JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Beginning in Calendar Year 2026 (CY26), all brave volunteers will be greeted by the iconic campaign hat, as the U.S. Army has canceled all future procurement of the women’s bush hat and authorized the campaign hat to be worn by all current, and future, drill sergeants.
“There’s a single standard when screening and certifying Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) for service as a drill sergeant, a single standard that we hold all serving drill sergeants to, and moving forward, there will be a single standard drill sergeant uniform” said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael McMurdy, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training. “Drill sergeants are the standard bearers for the Initial Military Training environment, and we solicited, consolidated, and incorporated their feedback to improve the Drill Sergeant Program moving forward”.
Drill sergeants are non-commissioned officers (NCOs) within the U.S. Army who are tasked with building the next generation of warfighters every day. These NCOs epitomize the Army Values, live the Warrior Ethos, and instill discipline in the individuals who volunteer to serve within the world’s greatest fighting force.
These NCOs are authorized to wear the campaign hat and the Drill Sergeant Badge to identify themselves as masters of all Skill Level 1 Tasks and some of the nations most qualified Soldiers placed in positions of responsibility tasked with transforming volunteers into U.S. Army Soldiers.
The campaign hat’s origin dates to 1872, when American Soldiers wore the hat to protect themselves against sun, wind, and rain. In 1964, the U.S. Army established the Drill Sergeant Program and authorized the campaign hat as the official headgear of currently serving Drill Sergeants. In 1971, the Chief of Staff of the Army approved the expansion of the Drill Sergeant Program to include female soldiers. In February 1972, six Women’s Auxiliary Corps NCOs were enrolled in the Drill Sergeant School (now known as the Drill Sergeant Academy) located at the Army Training Center, Fort Jackson. Upon their graduation from the Drill Sergeant School, these six NCOs were authorized to wear the “women’s drill sergeant hat” designed to model the Australian bush hat.
Since 1964, over 142,000 NCOs have proudly served as drill sergeants, with over 38,000 of those donning the bush hat.
Sgt. 1st Class Sarah Escarcega, 2023 Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia Drill Sergeant of the Year (DSOY) is glad to see the standardization occurring. “When I was the Maneuver DSOY, the bush hat distinguished female drill sergeants who were held to the same standard as their male counterparts yet had a separate uniform”, said Escarcega. “Standardizing the headgear for all drill sergeants is directly aligned with every other standard that NCOs are held to when they serve as drill sergeants. I’m glad that Army Senior Leaders decided to listen to current and past drill sergeants to move away from the bush hat and continue putting our people first”.
Annually, the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training conducts multiple surveys of currently serving drill sergeants and drill sergeant candidates on ways to improve the Drill Sergeant Program.
Consolidated data since Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23)
-Roughly 70% of the drill sergeants surveyed expressed a desire to switch from the bush hat to the campaign hat.
-Over 60% of drill sergeants surveyed believed that the campaign hat had a more professional appearance compared to the bush hat.
In recent years, manufacturers have struggled to provide a quality product of bush hats that meet the U.S. Army standard and to date no industry partner has been willing to accept the contract to produce more. This problem has been plaguing the female drill sergeant population for nearly a decade, forcing the Army to solicit feedback from the force on ways to improve.
As the 2010 U.S. Army Reserve DSOY Sgt. Maj. Melissa Solomon is glad to see the standardization occurring. “When I served as the DSOY, the bush hat distinguished female drill sergeants that successfully completed the course and served honorably with their male counterparts. With deep respect to the bush hat history, I believe a change is necessary to mitigate product quality issues I witnessed first-hand as the Drill Sergent Academy Deputy Commandant and reinforce uniformity during the critical transformation of a civilian into a Soldier”.
Consolidated data beginning in 2023 informed U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command (T2COM), who, with support from the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, presented a solution to the Army Uniform Board (AUB). The 158th AUB convened in 2025 and decided to recommend the unified drill sergeant campaign hat. The AUB’s annual process ensures issued uniforms align total force requirements.
Female drill sergeants currently serving on the trail are authorized to draw two campaign hats to wear with a single effective date of 2 Jan 2026. This change eliminates trainee confusion and enables an efficient and effective transition from civilian to U.S. Army warfighter.
“Every member of society understands the importance of the U.S. Army drill sergeant and the iconic headgear associated with the time-honored position as a symbol of excellence.”, said 2024 U.S. Army DSOY Samuel Matlock. “This single standard will eliminate any confusion among the training population, the American public, and cadre regarding all standards for serving as a drill sergeant”.
By Hunter Rhoades, U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training
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