Here’s why military hats have velcro


Hats! People wear them. For people in the military, they serve a couple of important roles. Noticably, pretty much all tactical hats have a prominent velcro patch on the front.

Military hats have velcro on them in order to accommodate IR flags, which are used to identify friendly units in dark battlefields from above or from the front. In daylight, some soldiers will also use the velcro to express themselves with various patches.

Yes, that is literally the only reason that tactical hats have velcro on them. It’s just a convenient place to put a patch and not really much else. But what kinds of patches can be worn on tactical hats in the military? what makes a tactical hat different than an ordinary hat. And what is IR?

IR Patches

The IR here stands for “Infrared.” IR flags are designed to appear blank to the human eye, but to show up with a design or name when looked at through any kind of infrared detector. These usually depict national flags, and they have utility not only on the battlefield but also above it

The same kind of IR patches that allow soldiers to discern between friend and foe can also help air support and extraction helicopters figure out who they’re supposed to be picking up. This kind of IR patch is called a “glint square.”

Being able to identify friend from foe in the dark is a tactical advantage especially when the opponent doesn’t have access to night vision equipment. It can literally save lives, which is why if you wear an IR patch it’s important to make sure that it reflects only what it’s supposed to, as if it reflects any other light that can interfere with its function.

Militaries aren’t the only organizations using IR identification devices. Swat teams and other law enforcement also sometimes use IR to determine friend from foe.

Patches And The Military

Patches have been worn in the United States military ever since the Civil War, where they were usually made by soldiers’ wives, girlfriends or mothers as personal identification.

Later, in World War One, the first patches meant to identify an entire unit were used by the 81st division, the Wildcats.

The first ones were simple enough, just an olive colored sillouette of a wildcat for use only by that division, but the idea quickly caught on with the rest of the military.

By World War Two, every unit in the military had their own identifying patch to wear with their own design. The patches of this era served more different purposes. They were custom made and showed things like rank and division along with other useful information.

These patches were fairly varied, and one soldier could end up having a lot of them when they started to get up in the ranks. They were also quite colorful.

These bright and varied patches would eventually evolve into our modern patches which have a more subdued tone, and aren’t worn in quite the ame quantities. That is not to say that these patches have less of an important place in the military culture, however.

Types Of Patches In The Military

Aside from IR identificaion, there are basically two kinds of patches worn in the modern miltary: insignia patches, and morale patches.

Insignia patches, officially known as unit patches, are patches that show the symbol of the soldier’s unit. These are technically the only patches that are supposed to be worn in the military, and when people are at their hom base they are usually the only kind that they wear.

Morale patches are any other kind of patch that isn’t a unit patch, including tactical patches. These patches can have anything on them from a short word or phrase to an interesting graphic.

Because they technically aren’t allowed, they are usually aren’t worn except when people are actually out in the field, where dress codes tend to be a little more relaxed.

The kind of patch that’s most likely to be on a tactical hat is called a tactical patch. These are a kind of morale patch that usually has some kind of design.

These patches are often sold by third party manufacturers to soldiers who want to personalize their uniform while they’re out on a tour.

Obviously, if you aren’t in the military or are on vacation, you can wear whatever cool patch you want on your hat and no-one can stop you. However, if you are in the military and might cause problems by doing so, it’s best to avoid wearing patches other that those that are usually allowed.

US flag patch with dog tag on Army Combat Uniform background

What Is A Tactical Hat?

Tactical hats look a lot like ordinary baseball caps or wide brimmed hats, although there is a big difference in the way that they are built.

Aside from the velcro on the fron of the hat for attaching patches to, tactical hats also tend to have good ventilation to prevent overheating during strenuous activites such as combat or excersises.

These hats are built to be durable and to protect the wearer in both the sun and the rain. These hats are quite useful to anyone who is going to be in harsh conditions. Because of this, tactical hats are good for more than just keeping the sun out of your eyes.

Why are they called tactical hats? For the same reason a tactical knife is called a tactical knife, or a tactical patch is called a tactical patch: Marketing.

Yes, tactical hats are manufactured by non-military manufacturers and can be purchased commercially, which shouldn’t be surprising considering that they aren’t really weapons and so there’s no real reason for them to be restricted.

They also happen to be great for all sorts of outdoor activities like hiking, camping, or hunting. If you already have a hat that you love, there’s no reason to throw it away and buy a new one, but if you’re in the market for a good durable hat that won’t get too hot, then a tactical hat might be a good investment for you.

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