An optional component of the new Army Green Service Uniform that can be prescribed for wear by a commander in place of the standard Heritage Green 564 Garrison Cap, the Heritage Green Service cap is not only a unisex item, but also features a “crusher” style design that mimics the appearance of Service Caps worn Army Air Force crew members.
The term “crusher” is a reference to the appearance of Service Caps worn by flight crews over the course of many missions during World War II. Personnel would remove the ring supporting the crown to make the cap more comfortable, and without it the pressure of the radio headset bar would cause the middle of the cap to sag, and giving the front peak of the cap a more pronounced appearance. While this was a violation of uniform regulations, it would have been incredibly jejune to point out this technicality to members of flight crews who had managed to survive enough missions to cause the cap to take on this appearance in the first place.
More Items for Enlisted Soldiers (E-1 to E-9)
Another feature of the AGSU Service Cap is a new unisex Service Cap insignia, or cap device, for Enlisted Soldiers. Previous male and female Enlisted cap devices both feature the Coat of Arms of the United States, but on the male version it was attached it to a disc, while the female version placed the Coast of Arms a gold-colored metal ring measuring 1.75” in diameter. The new cap device eliminates the female version, with all Enlisted personnel wearing the cap device with Coat of Arms placed on a gold-colored disc.