Action Lin #90712 -- Boonie Hat

  • Published
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint: 

I have looked at it in the Reg, addressed it with my chain and with MPF and nobody seems to have a definitive answer.

Can we wear the ABU Sun hat or "boonie cap" here at Incirlik?

I noticed people TDY here can wear them but it doesn't seem reasonable that people here for a short time are able to wear them but people who actually live here and walk/bike around approximately an hour per day to and from work, home and DFAC cannot. This sun is killer if you're exposed to it walking around every day; I think the sunhats would help.

Response: 

Thank you for your inquiry. Actually, wearing of the "boonie hat," a.k.a. "bush hat," at Incirlik by personnel assigned to Incirlik units, either in permanent-party status or deployed status, is not authorized. On June 10, 2009, the 98th Air Force Virtual Uniform Board disapproved a suggestion to authorize the wear of the boonie hat in all in-garrison and deployed locations, but affirmed that theater commanders may prescribe its wear in a theater of operations in accordance with AFI 36-2903. In this theater, special uniform requirements for deployed personnel are articulated in the HQ USAFE Reporting Instructions,as updated on June 15, 2009. These reporting instructions specifically forbid the wear of the "bush/jungle hat."

On the other hand, many of the deployed personnel we see here at Incirlik are actually in a transient status and are assigned or attached to units in the AFCENT AOR. HQ AFCENT Reporting Instructions, as updated July 1, 2009, specifically authorize the wear of the "floppy/boonie hat." So if you are assigned to USAFE, the "boonie hat" is not authorized but if you are assigned to AFCENT and on CED orders, the hat is authorized.