Author Topic: Army to finally ditch the beret. (Read 1290 times)

powderman · « **on:** June 15, 2011, 12:03:48 PM »

Quote

http://www.newsmax.com/US/Army-HatedBerets/2011/06/14/id/400067

About time. A foolish move to begin with. POWDERMAN.

KP · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2011, 10:05:19 PM »

Finally, I'm done with that stupid Q-tip on my head!

Conan The Librarian · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2011, 02:07:00 AM »

The new sombreros, turbans, and fezes that replace the berets are very dashing.

ironglow · « **Reply #3 on:** June 16, 2011, 02:39:22 AM »

The berets should have been left with the Rangers & Special Forces and then just for class-A usage, not practical for fatigue use.
Looks like they want to go back to those stupid baseball caps ! Not much improvement. The baseball cap is too casual, not 'military' enough (IMO).
The "blocked cap" which we wore in the 50's was the sharpest one, and darn right great for daily use..see Elvis' cap and field jacket below. While he was in the 3rd armored, I was in the 4th..see my own pic at the time (holding 90mm).
The Marines still have a crisp looking field cap, see also below..

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #4 on:** June 16, 2011, 06:00:53 AM »

In light of new developments do ya think KILTS will catch on ?

Sourdough · « **Reply #5 on:** June 16, 2011, 09:55:24 AM »

Ha KP glad to see you posting again. As for the Beret, it should have stayed with special forces. I agree with Ironglow, there was nothing wrong with the older hats. One thing I liked about the baseball type hat, I could stuff it in my pocket when inside. Being a Craftsman I needed both hands to work when coming inside and could not handle a hat, like the blocked ones.

I remember when the Air Force went to the Beret for women back in the 80s. Even they hated it. It did not last long there either. My wife refused to wear the Beret. She always wore the Dress Blue (Bucket) hat. The one with the white crown, heavier, but looked better.

BBF · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2011, 10:43:14 AM »

Everytime you got a new assignment that meant you packed your stuff into duffel bags, those flat top hats got bent out of shape and required to purchase of a new one. I liked those Garrison(?) caps we had for Class A.

A simple version would be ok with fatigues.

powderman · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2011, 10:49:21 AM »

Those berets always reminded me of a pic I saw of a guy at a ballgame with his bball cap on backwards and his hand above his eyes to shield the sun. POWDERMAN.

myronman3 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2011, 11:28:25 AM »

assigning berets to everyone was a collosal slap in the face to the guys who had earned the honor of wearing them. i was out of the military when that decision was made, but let me tell you it made my blood boil.
i am happy they finally corrected their mistake, it only took them about 10 years to figure it out.

OldSchoolRanger · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2011, 05:58:19 PM »

myronman3 - It's been an itch that I needed to scratch. I didn't want to be so blunt but I couldn't see much detail in your avatar. So here goes, where & when was that picture taken? Based on the fatigues, it looks circa 1970's, VN? Yes , No?
If you don't want to answer it's fine, or if you want to PM me, that's okay too. Thanks.

Now back to the local news (I also mentioned it in a post in the Today's Important News Section).
I agree with your post 100%, back then I even sent letters to my Senators & Reps. regarding this issue.

myronman3 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2011, 06:59:43 PM »

that picture was taken on sicily drop zone at fort bragg, north carolina after a rare daytime jump. i dont remember what the exact reason for the day jump was, but it was one of the six day jumps i did. it was in 1992 i believe. i was 19.

the guy over my shoulder scratching his nose was the most hardest, dangerous men i have ever met....and he taught me alot. he was largely responsible for everything i accomplished, as well as the rest of the guys in that picture. that was a hell of a group of guys there, a few guys from our squad was on another chalk, and werent in that picture. but a great group of guys, and the best soldiers i had ever met. if i could have hand picked guys to go into combat with, i couldnt have put together a better group of guys than that. pictured are... craig odom, me, bryan jones, tommy holdahl (featured in the book "airborne" by tom clancy), and ernst... (damned if i can remember his first name).

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2011, 03:36:08 AM »

If the elected had the respect for the military that the military had for govt. there would be no problem.

OldSchoolRanger · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2011, 06:49:54 AM »

myronman3,
Thanks for the info. The cammi's looked like the jungle fatigues we wore back in 70, I thought the brown (burnt) grass was the red clay of VN. Your just a little bit younger than me

.

Airborne all the way!

BTW if no one said it, thanks for your service!

BBF · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2011, 10:35:48 AM »

Quote from: Conan The Librarian on June 16, 2011, 02:07:00 AM

The new sombreros, turbans, and fezes that replace the berets are very dashing.

You can hide a snack under a feze, not a bad idea.

KP · « **Reply #14 on:** June 17, 2011, 11:28:04 AM »

Berets, ball caps, blocked hats, etc..., they are a sign of the background of the current 3 and 4 Stars in charge.

When I joined, we wore the blocked hats, because most of the Generals in charge were heavy mech or artillery. Then hear comes a push for everyone to be a light fighter, the Shenseki era. He had a light infantry background thus the beret became our head gear of choice.

What's next? I don't know.

gr8ful · « **Reply #15 on:** June 17, 2011, 12:36:08 PM »

given the current political climate and the push to normalize homosexuality my guess....tiaras.

ironglow · « **Reply #16 on:** June 17, 2011, 01:05:33 PM »

Quote from: gr8ful on June 17, 2011, 12:36:08 PM

given the current political climate and the push to normalize homosexuality my guess....tiaras.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
gr8ful;
you mean like ? ...

Old Fart · « **Reply #17 on:** June 17, 2011, 01:24:46 PM »

Okay this thread just went silly.....

jlwilliams · « **Reply #18 on:** June 17, 2011, 02:31:37 PM »

Quote from: Conan The Librarian on June 16, 2011, 02:07:00 AM

The new sombreros, turbans, and fezes that replace the berets are very dashing.

Tactical fez. Now we're getting somewhere!

littlecanoe · « **Reply #19 on:** June 18, 2011, 05:57:16 AM »

I like the idea of Spec Forces being able to keep the Beret. Regular forces should never have been able to adopt that symbol. The guys who earn (have earned) the right to wear that funny little hat have proven a deeper level of determination and fortitude and stand out in the crowd. In every way they have endured greatly to achieve their position. That should neither be taken away nor diluted.

lc

gr8ful · « **Reply #20 on:** June 18, 2011, 01:40:22 PM »

Quote from: littlecanoe on June 18, 2011, 05:57:16 AM

I like the idea of Spec Forces being able to keep the Beret. Regular forces should never have been able to adopt that symbol. The guys who earn (have earned) the right to wear that funny little hat have proven a deeper level of determination and fortitude and stand out in the crowd. In every way they have endured greatly to achieve their position. That should neither be taken away nor diluted.

lc

Jokes aside I agree whole heartedly.

myronman3 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 19, 2011, 04:17:06 AM »

i hear tell that now they are going to steal the calvary's stetson....and this is from a group of veterans/active service members that i keep in touch with. military intellegence, i tell ya.

BBF · « **Reply #22 on:** June 19, 2011, 09:20:56 AM »

What about that Smokey the Bear hat the DI's wear? Is that gone as well??

MGMorden · « **Reply #23 on:** June 20, 2011, 08:23:27 AM »

Quote

assigning berets to everyone was a collosal slap in the face to the guys who had earned the honor of wearing them. i was out of the military when that decision was made, but let me tell you it made my blood boil.
i am happy they finally corrected their mistake, it only took them about 10 years to figure it out.

If you'll notice in the article the black berets for the regular troops aren't being phased out completely - just for day to day duties. They'll still wear them during official ceremonies.

All in all, probably a good move. Practicality should always trump showboating. Not to mention that just personally, to me berets always looked to me like a foreign military thing anyways. If I saw one in a picture the first thing that popped into my mind wasn't "US Armed Forces", it was "French Foreign Legion". The regular brimmed hats look more American in style.

myronman3 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 22, 2011, 12:28:11 PM »

i never felt more american than when i was wearing my beret.

guys who earned their berets, know how to wear them. there is nothing worse than some dirtbag wearing a beret improperly. i remember the hours i would put in on breaking in and shaping a new beret. you wouldnt believe the work that goes into it, and i never minded it one bit.

OldSchoolRanger · « **Reply #25 on:** June 22, 2011, 06:37:30 PM »

Quote from: myronman3 on June 22, 2011, 12:28:11 PM

i never felt more american than when i was wearing my beret.

guys who earned their berets, know how to wear them. there is nothing worse than some dirtbag wearing a beret improperly. i remember the hours i would put in on breaking in and shaping a new beret. you wouldnt believe the work that goes into it, and i never minded it one bit.

+ 1 - Just like bloused Corcoran jump boots!

ironglow · « **Reply #26 on:** June 23, 2011, 04:33:53 AM »

Old School;
Hey, you didn't get some of those #10 cans from the mess hall... for boot blousing, did you ?