Overview
- An Army spokesperson confirmed that female drill sergeants will begin wearing the campaign hat on Jan. 2, 2026.
- The policy covers all drill sergeants across the active-duty force and the Reserve component.
- Officials said supplier failures to meet quality standards for the current female hat prompted the change, following surveys in 2023 and 2024 showing strong support for a single, more professional-looking cover.
- Army officials stated the decision is separate from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s uniform physical-standards mandate and the combat arms review.
- The move replaces a female hat introduced in 1972 and redesigned in 1983 with the long-standing campaign hat first adopted in 1883 and reintroduced in 1964, after the policy first surfaced on an unofficial Army subreddit.