The Cavalry Stetson is a cavalry traditional headgear within the United States Army, typical worn by cavalrymen in the late 1860s, named after its creator John B. Stetson.
In the modern U.S. Army, the Stetson was revived as an unofficial headgear for the sake of esprit de corps in the cavalry. Because they are not authorized by AR 670-1, the regulation for wear and appearance of the uniform, wear and use of the Stetson and associated spurs is regulated by a unit commander. What follows is one example of a cavalry squadron's policy on the wear of Stetsons:[1][2]
Stetson: The Stetson will be black in color. Rank and regimental or ordinary cavalry brass will adorn the Stetson. The braid will be worn around the base of the Stetson. Troopers will wear the appropriate braid color. Braid ends or acorns will be to the front of the Stetson and no more than an acorn length over the brim. Crossed sabers will be placed on the front of the Stetson. Organizational sabers are authorized if assigned or affiliated to the regiment. Rank will be worn 1/8" from the bottom of the sabers, centered.
a. General Officers: Solid Gold
b. Field Grade and Company Grade Officers: Gold and Black
c. Warrant Officer:
1: CW4,CW5 - Solid Silver
2: WO1,CW2,CW3 - Silver and Black
d. Non-Commissioned Officer: Yellow
1: The nape strap will be threaded through the appropriate eyelets in the brim of the Stetson so that strap goes around the back and the buckle is fastened and centered on the wearers head. 2: The sides of the crown shall not be pushed in or otherwise modified. The brim will be flat with a slight droop at the front. 3: The Stetson will be worn on the head with the brim parallel to the ground.
4: Occasions for wearing the Stetson: Squadron dining-ins/outs, formal events in dress blues, gatherings of spur holders, professional gatherings such as AAAA and any other event or function as designated by Saber 6.
Colored cords worn on the Stetson have evolved and expanded since their introduction in 1851. Below is a list of known cord colors and what they signified from 1851 through 1943:[3]
Branch
Primary Color
Secondary Color
Established
Adjutant General
Dark Blue
Scarlet
1936
Air Corps
Ultramarine
Golden Orange
1920
Armored
Green
White
1942
Cavalry
Yellow
1855
Chaplains
Black
Chemical Warfare
Cobalt Blue
Golden Yellow
1918
Coast Artillery
Scarlet
1902
Detached Enlisted Men
Green
Field Artillery
Scarlet
1851
Finance
Silver Gray
Golden Yellow
1921
Infantry
Light Blue
1851
Inspector General
Dark Blue
Light Blue
1936
Judge Advocate General
Dark Blue
White
1936
Medical Department
Maroon
White
1916
Military Intelligence
Golden Yellow
Purple
1936
Military Police
Yellow
Green
1922
National Guard Bureau
Dark Blue
1921
Ordnance
Crimson
Yellow
1921
Permanent Professor (USMA)
Scarlet
Silver Gray
1936
Quartermaster
Buff
1902
Signal
Orange
White
1902
Specialists' Reserve
Brown
Golden Yellow
1936
Tank Destroyer
Golden Orange
Black
1943
Transportation
Brick Red
Golden Yellow
1942
Warrant Officers
Brown
1936
Women's Army Corps
Old Gold
Moss Green
1942
On April Fools' Day, 2011, the U.S. Army released a humorous statement that the official black beret of the Army would be replaced by stetsons. Below is an excerpt from the full announcement:[4]
WASHINGTON, APRIL 1, 2011 -- In a fingertip-to-the-brim nod to its American frontier history, the Army is changing hats again - returning to the tumultuous days of the horse Cavalry in the wild west and adopting a dark blue Stetson as the official headgear for the current force of 1.1 million Soldiers. "We figure the Stetson will be popular with the troops," said Sgt. Maj. Bob S. Stone, Army Uniform Board headgear task force president. "It's been a while since we have changed the headgear, so it's time. Plus a Stetson is functional and down right American." But reminiscent of the controversial switch from the garrison cap to the black beret, the Army faces opposition from one community deeply opposed to losing its special identity with the Stetson - the Armor branch. "Why in the heck are they doing to us what they did to the snake-eaters'" asked one officer familiar with the board's deliberations. "If you ain't Cav, you ain't ought to be wearing a Cav hat. That just ain't right." [...] The Army's official adoption date of the Stetson will be April Fool's Day, 2012.
The statement was supplemented by pictures of soldiers with Cavalry Hats photoshopped over their berets, including a military working dog toting a stetson.
^"Army Regulation 670–1, Uniform and Insignia Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia", Department of the Army, dated 26 January 2021, last accessed 6 August 2022
^, mindspring.com, last updated 1 June 1997, last accessed 4 August 2022
^"Army Branch of Service Colors, Second World War"; "American Military Patches, Other Insignia and Decorations of World War Two;" by Dr. Howard G. Lanham; dated 2001; courtesy of angelfire.com; last accessed 4 August 2022
^"Stetson hat to be new Army standard headgear", Army.mil, by Army News Release, dated 1 April 2011, last accessed 6 August 2022
August 24, 2023
cavalry, stetson, cavalry, traditional, headgear, within, united, states, army, typical, worn, cavalrymen, late, 1860s, named, after, creator, john, stetson, with, commissioned, officer, yellow, corda, spur, holder, with, cavalry, regiment, instructs, candidat. The Cavalry Stetson is a cavalry traditional headgear within the United States Army typical worn by cavalrymen in the late 1860s named after its creator John B Stetson The Cavalry Stetson hat with non commissioned officer yellow cordA spur holder with the 4th Cavalry Regiment instructs candidates on the assembly of an M2 machine gun after their first try during the 2006 Spur Ride In the modern U S Army the Stetson was revived as an unofficial headgear for the sake of esprit de corps in the cavalry Because they are not authorized by AR 670 1 the regulation for wear and appearance of the uniform wear and use of the Stetson and associated spurs is regulated by a unit commander What follows is one example of a cavalry squadron s policy on the wear of Stetsons 1 2 LTC Bruce P Crandall Ret wearing Stetson with gold and black cord during his Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House 2008Stetson The Stetson will be black in color Rank and regimental or ordinary cavalry brass will adorn the Stetson The braid will be worn around the base of the Stetson Troopers will wear the appropriate braid color Braid ends or acorns will be to the front of the Stetson and no more than an acorn length over the brim Crossed sabers will be placed on the front of the Stetson Organizational sabers are authorized if assigned or affiliated to the regiment Rank will be worn 1 8 from the bottom of the sabers centered a General Officers Solid Gold b Field Grade and Company Grade Officers Gold and Black c Warrant Officer 1 CW4 CW5 Solid Silver 2 WO1 CW2 CW3 Silver and Black dd d Non Commissioned Officer Yellow1 The nape strap will be threaded through the appropriate eyelets in the brim of the Stetson so that strap goes around the back and the buckle is fastened and centered on the wearers head 2 The sides of the crown shall not be pushed in or otherwise modified The brim will be flat with a slight droop at the front 3 The Stetson will be worn on the head with the brim parallel to the ground 4 Occasions for wearing the Stetson Squadron dining ins outs formal events in dress blues gatherings of spur holders professional gatherings such as AAAA and any other event or function as designated by Saber 6 A U S Army NCO and officer wearing Cavalry Stetsons at a Dining in ceremony both affixing cavalry branch and rank insignias on their Stetsons with the NCO wearing a yellow cord and the officer a light infantry blue cord with yellow tipsColored cords worn on the Stetson have evolved and expanded since their introduction in 1851 Below is a list of known cord colors and what they signified from 1851 through 1943 3 Branch Primary Color Secondary Color EstablishedAdjutant General Dark Blue Scarlet 1936Air Corps Ultramarine Golden Orange 1920Armored Green White 1942Cavalry Yellow 1855Chaplains BlackChemical Warfare Cobalt Blue Golden Yellow 1918Coast Artillery Scarlet 1902Detached Enlisted Men GreenField Artillery Scarlet 1851Finance Silver Gray Golden Yellow 1921Infantry Light Blue 1851Inspector General Dark Blue Light Blue 1936Judge Advocate General Dark Blue White 1936Medical Department Maroon White 1916Military Intelligence Golden Yellow Purple 1936Military Police Yellow Green 1922National Guard Bureau Dark Blue 1921Ordnance Crimson Yellow 1921Permanent Professor USMA Scarlet Silver Gray 1936Quartermaster Buff 1902Signal Orange White 1902Specialists Reserve Brown Golden Yellow 1936Tank Destroyer Golden Orange Black 1943Transportation Brick Red Golden Yellow 1942Warrant Officers Brown 1936Women s Army Corps Old Gold Moss Green 1942Three of the five photographs accompanying the announcement on army milOn April Fools Day 2011 the U S Army released a humorous statement that the official black beret of the Army would be replaced by stetsons Below is an excerpt from the full announcement 4 WASHINGTON APRIL 1 2011 In a fingertip to the brim nod to its American frontier history the Army is changing hats again returning to the tumultuous days of the horse Cavalry in the wild west and adopting a dark blue Stetson as the official headgear for the current force of 1 1 million Soldiers We figure the Stetson will be popular with the troops said Sgt Maj Bob S Stone Army Uniform Board headgear task force president It s been a while since we have changed the headgear so it s time Plus a Stetson is functional and down right American But reminiscent of the controversial switch from the garrison cap to the black beret the Army faces opposition from one community deeply opposed to losing its special identity with the Stetson the Armor branch Why in the heck are they doing to us what they did to the snake eaters asked one officer familiar with the board s deliberations If you ain t Cav you ain t ought to be wearing a Cav hat That just ain t right The Army s official adoption date of the Stetson will be April Fool s Day 2012 The statement was supplemented by pictures of soldiers with Cavalry Hats photoshopped over their berets including a military working dog toting a stetson See also EditCavalry Combat Cavalry Badge Fiddler s Green Order of the Spur StetsonReferences Edit Army Regulation 670 1 Uniform and Insignia Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Department of the Army dated 26 January 2021 last accessed 6 August 2022 WEAR OF THE CAVALRY ACCOUTERMENTS mindspring com last updated 1 June 1997 last accessed 4 August 2022 Army Branch of Service Colors Second World War American Military Patches Other Insignia and Decorations of World War Two by Dr Howard G Lanham dated 2001 courtesy of angelfire com last accessed 4 August 2022 Stetson hat to be new Army standard headgear Army mil by Army News Release dated 1 April 2011 last accessed 6 August 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cavalry Stetson amp oldid 1163698530, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,