A patrol cap, also known as a field cap or soft cap, is a soft

kepi The kepi ( ) is a cap with a flat circular top and a peak, or visor. In English, the term is a loanword from , itself a re-spelled version of the , a diminutive form of , meaning . In Europe, the kepi is most commonly associated with French ...

constructed similarly to a

baseball cap A baseball cap is a type of soft cap, hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill projecting in front. The front of the hat typically displays a design or a logo (historically, usually only a sports team, namely a baseball team, or names of releva ...

, with a stiff, rounded

visor A visor (also spelled vizor) is a surface that protects the eyes, such as shading them from the sun or other bright light or protecting them from objects. Nowadays many visors are transparent, but before strong transparent substances such a ...

but featuring a flat top, worn by military personnel of some countries in the field when a

combat helmet A combat helmet, also called a ballistic helmet, battle helmet, or helmet system (for some Modular design, modular accessory-centric designs) is a type of helmet designed to serve as a piece of body armor intended to protect the wearer's head du ...

is not required.CAP, FIELD, M-1951
/ref>

History

U.S. Military

M1951 Field Cap and Ridgeway Cap

The M1951 Field Cap, introduced with the M1951 Uniform, was a derivative of the M1943 Field Cap, part of the M1943 Uniform. The M1951 cap was worn in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, where it became known as the "patrol cap" by the US Army Rangers there. It was constructed of wind-resistant olive-drab cotton poplin, and had a flannel wool panel that folded down to cover the ears and the back of the head. It was soft enough to be worn underneath an M1 helmet. M1951 Ridgeway Field Cap

During the Korean War, the cap was replaced by the Ridgway Cap (named for General

Matthew Ridgway Matthew Bunker Ridgway (3 March 1895 – 26 July 1993) was a senior officer in the United States Army, who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1952–1953) and the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1953–1955). Although he ...

), a stiffened version of the M1951 made by Falcon or Louisville Cap Company and known as the "Jump-Up" or "Spring-Up" cap. The hat became famous outside America after being worn by

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

. The patrol cap was replaced altogether in 1962 with a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

-like "Cap, Field (Hot Weather)"; during the Vietnam War in-country troops were issued the

boonie hat A boonie hat or booney hat is a type of wide-brim sun hat commonly used by military forces in hot tropical climates. Its design is similar to a bucket hat but with a stiffer brim. The Australian giggle hat has a thinner brim. Often a fabric ta ...

. In 1980, the Army introduced the

Battle Dress Uniform The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is a camouflaged combat uniform that was used by the United States Armed Forces as their standard combat uniform from the early 1980s to the mid-2000s. Since then, it has been replaced or supplanted in every bra ...

(BDU), which featured a patrol cap similar to the M1951 Field Cap, including the wool panel to cover the ears, except it was in Woodland camouflage. The BDU was replaced, starting in 2004, with the

Army Combat Uniform The Army Combat Uniform (ACU) is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and some elements of the U.S. Coast Guard. Within the Air Force and Space Force, it is referred to as the OCP ( Op ...

(ACU). Starting on June 14, 2001, Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki made the black beret the standard headgear for Soldiers in the garrison environment, with the exception of Airborne, Ranger and Special Forces units, which had been authorized to wear their own unique berets since the early 1980s. On June 14, 2011, the M1951/ACU soft patrol cap became once again the primary headgear for all Soldiers as the duty uniform headgear after a 10-year hiatus in favor of the beret, according to Army Directive 2001-11.

Modern patrol caps

In 1981, following the introduction of the M81 Battle Dress Uniform, the patrol cap was reintroduced.Battle Dress Uniform (Bdu)
/ref> The patrol cap continues to be worn with the

, introduced in 2004.Army Combat Uniform (ACU)
/ref> The materials are 50%

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

, 50%

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

blend. It has been available in different variants and patterns, such as hot weather models which have eliminated the ear flaps. Patrol caps are frequently modified with a "Ranger Roll", inspired by a common practice by U.S. Army Rangers in the

75th Ranger Regiment The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as the United States Army Rangers, Army Rangers, is the United States Army Special Operations Command's premier light infantry and direct-action raid force. The 75th Ranger Regiment is also part of Joint S ...

, in which the sides of the cap are rolled downward, removing the rigid "flat" top; though this is against regulations. Other unauthorized, but common styles of wear include the "Duckbill", the "MLB" and the "Wash and Wear". Patterns have included US Woodland, Six color desert camouflage (DBDU), Three color desert camouflage (DCU), Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), and Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). The ACU patrol cap features a

velcro Velcro IP Holdings LLC, trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced ), is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of ho ...

-backed patch on the back with the soldier's name printed on it and a small internal pocket, the soldier's rank insignia is pinned on the front, as seen in the image below. File:Army Combat Uniform.jpg, Two soldiers wearing the ACU, as well as a patrol cap (left) and

(right), both in the Universal Camouflage Pattern. File:USAF Airman Battle Uniform.jpg, USAF

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

wearing

Airman Battle Uniform The Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) is a U.S. camouflage combat uniform formerly worn by members of the United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and some civilian employees of the United States Department of the Air Force, U.S. Department ...

with digital tigerstripe-patterned patrol cap

Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces

The Ridgeway Cap, a stiffened version of the M1951 Patrol Cap made famous after being worn by Fidel Castro, is a standard issue cap in the

Cuban Revolutionary Army The Cuban Revolutionary Army () serve as the ground forces of Cuba. Formed in 1868 during the Ten Years' War, it was originally known as the Cuban Constitutional Army. Following the Cuban Revolution, the revolutionary military forces was recon ...

, and Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force. American style patrol caps were worn by Cuban soldiers before, and during the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

. After the Revolution, the patrol cap kept being issued to Cuban military personnel. It is most commonly seen in solid color olive drab, but Cuban patrol caps with camouflage patterns like the grey lizard pattern have been made.

Russia

The Russian army adopted the patrol cap when it adopted the woodland pattern Flora camouflage and then EMR camouflage VKBO uniforms in the early 2000s. There are two versions, a plain one worn by conscripts and a more elaborate one worn by kontrakniki and officers. File:Russiansoldiers-StP2.jpg, Russian soldiers wearing the plain patrol cap on Victory Day 2011 in St Petersburg. File:Проводы призванных в рамках мобилизации на площади Нахимова, 2022, 02.jpg, Russian troops, wearing the second more elaborate style of patrol cap, during 2022 Russian mobilization in

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

's Nakhimov Square.

References

{{Hats 2000s fashion Caps Military equipment of the United States United States Army uniforms United States Air Force uniforms Military hats