The Army's Cavalry Hat
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- End Screen Video: • The Future of the Blac...
The iconic Army Cavalry Hat has a storied origin. From a hallowed past, to youthful shenanigans, to a clever modern policy. It is worth understanding everything that makes this hat special.
#cavalry #airassaultforces #bureaucracy
www.linkedin.com/in/charles-weko
/ @the_bureaucrat
@chuck_weko
www.tiktok.com/@chuck_weko
chuckweko.subs...
Note: The views expressed in this video are the presenter's and do not represent the policy or guidance of the Department of Defense or its subordinate elements.
( • How to Apply the Joint... )
As an 11B who spent several years assigned to a cavalry regiment I keep my Stetson proudly displayed on my wall with my saber and spurs (gold & silver), albeit with a blue cord and acorns. 🤣 Allons!!!!!
Indeed...never saw anyone who didn't love that hat.
God bless you, Trooper.
Gold and Silver? F'n over achiever! Just joking Troop/Grunt. 😂 It would be a cold day in hell. That I ever "earned" the "Blue Cord" or "E.I.B.". Unless I was in the wrong place, at the right time? Or the right place, at the wrong time?
Then I'd just be an average Soldier, doing Soldier stuff?
But I never understood the "C.A.B." nonsense either. My last "deployment", my Lt. wanted to "put me in" for it... (First time he was ever shot at)... I told him nah, I already got two...
People and their bling? Bunch of tinhorns.
@@marcmurph6998 Much like my CIB, my gold spurs were right place, wrong time. My silver spurs were like the Troop organizational day, mandatory fun for everyone. We 11 series showed the 19 series that their spurs were no match for our EIBs. 🤣
AASLT and Mech are really Dragoons, in the truest sense: get there first with the most men . . . .
My uncle was in the US Army horse cavalry starting in 1938...In 1941 they were slated to go to the Philippines when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He ended up in North Africa and Europe in an armed reconnaissance unit.
That transition out of horse cavalry had some serious repercussions. In fact, some folks think that they are still echoing thru force structure decisions.
My great great uncle is burried at Ft Sam Houston. He served in the Cavalry at several West Tx posts. As a teen, he was a furrier, later a mule skinner on supply wagons, then a Cav soldier. He retired as a Sgt Maj.
Awesome!
The cavalry gets the glory, the infantry eats the dust. If you ain’t cav…, you ain’t…😎😂
My uncle was in the last cavalry unit in CONUS at Ft Huachuca. They were disbanded and motorized in 1942.
Alons. Always Forward. Black Horse.
Dust from horse hooves becomes dust from prop wash.
@@1ask2risk Always Black Horse, Allons!!!!
Hooah!! Gary Owen!!
One of the members of Henry Dodge's dragoons was my cousin Nathanial Boone, who is one of Daniel Boone's kids. Ironically, I ended up In 1/1 Cav in Buedingen, Germany as my first duty station as a 19 Detail.
The 1858 Hardee Hat is the original cowboy hat that inspired the Boss of the Plains Stetson. William Hardee, Jefferson Davis, were both in the Mexican American war of the 1840s with 1/1 Cav, and they most likely appropriated the hat from Mexican Lancers headgear. Hardee was supposedly commissioned to go to Europe when the Crimean war was going on, and that is where he was supposed to have got the design from, but I think the Lancer hat is where the Hardee Hat originally came from. It was a very practical design for campaigns in "The Great Desert."
Cool video. The Cav Hat is great info and is something I will tuck away for use at a later date. Thanks for the video.
I had never recognized the Hardee Hat before, but doing a bit of image searching...it does look like a very practical hat.
It's not a "Cavalry hat". It's called a campaign hat. And was issued to all soldiers, infantry, artillery, cavalry as well as all other branches of the army.
As for the "drill sergeant hat"? That was the last of the campaign hats that the army ever issued. It's known as the Montana peak campaign hat.
That thing about the "Cavalry Hat" is a funny quirk. Its the term used in the 1CD's MOI, but it seems like nobody uses that term. I get the sense that they are trying to avoid using an official term.
As a Soldier currently assigned to Ft Cavazos (formerly Ft Hood) I found this video really interesting! I knew the lineage hearkened back to the horse cavalry (I'm a huge John Wayne/Western Cavalry film fan) but I didn't know about the approval process and always assumed the Stetson was adopted at the highest levels due to tradition and respect. Can't believe it was a literal battle of the wills! HAHAHA, gotta love the Army.
"If you can't get rid of it, hammer it in!"
Huh...I didn't see that perspective. It was literally a battle of wills between the Soldiers and the Brass. Not only did the Soldiers win, but even today, the Brass kneel to this victory. Strange. It says something about something...I just don't quite know what.
The Continental Congress actually authorized cavalry units. Yes very limited cavalry was authorized periodically. He is right that the first permanent cavalry was finally formed in the q830s.
I think...without doing any research on the matter...that the origin of that comment about early cavalry units has to do with a small oddity with how Congress was managing force structure in the early days. At one point, they would direct specific unit types & sizes. Somewhere along the line, they started just specifying End Strength and letting the Services work out the details. I think that was in the mid-1900's. I believe the point about cavalry units is really about Congress explicitly requiring cavalry vs. simply allowing it. I might tie this point into a different discussion of force structure decisions.
@@the_bureaucrat Without looking into my source material, I believe that began shortly after WWI. There some excellent books covering the organization of the armies published some years ago. Congress literally authorized the army and provided the number and size, at time seemingly annually. I have those books at my new home and I still am in the process of moving.
I was in the First Team in the mid 80s- never seen a cab hat worn- our first Sargent had a Calvary saber he’d have it out waving it around, “knighting” soldiers with it. Getting everyone one hyped up, when we went out to NTC (national training center)
Interesting. I haven't heard of the "knighting" thing, but I bet the troops would like it (and it has the nice attribute that the brass wouldn't have to see it).
Excellent story telling and background. Thanks.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Funny thing is the infantry in the west wore a Hardee dress uniform hat for in the field in the mid to late 1860s.
Not a bad looking hat.
@@the_bureaucrat look up the modicum wars to see them used in the field, they shelaqued the crown and brim but left a one inch are where the brim met the crown unshelaqued to allow for sweat to escape.
@@scottdunkirk8198 - famously worn by the "Iron Brigade" in the civil war. They were also called the Black Hats. Respected by both Union and Southern troops as exceptionally disciplined and tough fighters. I wish we had a bit more of the type of regional pride and "flair" in US units the Brits have kept. Wisconsin guard should be rocking that hat.
@@nkgoodal
The primary reason the regiments that became the Iron Brigade wore the Hardee is that is what was available when they were supplied with uniforms in 1861.
@@nkgoodal also used in the west in the late 1860s and early 70s.
You might find this funny but As a UAV pilot I received both my silver and gold spurs. Some how when I was in Iraq we had some Air cave warent officers atached to my platoon at camp Taji in Iraq they gave us a very abbreviated spur ride. After PCSing to Fort Lewis I deployed with 8-1 CAV thus receiving my gold spurs.
Interesting. Don't tell anyone, but I was a Fire Support Officer for a Cav Troop back in the 90's. They let me participate in their spur ride. I couldn't for the life of me do a functions check on a Mark 19. Didn't pass. And you know what's funny? The troop liked me and my Soldiers MORE for failing...I think about that a lot.
When were you in Taji? I was there from April 2007 to January 2008 when we moved COB Spiecher
@@jameswhitfield6220 I spent most of my December 2009 to December 2010 tour their. I did about one month on camp falcon.
You better do a little more research into the history of the American revolution as a certain Gen. Casmir Pulaski is know as the "father of the American Cavalry" Mounted formations were not as hoc in the early days of the US Army.
Of course. We had cavalry formations. By "ad hoc" I don't mean to suggest that they were slipshod, rag tag groups. I mean they were formed by military leaders on the ground who recognized the need for organized cavalry. Not the result of Congressional direction & funding.
@@the_bureaucrat but it was the Continental Congress
Probabilly few know that, shortly after the end of the mexican war, the army issued shakos to replace the 1833 service cap, from what I read it was universally despised by either soldiers and officers, so, expecially those garrisoned in the hot climate of the west, started to wear felt hats. Then, before the ACW arrived the first real cavalry hat, the so called Hardee, and expecially in the west, during the civil war, more and more soldiers started to like and wear felt hats.
Shakos...dear god...I despise them and I just found out what they are. The Hardee makes a lot of sense.
6:31 Lt. Colonel Kilgore
Ah...
Cool video! I earned a Cav hat at 6-6 Cav. I always cringe when people pronounce it Calvary, where Jesus was crucified. I actually got called before an instructor in flight school for writing a scathing critique on his saying Calvary for the Cavalry block of instruction. I have a question. The two officers you refer to in the video and have pictures of one is an Army officer, and one is in a Navy uniform? Additionally, after retiring, I was an Army contractor. One of the units I assisted had hard hats, required on vehicles on the flight line, made to look like a Cav hat. I loved that!
Those two images that you refer to are almost certainly incorrect. My editor made a number of boo-boos in this video and had to keep going back redoing it...and by the time that it was down to those two images, I just said "good enough". I figured it would just be a fun easter egg for folks to comment on.
The steson makes a comeback! Prtty mych all Army CAV Unts are authorized to wear it now!
Good news!
🤠proud to have been Air Cav in my Army career.
No doubt. It's a rewarding experience.
CAVALRY SCOUT 19D, in the 1980's, M-113 APC was our horse 🐎🐎🐎
And a trusty steed she was.
Remember if you Ain't CAV...you don't get the cool hat! 😎
And it is a very cool hat. 🤠
What is very unique to the U.S. Army? Is "regulations", "laws", "customs" and "traditions".
None of which! Are the same, right, or wrong. American Soldiers/Citizens, "Disobeying laws" and "regulations"... Is what mostly started the war, that made us a "Sovereign Nation"! ....
I "earned" my "Gold Spurs", and my right to wear them, and "The Stetson". If I'm so inclined. Which I am not. Very good and useful hat though!
I was never a "U.S. Marine". So I don't need a "title" or have any "bumper sticker".
I'm just an American. I have the "spurs" and a "hat", ... to prove it!
"This we'll Defend"!
Well said!
This was a fun video. I have photos of my father in the army of the 30’s (need to hurry up with that sort of shorthand expression) wearing what was then referred to as the campaign hat. I used to play around wearing it (along with his Sam Browne belt) as a kid. One of my career desires - fulfilled over 32 years - was never, despite being an armor officer, to have to wear that hat. Did have to wear western-type neckerchiefs in the 6th ACR in the 50’s, but the hat had yet to catch on, thank God.
I always think its funny when people have career goals to "never" do something. My career goal was to "never have anything named after me."
Retired SCOUT (24yrs) here, it is Not a hat IT'S A STETSON!
GARRY OWENS, OUT FRONT!
Always remember "IF YOU AIN'T CAV, YOU AIN'T $#IT!" 😂
Aman truth and courage 5th reg 1st cav gold and silver spur iraq vet
I believe you on the "it's a Stetson" part, but the MOI calls it a "hat"...probably to avoid the connotation that the Army is sponsoring a specific company...1cda.org/wp-content/uploads/MOI_August-2021.pdf
Member of the Order of St George and Order of Golden Spur. 19K and 19A.
Silver and gold 19k iraq
Golden Spurs...excellent.
My dad was 1st Cav and I never have seen any photos of him wearing that hat. I do recall him telling me of some of the old Sargent's going ashore in the Philistines carrying saddles?
That's strange. 1st Cav takes great pride in the Stetson and there is not requirement to "earn" them (unlike the spurs).
It's only in recent years (post 9/11) that 1st Cav went total cowboy again. I was part of them from 86-92 and the only time a Stetson came out was for dress uniform use. Otherwise, post Vietnam , pre Desert Storm, it was black beret, baseball cap, regular fatigues etc.
So, somebody is fabricating somewhere.
(From 70's thru the mid 80's, cav units , including divisional cav, wore black berets as a sign of unit uniquenes. As part of 3rd Cav in early 80's, I don't ever recall us wearing a stetson or a beret)
I wore mine in Baghdad
I bet that felt great.
Thank you!
You are welcome.
AR-670-1 also did not provide for the wear of cavalry brass, only armor brass. Yet, I knew of no Cav Scouts that wore armor brass on their Class A uniform. Maybe for their DA picture, but not routinely. At least as routinely such field rats ever wore their Class A's anyway, rather than just displaying it in a locker.
I think the cavalry insignia is in DA PAM 670-1 21-10 c(9), but when it comes to the 670 series, I'm cautious about interpreting too much.
In Vietnam, we had "Aero Rifleman", MOS 11D, assigned to Air Troops. If you were assigned to Air Cav, you wore crossed sabers. When Vietnam wound down, the Army phased out the Aero Rifleman. Many of them ETS'd or were reclassified as 64C's, 63B's, 67N's, etc. None that I know of transferred to the Armored Branch when it left the 11 series and became the 19 series.
I was 11th ACR, and we were allowed to participate in the Hat and Spurs problem. Combat or an established course in peacetime. I know we were allowed the Stetson, but understood our Official Cav Hat was the campaign hat. I reckon that has to do with the establishment of the 11th ACR. Post Stetson.
The Hat & Spurs thing goes deeper. It seems like there has been a lengthy history of working this out.
Allons!
The Philadelphia Horse Troop dates crack to 1777.
Yup. My point is that the Philadelphia Committee of Safety established that group to protect the First Continental Congress. It wasn't authorized by Congress itself. There's lots of great examples of American leaders recognizing the need for mounted troops before Congress got around to requiring them.
I hold the Order of St. Barbara and the Order of St. George. I served in the 1st CAV between 1990 and 1994. I never bought a "Cav Hat."
St. Barbara and St. George...quite the combination.
@@the_bureaucrat They gave the lowest degree of the Order of St. George to everyone who served in 1st CAV in the Gulf War. I was an FA Officer, but was inducted into the Order of St. Barbara while I was DivArty S-2 as an MI officer. I got both as BDE-level S-2s, Maneuver BDE and DivArty.. (My time as a LT was in units where they did does not give the St Barbara's Medel to LTs and you had to "be present to win.")
The US had light cavalry until the Tank Corps and the Armor Branch. That was the beginning of Heavy Cavalry in the US Army.
Before we had formal Cavalry (they were Dragons) we had Cavalry units in the Revolution ("Lighthorse" Harry Lee) and The War of 1812 (President Buchanan, our only NCO President, served in the War of 1812 in a Cavlary unit)
Can't argue with that.
Hang on...Buchanan was an NCO? (he was from my home state...never heard that)
So it's an EO that is traditionally continued each change of command? Very interesting story! Thanks!
An MOI (Memorandum of Instruction)...not an EO (Executive Order). EOs come from the President. MOIs come from the command.
@@the_bureaucrat yes lol, Presidential EO...I didn't know what they called it at a military level, MOI. I'm learning more and more at this well of info...Thanks!
When I was a sales rep for Stetson I sold 1000’s of Cavalry hats to the Shops around Ft. Benning
Love it, two company grades establishing a tradition! Those two CPTs knew how to both please their Soldiers and their battalion commander. Stockton should have taken a cav hat to the CG. You cannot refuse a gift easily, rspecially when it's offered with "My troops love this hat and want you to have one." Still have my Stetson and love it.
(1) Indeed, 2 CPTs created a lasting tradition. Quite an accomplishment.
(2) You are 100% right. The CPTs used the "gift trick" and the LTC could have done the same thing. That would have been brilliant.
Been over 40 yrs but still have my Stetson, spurs and saber in a display case in my office!
Pretty awesome, huh?
1833 is not the first official mounted units- they were not "ad hoc" during the revolution or before 1833.
The Continental Congress authorized dragoons in 1776 and got up to 4 dragoon regiments in the Continental Army, plus mounted units in the mixed Legions.
Remember also that the early American military was highly militia based. So you also have the state raised units during the revolution. But more importantly, after the Revolution, the army was almost entirely state militias. We have to remember that, unlike today, the standing Regular Army was a token force of full time soldiers and the state controlled militia units was the primary force. The Second Militia Acts of 1792 required every state to have dragoons. They had to have at least one troop of horse and one company of artillery for every battalion of infantry (which was based on population) but not more than 9% of the state forces could be artillery and dragoons.
Within the Regular US Army, the Congress raised a Squadron of Light Sragoons in 1792. A Regiment of Light Dragoons was authorized in 1808 and a second in 1812 with both serving in the War of 1812. They were disbanded after the war to save costs (token Regular Army and small standing army).
Stetsons arent only authorized through that MOI. Other units outside 1CD have their own momoranda or orders. And various versions of AR670-1 over the years have also addressed them- generally as optional "organizational" items. I.e. at times the language of the AR was broad enough to include Stetsons and spurs when authorized by commanders.
Fascinating.
As a Paratrooper, I wore my beret with pride...foreign or not, its tradition amongst paratroopers.
After 9/11 a co-worker that was in a marine reserve unit out of San Antonio deployed with said unit.
He sent word back requesting black cowboy hats for his men...cause they were from TX.
I had to explain to my other coworker who was attempting to find some hats...and is a marine fanboy...that the Army still had troops that wore Stetsons...and they would likely take serious offense to this.
They never got those hats..
Interesting. I've worked with a number of folks from Texas...they always look for a way to distinguish themselves.
@@the_bureaucrat
I lived in Tx, the most overrated state..
Omg, that is such an awesome story! I loved it! ❤
Glad I could share.
As a former trooper in D 3/5 Cavalry 1976-1979. My thanks and gratitude will always go out to those who were “Black Knights “ during the war in Vietnam. First to fight!
I gotta say, modern military folks owe a great deal to the Vietnam era guys.
Garryowen!
Just listened to the Army Band Strings playing that tune...who needs coffee when you have Garryowen?
I watched both this video and the one on berets. The Air Force is currently facing the same thing over boonie hats. The troops in the sun want them and the brass hates them. One base in south Texas recently approved it for wear with the the ABU (or whatever the current work/combat uniform is called) due to the its popularity and it’s better sun protection. At the same time however Nellis AFB in Nevada denied the same request. I expect the movement is gaining momentum though and is inevitable. I hope so: the Beetle Bailey cap always sucked. The M.T.I.s called the issue cap a “sunburn hat.”
I gotta give props the the MTIs for branding the issue cap a "sunburn hat". Part of convincing folks to make a change is getting them to understand the flaw in the status quo. And attaching a problem to the item is brilliant.
I served in the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in the early 80s. I would have loved it if we could wear Stetsons. Alas, what I remember is that any attempt to set our uniform apart as Cav was ruthlessly crushed. Even wearing a Border tab on our hats did not fly LOL. I salute the units that brought the cav hat back even if only for ceremonies and bashes - Toujour Pret.
The fight never seems to end.
In 83-84 I did a tour in Korea with D Troop 4/7 Cav. At that time only officers were allowed to wear the Stetson. It could be worn while in uniform but only 'off duty' or during special events. I just opened my year book and there isn't a single photo of anybody wearing one. I would have to think it was just too impractical, not to mention spendy as a non-issued item, to be worn everyday. They are cool though. 🫡 Garry Owen!
Spendy is right...on the order of $320.
I was wearing a Stetson Cav hat since 1996 for special occasions. My units during my career was Air Cav and Armored Cav, deployed as both, so I guess I earned the honor.
No doubt you earned it.
At least it's Functional!
Helps keep the rain and sun off you!
And it's American! Unlike the (berret)
That is of French origin.?
Bingo! The Cav Hat is a practical piece of gear. The beret? That's only practical if you're trying to pick up girls at the local poetry reading.
When my daughter gets married in august I will be wearing my Stetson as a prior cav guy ( retired now )
Awesome. Stetsons matter a lot to the folks in uniform, but they seem to mean even more to retirees.
@@the_bureaucrat we served a good portion of of our lives ( 23 yrs in my case ) and our pride shows when wearing our dress blues with our Stetson . 👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Isn't it supposed to be your daughter's day?
@@dw7094 it was her request . I didn’t necessarily want to buy new trousers because I gained some weight over the last 25 yrs.
ITS kav-uhl-ree NOT kal-vuh-ree. You automatically lose all creditably because of it. The first is a mobile Army unit The second is as a open air representation of the crucifixion of Jesus.
Credibility? Among the Cavalry? I lost that when I didn't make it thru the Spur Ride.
I was an Armor HHC Cdr in Iraq and as part of our redeployment home, we transitioned to a Cav Sqn. I was a renegade even as a CPT so i authorized everyone in the unit to wear a stetson even though the Sqn Cdr had not authorized it yet. I even published a MOI for it. I set the example for others to follow. Eventually, after several months, the Sqn Cdr finally authorized it for the entire Sqn and most everyone was wearing one. I love the stetson as a unique as well as practical headgear. Keeps out the sun and rain and keeps the head warm in winter.
Sounds like you were in keeping with the very heart of the Cavalry traditions. 🫡
If I'm on the back of a horse, I'm wearing a helmet-- if it's good enough for cops, jockeys and equestrians, it's good enough for the US Army.
That is a funny point. Hadn't thought of that.
"There were these two captains..." Wait. One of these pictures is that of a naval officer. I assume one had prior service with the Navy before crossing over to the Army.
I'm going to pick "Blame Someone Else for $500, Alex.
Calvary is a mountain in the Bible.
Cavalry is mounted soldiers.
So true...just goes to prove I never earned the hat or the spurs.
The only beurocrat I can stand.
You have no idea what a completement that is to me.
i think you meant to say Lt. "Colonel" Kilgore.
I might have. Despite doing retakes, I sometimes miss stuff.
Why the pic of the naval officer?
I'm going to blame my video editor.
3 ACR Blood & Steel , AyeeAh !
You got me on the run already.
It's a Cover, not a Hat!!
For some reason, 1CD uses the word "Hat" in all their materials. I think its to avoid using a brand name. But I agree with you...who the heck calls it a "hat".
Interesting! Where do the 4 Continental Dragoon Regiments fit into this? As I understand, they were used as scouts, couriers, as well as actually conducting charges.
When it comes to Military History, I'm pretty weak. I'm much more about the MOI and Federal Register than the use of the troops.
Been a insurance broker for years. But somehow can relate to that black hearted Bureaucrat
We are legion.
Can you make a video on the AGR program please!
I can. That's a good idea.
If you ain't Cav, you ain't...........
I'm guessing you is?
The CAV hat is cool AF!
Isn't it though?
Chuck doesn't respond like all UA-camrs
What do you mean?
@the_bureaucrat I made a comment on another video that was lengthy, but the bureaucrat became like the Army. No response!
I am remembering that there were no CSMs in the time of the story of the hat. I went in 65, and I am thinking CSMs were later. Woolridge was MSG when I was in RVN in 67.
True. Units had SGM’s, not CSM’s, in your time. But Woolridge had been the SGM of the 24th Mech Div in Europe. That’s where his troubles later came to light, but everybody knew in Europe that dipping into slot machine winnings at officer, NCO, and EM clubs were part of the SGMs’ gift back then.
Now that you mention it...I have to be wrong about the rank. I just don't really know what the right thing is.
@@jastdi2 According to COL Lonesome End Carpenter, the investigating Officer, Woolridge was raking $50K a year from the Long Binh Club System.
Proud to say I did a Spur Ride for Silver and payed my dues for Gold Spurs and my Stetson 🫡🇺🇸
That is something to be proud of. I didn't succeed at the Spur Ride. It's no joke.