First Gulf War hat wear

[USMCRECON]

This is the Army patrol cap style cover I chose during my issue at CENTCOm, prior to deploying. I wore it throughout the deployment to DS/DS.

 

Just FYI, when SOCCENT deployed to the desert for the Gulf war, one of the SEAL augmentees deployed over wearing one-color tan utilities and matching Navy/Marine style cover. The cover had no EGA on it and he wore a small, black-painted Navy officer's eagle/anchors pin on it.

 

[taucco]

i am following with a great interest the whole discussion, it is becoming very interesting. Thanks for all your first hand stories.

The photo i posted is taken from the site warboats.org (i think i've already mentioned it), and the duck hunter vest in the background is not a frag vest, it is just a flotation vest. the very same model (or different model in same camo) can seldom still be seen in training photos.

 

if it can be of interest i made a search into some old SOF magazines and saw commercial patrol caps and boonies (but not 8 point covers) being sold as early as late 1985 "as just issued to RDF forces". Tan bdus and matching caps appeared late 1988, but i couldn't find any 8 point cover in desert camo ad.

 

Anyway i found this image of Schwarzkopf returning back in USA (MacDill AFB). Looks like almost no one in the crowd has the boonie hat.

sorry, i had to resize, but i have it in high resolution to appreciate the details.

[craig_pickrall]

This is a private purchase USMC utility cover dated 1988.

 

[coolcav20]

This is a private purchase USMC utility cover dated 1988.

 

 

Nice one.

[hink441]

On a somewhat related note, here is a picture of a USN Seal training for a maritime boarding party. This was during the Desert Shield/Storm time frame. He is wearing a cranial com helmet.

 

[MWalsh]

Here is a photo of LCpl Ruffini (me) circa 1990 - 91 (Either Saudi or southern Kuait / can't remember)

 

bought the "Cover" at Saigon Sam's surplus store in Jacksonville NC just prior to deploying to the gulf. These were not issue covers, but alot of guys bought them and wore them during Operation Desert Shield / Storm

 

S/F John

 

Ditto. My unit was never issued chocolate chip covers, just the boonies, so some guys bought the 'chip covers at a surplus store in Jacksonville. Been too long to remember the name, but probably the same one as John's.

 

Same went with helmet covers too. Weren't sure what we'd get later, so we bought what we could before leaving the U.S.

 

MW

[ArtyGny]

I was the Battery Gunnery Sergeant for Bravo, 1/12, USMC. We dployed to Okinawa in July of 1989 and re-deployed to the gulf in January, 1990. We went through the entire action with 3/12 but were attached to 10th Marines, 2ndMarDiv. IIRC most of the 10th Marines had no desert cammies. We were each issued 1 set of desert cammies and a desert boonie hat 2 weeks after the war ended so we would be dressed the same as all the other Marines when we returned to our homeport, Hawaii. Most of us received Large and Extra-Large sizes because that was all the system had, so we looked like ragamuffins but we were all the same color!

 

ArtyGny

[mideastsoldier]

My DS boonie has gone missing. Looking to replace it, if anyone has an issue 7 1/2 or larger for sale.

 

Thanks,

Matt

[32sbct]

I have seen quite a few USMC and Army patrol caps in six color desert and all of them were commercial copies. The first desert patrol caps I saw that were actual U.S. Army issue were the three color DCU patrol caps. Even though some Soldiers were "issued" six color caps, I'd bet they were commercially procured by someone in their unit and then issued to the Soldier. As in all things military, it is hard to ever say that something does not exist, but I have yet to see one. If someone has one, I'd like to see it.

[easterneagle87]

I was a Platoon Leader with 6-101st AVN. We were all issued 6 color Choco chip boonies (no veg loops) and 2 sets of 6 color deserts prior to deployment (AUG '90). A couple of my Warrants went and had their flight wings stitched above their rank. Nice touch as some of us had our Air Assault wings sewn above the rank on our kevlar covers, but I had to have them remove as it wasn't "authorized".

 

Had a platoon sgt's wife send him a 6 color patrol cap once we got to Saudi. Our CPT had kittens over it. The Sgt told him, if it's good enough for Stormin Norman, then it's good enough for him. It was the only one in our unit. He did look the odd duck as he was the only one.

[matty]

 

Picked this one up

[matty]

[flashesandovals]

Secret service?

If you look closely at that picture, you will notice that the shirts are not tucked in but that these guys are just carrying their gasmasks. The strap over the DBDU top makes it look like it's a trouser belt.

 

 

Two more...

One photo is of our Navy EOD team. Here they are wearing woodland pattern and you can clearly see the 8 point cover. These guys were some that I remember wearing the desert pattern 8 point cover, as well as desert boots, by the end of the war. I suspect they were private purchase that they had sent over. The EOD guys tended to do their own thing.

 

The other picture (you might recognize the president, but he's only a side note here) is mostly Marines. Look at the two guys on the far right of the photo and you'll see that one is wearing a boonie. You'll also notice they have their blouses tucked in. They're not Marines, they're Secret Service, so that's yet another group that could be seen sporting the desert pattern boonie...making it hands down the most popular head wear in theater. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/wink.png

[FtrPlt]

Wasn't there a ballcap version in 6-color as part of the original desert ensemble back in the 1980s? I need to search my computer but pretty sure I have a photo of one in wear. IIRC, it was a camo clone of the VN/70s-era hot weather field cap.