Second Lieutenant cap rank insignia is authorized for wear on
berets and, since November 2018, on the new
Garrison Cap worn with the new Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU). It was also worn on the Garrison Cap issued with the old Army Green Uniform that was replaced by the blue Army Service Uniform introduced in the mid-2000s (the Green uniform's final wear-out date was 30 September 2015;
we still offer that uniform's Garrison Cap for veterans who have opted to retain the Class A Army Green Service Uniform they wore during their time in service, as well as for collectors, uniform enthusiasts, and film production companies seeking authentic, Mil-Spec uniform items.
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The Second Lieutenant rank insignia of a single gold-colored bar was introduced in 1917 at almost the same time as the Garrison Cap—and both uniform components were birthed out of necessity. The need for a 2nd Lieutenant insignia was compounded by the flood of junior officers being hurriedly commissioned to lead the Soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force, which exploded from just 14,000 stationed in France in June 1917 to over 1 million by May 1918.
More Army 2nd Lieutenant Rank Insignias
The Garrison Cap, on the other hand, was adopted from the French as a way to address the cramped living quarters AEF soldiers found themselves in. In addition to their helmets, American Soldiers were also required to own Service Caps and Campaign Hats—both of which took up considerable space and could be easily crushed even if stowed. What was needed was a hat that could be folded up and stored almost anywhere, even in a Soldier’s pack or pocket, and the French bonnet de police fit the bill almost perfectly—save for the fact that the ad hoc nature of the decision to use the hats meant the ranks were flooded with a variety of styles. The headgear's continental birthplace led to it being initially dubbed the "Overseas Cap."
The Army discontinued the official issuance and wear of the Overseas Cap after World War I, but in a few years it found favor among Air Corps personnel, and the very qualities that made it popular in the first place—ease of storage and care—led to it slowly being adapted by other branches as well. In 1938 the Army drew up new specifications for “field caps,” which were issued Garrison Caps throughout World War II. These caps became a part of Army tradition and heritage when they were added as an issue item to be worn with the Class A Army green uniforms introduced in 1956.