A military tiara is a type of ceremonial headdress worn by female military officers during formal occasions. It is authorized for indoor wear by some senior, female officers of the United States' uniformed services while in mess dress. Beginning with the Marine Corps in 1973, individual service branches have gradually abolished use of the tiara. The

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

does not wear tiaras and has never authorized wear of a military tiara.

NOAA Corps

The NOAA Corps authorizes the optional wear of a black tiara by female commanders and higher-ranked officers with mess dress while indoors.

Public Health Service

The PHS Commissioned Corps abolished use of the tiara as an optional uniform accessory effective August 1, 2009.

United States Air Force

The

has not adopted a tiara as a uniform component.

United States Army

The

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

tiara was blue with gold oak leaves and was authorized for optional wear by female colonels and higher-ranked officers with mess dress while indoors.

United States Coast Guard

In 2011 the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

deauthorized use of the Coast Guard tiara as an optional uniform item. At this time the tiara was also deauthorized for use by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

United States Marine Corps

The

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(USMC) tiara was originally patterned in red with gold embellishments. It was designed by Mainbocher for Colonel Katherine Amelia Towle and debuted by her, along with Mainbocher's prototype of the first Marine Corps women's evening dress uniform, at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball in November 1950. Following the promotion of Colonel Margaret Henderson to Director of Women Marines, the tiara was refashioned in black; Henderson reportedly found the red tiara unflattering to her as she had

red hair Red hair, also known as ginger hair, is a human hair color found in 2–6% of people of northern Europe, Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and lesser frequency in other populations. It is most common in individuals Zygosity#Homozy ...

. Always an optional uniform item, in 1973 it was abolished altogether.

United States Navy

The

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

tiara was a crescent shaped hat made of black velvet and authorized for optional wear by female commanders and higher-ranked officers with mess dress while indoors. By 2015 the Navy reported very few sales of tiaras and the item was discontinued as an optional uniform accessory effective October 1, 2016. As of 14 Feb 2024 the United States Navy has reauthorized the tiara.NAVADMIN 034/24

References

{{reflist, 30em Military uniforms Hats Women in the United States military