Summary and Key Points: Defense expert Dr. Brent M. Eastwood evaluates the U.S. Army’s decision to standardize the campaign hat for all drill sergeants, effective early 2026.
-Since 1972, female instructors at locations like Fort Jackson had worn the distinctive bush hat, while males utilized the 1872-legacy “Smokey Bear” headgear.
Lance Cpl. Alex Rowan, a combat engineer with 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, stationed out of Bessemer, Ala., runs to take cover before the Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System detonates during the SAPPER Leaders Course aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 26, 2015. During the course, the Marines used assault and breaching techniques to clear a wire obstacle using line charges that utilized C4 explosives and their APOBS. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Krista James/Released)
-This report analyzes the survey indicating that 70% of female NCOs preferred the campaign hat, alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth’s mandate to eliminate DEI-focused distinctions in favor of unit lethality.
-Eastwood concludes that this move toward “full battle rattle” uniformity ensures a singular, imposing image of authority for all new recruits.
The Unified Standard: Why the U.S. Army Retired the Female Drill Sergeant Bush Hat in 2026
The uniform is hugely important to militaries around the world. All personnel prefer a uniform look when they dress in “full battle rattle.”
But sometimes it is not possible to outfit everyone the same. The North Korean military famously requires female soldiers to wear 4-inch platform heels. The Israel Defense Forces usually has women wearing the exact same olive-drab uniforms as men.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Edjenik Uzcategui, a Drill Sergeant with Alpha Company, 5th Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), 369th Adjutant General Battalion (AIT), and Staff Sgt. Heather Woodward, a Senior Drill Sergeant with Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, remove their bush hats for the final time and don the campaign hat during a special ceremony hosted by Command Sgt. Maj. William M. Shoaf, Command Sgt. Maj. for Fort Jackson, and museum curator, Mr. Steven P. Noonan at the Basic Combat Training Museum, Fort Jackson, S.C., January 23, 2026. The campaign hat became the official hat for all Drill Sergeants, January 2, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dana Clarke)
The Battle Uniform Is the Same in the U.S. Army
The current everyday duty utility uniform in the U.S. Army is the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), known for its Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) featuring light brown boots. The Operational Camouflage Pattern is also worn by other branches of the U.S. military.
Men and Women Drill Sergeants Did Have Different Head Gear
On Jan. 2, 2026, the U.S. Army authorized a single campaign hat design for all Drill Sergeants to reinforce one uniform standard. This change reflects the Army’s commitment to unity, consistency, and equal representation while honoring the contributions of those who served before.
However, there is one curious aspect of the ACU that has been different for men and women serving as drill sergeants in the U.S. Army.
You have likely seen images of the “Smokey Bear” standard campaign hat worn by men. But female drill sergeants have worn a different piece of headgear – the bush hat – for decades.
Female Drill Sergeants Have Worn the Bush Hat for Over Five Decades
The upturned-brim bush hat worn by women drill sergeants goes back to 1972, when six female non-commissioned officers graduated from the Drill Sergeant Program at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The bush hat has a “rounder crown and a wider, softer brim, giving it a distinctive appearance that became readily recognizable across initial entry training environments,” according to the U.S. Army Public Affairs office at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Campaign Hat Is Part of a Long U.S. Army Tradition
Meanwhile, males have worn the round-brimmed brown campaign hat with a high crown, often displayed by law enforcement officers. This has been a uniform item for the Army since 1872. When the drill sergeant program was instituted in 1964, the campaign hat became the official headgear for the instructors who are so important to initial entry basic combat training.
M16A2 rifle. Image Credit: US Army Creative Commons.
Let’s Make the Uniform Equal
Now the campaign hat, as of January 2, 2026, is worn by both genders. It had been difficult to manufacture enough Australian-like bush hats for all the women drill sergeants.
Plus, a survey revealed that 70 percent of female NCOs supported wearing the campaign hat instead of the bush hat.
A Changing of the Guard Brings Change
This is also due to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s willingness to emphasize lethality across the military. The secretary is against all efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that he believes have constricted and limited the Army’s views on the practice of warfare. It is time for a unified standard for all drill sergeants.
“Since the inception of the Drill Sergeant Program, more than 142,000 noncommissioned officers have served in the role, with over 38,000 wearing the bush hat. As the Army moves forward with a unified standard, the legacy of the female Drill Sergeant bush hat remains an enduring part of Army history—marking a significant chapter in the development of the force and the leaders who continue to train it,” the Army explained.
Drill Sergeant’s ‘Pick Up’ Day Is No Fun
This is an important uniform change because the drill sergeant is the first position of authority new trainees encounter in the Army.
I remember my earliest confrontation with drill sergeants in Army Basic Combat Training. There is a tradition called “pick up day” when a group of “drills” comes to claim their new group of recruits. In my case, the drills descended from a hill with the sun shining brightly behind them. They had an intense look on their face and began barking out commands immediately. I have to admit, I was nervous and apprehensive when I encountered the sergeants in their distinctive campaign hats.
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Harrison Brewer, G4 Chief Movements Supervisor for the 335th Signal Command (Theater), fires an M16 rifle on a range at Fort Gordon, Georgia, March 8, 2019. Soldiers from the 335th Signal Command (Theater) headquarters completed warrior tasks and battle drills to include weapons qualification, grenade practice and roll over training during a four-day training designed to increase their warfighting abilities. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Leron Richards)
Since I went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, I did not serve with any female soldiers during basic training. So there were no women working as drill sergeants. But I am told by friends who went through basic training at Fort Jackson that female recruits can be even more challenging than male recruits.
The Type of Hat Could Make Yelling In Your Face Easier
One difference with the campaign hat is that a drill sergeant cannot get extremely close to you without poking you in the face with the brim of the headgear. With the bush hat, drill sergeants could definitely get up close and personal without contact, and the women’s drills may have used that to their advantage.
Let’s Emphasize Equality and Uniformity
What is important now is uniformity. The NCOs must work hard to make it through drill sergeant school. They take pride in receiving the round-brimmed campaign hat. Now women will have that glowing feeling too.
U.S. Army Soldier Pfc. Eric Rivera, assigned to Delta Troop, 1st Platoon, Multipurpose Company, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Mobile Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, pulls security before a Ghost-X drone conducts reconnaissance. The mission was part of the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Rotation 26-01, which integrated U.S. forces, multinational partners, and joint capabilities to train tactics, techniques, and procedures required to dominate jungle and archipelagic terrain during large-scale combat operations. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jose Nunez)
Let’s make the two genders as equal as possible, and that means requiring the same uniform for both men and women. The confidence that drill sergeants have will even be more powerful this year as the campaign hat is delivered to women. They will look in the mirror with great satisfaction before they go and “pick up” the recruits to begin some of the most intense training environments in the U.S. military.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,000 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
