Manufactured in the USA and Berry Amendment-compliant, these cap screws for the Navy’s Female Enlisted Combination Cover are used to secure the decorative chin strap.
In October 2015, the Navy announced in NAVADMIN 235/16 that the Female Enlisted Combination Hat—commonly referred to as a “bucket hat” or “bucket cover”—was being rapidly phased out and replaced by the White Hat worn by male Sailors E1 – E6. With this change, the Navy effectively eliminated the wear of any type of headgear insignia for Sailors in the E1 – E-3 rates because cap devices are not authorized for the White Hat and are authorized for Garrison Caps and the Eight Point Cap only when worn by Sailors in the rate of E4 or higher. In October 2016, female Sailors began wearing the White Hat, or Dixie Cup, with the Service Dress White jumpers, but pressure from some women Sailors led the Navy to allow females to continue wearing the Combination Cap with the old female Service Dress Blues, classifying it as an optional uniform. Currently, 31 December 2019 is the wear out date for the Female Enlisted Combination Cover.
The Navy also used the same Admin to announced the elimination of the Female Combination Cap for Officers and CPOs, with females given the option of wearing either the Men’s Combination Cap or the newly designed Alternate Combination Cover. After pressure from female Navy Officers protesting the added expensive the change would entail, the wear-out for bucket covers was moved forward to 31 October 2018 for the khaki version and 31 December 2019 for the white combo caps.