Utility cover

USMC cover in 2002.
Utility covers. Clockwise from top left: woodland MARPAT, desert MARPAT, Navy Working Uniform, and M81 Woodland.

The utility cover, also known as the utility cap and eight-pointed cover, is the United States Marine Corps cap, worn with their utility uniform. It is an eight-pointed hat, with a visor similar to a baseball cap.[1] It is worn "blocked", that is, creased and peaked, for a sharper appearance.[2][3] It is also worn by the U.S. Navy units such as Seabees and Beachmasters. It is also worn with the newer Navy Working Uniform[4] as well as the Woodland BDU and Desert DCU uniform. It is also under consideration by the United States Coast Guard's uniform board, and has been publicly wear-tested by former Commandant Adm. Robert J. Papp, Jr.

History

The utility cover was first issued in World War II, with the Herringbone Twill utility uniform issued in 1943.[5] It was based on a US Army field cap design[6] and a railroad engineer cap.[7] World War II Marines nicknamed it the raider cap[8] from its use by the Marine Raiders. It was made from herringbone twill until 1959, when the material changed to cotton sateen.[9][10]

It is currently issued in desert and woodland MARPAT camouflage patterns, though older versions came in M81 woodland, six-color desert, three-color desert camouflage patterns and olive drab. All versions except those worn with the Navy Working Uniform, or those worn by Navy Seabees and Beachmasters, have the Marine Corps' Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia on the front above the bill, the Navy versions having the wearer's rank insignia instead.

Proper wear

During recruit training, Marine and Navy recruits are instructed in the proper method of wearing the utility cover. The proper manner to wear the utility cover is with the bill facing forward on the wearer's head and with the cover being aligned with the head (not 'leaning' to one side) and worn so as to appear horizontal from the side, not at an angle as a baseball cap is sometimes worn.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Uniforms of the Marine Corps from MarineParents.com: A Place to Connect & Share(tm)
  2. ↑ Marine Corps ALMAR ->MCBUL 1020. MARINE CORPS UNIFORM BOARD MEETING NR 190 AND 191
  3. ↑ Marine For Life - Marine Corps Uniforms
  4. ↑ New Navy Working Uniform and Service Uniform Concepts Approved
  5. ↑ "USMC WW II HBT Uniform". www.olive-drab.com. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  6. ↑ "Field Cap". www.olive-drab.com. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  7. ↑ p.26 Rottman, Gordon L. US Marine Corps 1941-45 Osprey Publishing, 1995
  8. ↑ p.18 Gilbert, Ed US Marine Corps Raider 1942-43 Osprey Publishing, 2006
  9. ↑ Marine Corps Utility Cap
  10. ↑ Vietnam Marines 1965-73. Osprey Publishing. 1992-11-26. ISBN 9781855322516.

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