We are excited about the latest addition to our company.  This week we bought an enclosed trailer from Daddy Dogs Military Surplus.  It is already set up for festivals.  So don’t be surprised if you see us at some festivals later this year selling clothing and dog tags.  I will post pictures of it later once we get it lettered.

Why do drill sergeants wear those big campaign hats and where did they come from?

The quick answer is to keep the sun out of their eyes.  But the current campaign hat is an adaptation of the old Montana peak hat from the World War I era.  That hat came into use in 1911 but was discontinued in 1942.

In 1964, the hat made a proud comeback, being introduced as the new symbol of a drill sergeant.  In 1972, the drill sergeant hat for women was introduced, with the design based on the Australian bush hat.

The Army says the hat keeps a tradition alive–to connect the past, present and future of the Army.

Maybe so.  But also it’s just a good way to let recruits know that when they see a campaign hat they should stand up straight, get hands out of pockets and stop lollygagging.