainbow kind) and and distinction the Green Beanies and Rangers EARNED and displayed through their DISTINCTIVE headgear. Why the Army dislikes distinctive headgear and distinctive effort I don't know. I believe that the Army dislikes people who make an effort to be "All They Can Be" and rewards passive conformity instead. In other words. Please do not attempt to excel. Please do not attempt to appear aggressive or competitive. Just be good little "Cannon Fodder". After all, it is all about numbers, not about individual effort and esprit de corps. We (Marines) all look alike and all look like we are in the "Boonies" or are all prepared for conflict at ALL times because we are ALL Marines and are ALL wanting to be in the thick of things. The basic mission of EVERY Marine is a basic rifleman. Our primary Occupational Speciality is BRINGER OF DEATH. We are ALWAYS dressed for war. The only reason we need "Boonie Hats" is because it is purposeful for the situation at hand and we always train for ANY and EVERY situation at hand. We do NOT look at field training as a stinking "Camping Trip".

I say just wear what you are comfortable with and if it is the boonie cap, so be it. I know I prefer them.

SSG Thompson, the Boonie hat may have prevented the Skin Cancer on my neck and ears. I fought with every CSM and Battalion/Brigade Commander I served with in Iraq over this subject. A big difference from Rangers. Numerous deployments to the desert with over 63 months from Libya to Turkmenistan and had to give up the Boonie for 16 months in Iraq.

Don't know, but I still have my old boonie hat fron 'Nam (believe it or not) and it's one of my most prized pieces of headgear!

I'd be curious how often it is actually an issue. DA Pam 670-1 states, among other things, that it is authorized "in field environments when the advanced combat helmet is not worn" It is true that I have been retired for a good stretch now, but almost always "in field environments" I recall the helmet as the only headgear.

My Cav Troop referred to the Boonie as the Field Stetson.