Baseball Caps and Collar Ranks: Army Considers First Major Uniform Update in Years

The contents of an Army G-1 memo were leaked online last week, detailing potential changes to the rank insignia locations, headgear, and other items. Uniform changes are not new to the military. Uniforms evolve over the years due to a variety of factors, including technology, suggestions from Soldiers, and even fashion choices.

The Army’s woolen blue field uniforms during the 1860s bear no resemblance to the modern OCP combat uniforms worn by Soldiers on the modern battlefield. Both field and garrison uniforms have evolved significantly over the two centuries of the Army’s existence.

“670-1 Changes Inbound”

According to a post last week on the r/Army subreddit, the Army is considering a number of uniform changes to Department of the Army Pamphlet 670-1, Appearance, Grooming, and Uniform Standards.

Maj. Travis Shaw, an Army spokesman, confirmed to Task and Purpose that the service “consistently reviews policy for improvement of standards with uniforms, grooming, and appearance.”

Shaw emphasized that “while maintaining uniformity, discipline, and readiness, current items referred to as possible changes are all pre-decisional and require a thorough review prior to final decisions.”

The current version of DA PAM 670-1 is dated 26 January 2021, so this would represent the first update to that guidance in five years. If the Uniform Board approves the changes, it is anticipated the Army will issue the new uniform guidance in conjunction with AUSA in October.

If the leak on Reddit is accurate, then the changes being considered appear to be minor rather than a wholesale revamp of Army uniform standards or uniforms. The changes being considered range from some already implemented (the requirement for highly shined Army Green Service Uniform brown shoes), to moving rank back to the collar for officers and Soldiers, to retaining the Army Service Uniform (“blues”) for officers. Other changes the Army is considering are adding or expanding authorizations for baseball caps, the wide-brimmed “boonie” hat, and the much maligned black beret.

One note in the proposed changes appears to be not a change at all, but more explicit guidance to the field on headgear with the AGSU in garrison: the garrison cap as primary headgear. Army personnel will be aware that the garrison cap is already the primary headgear with the AGSU. However, like many things, tradition sometimes overcomes guidance, and headgear with the AGSU is no different in that regard.

Despite the written guidance, a tradition has developed that for ceremonies and photos, the service cap has become the standard for officers. The supposition is that the new guidance will reinforce previous Army Regulations that officers and Soldiers will don the garrison cap with their “pinks and greens.”

What Soldiers Are Saying

Several Soldiers have voiced their opinions about the changes. One Soldier noted,

“What’s old is new again. We’re probably going to bring back black boots and start shining them.”

Though possibly proposed as a cost-saving measure, moving the rank from the sleeve to the collar for enlisted Soldiers has not been a popular decision among Soldiers.

Another Soldier stated, “I don’t know why they are going to collar rank for the dress shirt. The rank on the sleeves looks so much better.”

In a Facebook post from Johnny Vargas, of popular clothing line Ranger Up, announcing the changes, Soldiers likewise sounded off on moving the rank from the chest to the collar on ACU OCP uniforms.

One Soldier wrote, “The ranks on collars for enlisted are gonna look weird. So used to them being on BDUs/DCUs. Gonna be a little hard for me to imagine them on ACU OCPs.”

Another disagreed, “What’s old is new again. The chest rank location was just always bizarre.”

Many enlisted Soldiers were concerned about the cost, in particular the cost of removing rank from sleeves, and nearly everyone agreed that the clothing allowance was not sufficient to cover the cost of uniform changes.

One Soldier wrote on Facebook,

“I’ve only been in the Army since 2008. Since then, multiple uniforms have changed. Since being active-duty / AGR, each time the uniform changed, the clothing allowance seemed inadequate to cover even a fraction of the new uniform(s).”

This concern was echoed by many Soldiers, as when the standard allowance is unable to cover the full expense, service members are often left to cover the gap themselves, paying for their uniform in order to stay compliant with orders.

Looking Forward

As the proposed changes are merely under consideration by the Army Uniform Board, it is possible that only some or possibly none of the changes will be implemented.

The AUSA Annual Meeting and Expo is scheduled for 12-14 October, and in the past has been the venue for major announcements, including uniform changes.

That will be the venue to watch to see which of the proposed changes make it through the Headquarters Army process and into Army Regulation 670-1.