{{Short description|Soft cap worn by military personnel in the field}} [[Image:US Army Rangers field excercise.jpg|thumb|U.S. Army Rangers wearing "Ranger Roll" patrol caps, 1986]] A '''patrol cap''', also known as a '''field cap''' or '''soft cap''', is a soft kepi constructed similarly to a baseball cap, with a stiff, rounded visor but featuring a flat top, worn by military personnel of some countries in the field when a combat helmet is not required.<ref name=odcf>[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_clothing_m1951_cap_field.php CAP, FIELD, M-1951]</ref>
==History== ===U.S. Military=== ====M1951 Field Cap and Ridgeway Cap==== thumb|Two officers wearing the M1951 Field Cap-Anyang South Korea, Lt. Green and Captain Ray The '''M1951 Field Cap''', introduced with the M1951 Uniform, was a derivative of the '''M1943 Field Cap''', part of the M1943 Uniform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ciehub.info/clothing/CW/M1951/CapField.html|title=M-1951 Cotton Field Cap}}</ref><ref name=odcf /><ref>[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_clothing_combat_ww2_caps_field.php Field Cap]</ref> The M1951 cap was worn in the Korean War, where it became known as the "patrol cap" by the US Army Rangers there.<ref name=odcf /> 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.<ref name=odcf /> It was soft enough to be worn underneath an M1 helmet.<ref name=odcf /> thumb|M1951 Ridgeway Cap During the Korean War, the cap was replaced by the '''Ridgway Cap''' (named for General Matthew Ridgway), a stiffened version of the M1951 made by Falcon or Louisville Cap Company and known as the "Jump-Up" or "Spring-Up" cap.<ref name=odcf /> The hat became famous outside America after being worn by Fidel Castro. The patrol cap was replaced altogether in 1962 with a baseball-like "Cap, Field (Hot Weather)"; during the Vietnam War in-country troops were issued the boonie hat from 1967.<ref>[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_clothing_cap_field_hotweather.php Cap, Field (Hot Weather)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.vietnamgear.com/kit.aspx?kit=143 M1951 Field Cap<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In 1980, the Army introduced the Battle Dress Uniform (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 (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.<ref>[https://www.scribd.com/doc/57833855/Army-Directive-2011-11-001-the-changes-to-the-wearing-of-the-Army-Combat-Uniform Army Directive 2011-11]</ref>
====Modern patrol caps==== In 1981, following the introduction of the M81 Battle Dress Uniform, the patrol cap was reintroduced.<ref name="Battle Dress Uniform Bdu">[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_clothing_bdu.php Battle Dress Uniform (Bdu)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The patrol cap continues to be worn with the Army Combat Uniform, introduced in 2004.<ref name="Army Combat Uniform Acu">[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_clothing_acu.php Army Combat Uniform (ACU)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The materials are 50% cotton, 50% nylon blend.<ref name="Battle Dress Uniform Bdu"/> It has been available in different variants and patterns, such as hot weather models which have eliminated the ear flaps.<ref name="Battle Dress Uniform Bdu"/> Patrol caps are frequently modified with a "Ranger Roll", inspired by a common practice by U.S. Army Rangers in the 75th Ranger Regiment, in which the sides of the cap are rolled downward, removing the rigid "flat" top; though this is against regulations.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Nicholas |title=Run to the Sound of the Guns: The True Story of an American Ranger at War in Afghanistan and Iraq |last2=Bahmanyar |first2=Mir |date=November 13, 2018 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1472827067 |pages=27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=DePew |first=Doug |title=Recall! Return of the IRR |date=December 15, 2023 |pages=94 |asin=B0CQFGC14F}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Knopf |first=Christina M. |title=The Comic Art of War: a Critical Study of Military Cartoons, 1805/2014, With a Guide to Artists |date=2015 |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers |isbn=978-0-7864-9835-2 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina}}</ref> Other unauthorized, but common styles of wear include the "Duckbill", the "MLB" and the "Wash and Wear".<ref name=":0" />
Patterns have included US Woodland, Six color desert camouflage (DBDU), Three color desert camouflage (DCU), Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), and Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP).<ref name="Battle Dress Uniform Bdu"/><ref name="Army Combat Uniform Acu"/> The ACU patrol cap features a velcro-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.
<gallery widths="160" heights="200"> File:Army Combat Uniform.jpg|Two soldiers wearing the ACU, as well as a patrol cap (left) and boonie hat (right), both in the Universal Camouflage Pattern. File:USAF Airman Battle Uniform.jpg|USAF Captain wearing Airman Battle Uniform with digital tigerstripe-patterned patrol cap </gallery>
=== Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces === [[Image:Vladimir Putin in Cuba 14-17 December 2000-1.jpg|thumb|Former President of Cuba Fidel Castro meeting President of Russia Vladimir Putin while wearing a solid color olive drab Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces uniform with a patrol cap in December 2000.]]
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, and Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force. American style patrol caps were worn by Cuban soldiers before, and during the Cuban Revolution. 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dougherty |first=Martin |date=2017 |title=Camouflage at War: An Illustrated Guide from 1914 to the Present Day |publisher=Amber Books |isbn=978-1782744986|p=66 }}</ref>
===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. <gallery> File:Russiansoldiers-StP2.jpg|Russian soldiers wearing the initial 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's Nakhimov Square. </gallery>
==See also== {{Commons category|Field caps}} {{Commons category|Patrol caps}} *List of hat styles *Utility cover, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps equivalent *Side cap *Jeep cap *Headgear of the United States Army
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{US Army uniforms}} {{Hats}}
Category:2000s fashion Category:Caps Category:Military equipment of the United States Category:United States Army uniforms Category:United States Air Force uniforms Category:Military hats