A combination cap is a form of military headgear worn with dress uniforms. It has a crown, a band and bill (peak in British English). In Britain and Canada such caps are usually known as peaked caps or (in the British Army) service dress caps. In the United States military, they are commonly known as service caps or barracks covers. The crown is one color, often white for navies, sky blue for air forces, and green for armies, and may be piped around the edge in a different color. The band can be one color, often black, or can be striped. Most caps have some form of cap device (or cap badge). In the British Army, each regiment and corps has a different badge. The bill is short, and in newer caps, may be a shiny plastic. Sometimes, it is covered in fabric. In the United States Navy, chief petty officers and commissioned officers both wear combination caps, but there are differences between the two types. A chief petty officer wears a combination cap with a black chinstrap and decorated with a gold fouled anchor with silver block letters "USN" superimposed on the shank of the anchor, while a commissioned officer wears a combination cap with a gold chinstrap and decorated with an officer crest, a silver federal shield over two crossed gold fouled anchors, surmounted by a silver eagle. The crowns come in khaki or in white (the white combination cap is worn with both white and blue uniforms).

<< Back