• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Berets and How to Form Them

What‘s a balmoral? What are all these other hats? What are all these uniforms? Where do you find time to train between figuring out what to wear and changing uniforms?
 
naw these uniforms are really important to us. If we put on our uniform right with out any help we get a medal.
If we do need help but its just a little then we get a medal but it‘s not as big.
Every parade we go to we also get a ribbon ;)
 
DEU: Distinctive Environmental Uniforms. The uniforms that tell the Army, Navy, and Airforce apart.

Shmedley, those other hats that they are talking of are uniform parts that the Militia (the primary reserve) Scottish regiments use. As for uniforms, the Canadian Army actually now has less uniforms than it did about 5 years ago.. we now only have combat uniforms (CADPAT, 3 issued ) and Dress uniforms (DEU, only winter issue see above). We used to have summer and winter dress uniforms, Garisson dress uniforms, and Combat uniforms!!

I haven‘t even started to discuss the boots I have sitting in my basement. I have two pairs old style MkIII combat boots, one pair new boots, wet weather, one pair of mukluks. two pair of desert boots, two pair of black jungle boots, one pair of the old garrison boots, two pair of parade boots, one pair of low shoes, and finally one pair of military issue running shoes.

As for headdress, I have my beret (black for armour), my toque, my boonie hat, my kevlar helmet, and my white toque.

I have five pairs of military issued combat underwear, five pairs of cold, wet weather socks, two pairs of the new long underwear tops and bottoms, two pair of each of the old style long underwear. About 8 or so undershirts. Two turtlenecks, one pair of goretex windpants, one goretex jacket, one goretex parka, and one goretex full body bib overall for extreme cold.

Gloves? I have a few of those too, one pair of wet weather gloves, two pair of green/black anti-contact, one pair arctic trigger mitts, one pair arctic mittens, one pair of leather out and green inside gloves (name escapes me) and too many pairs of leather work gloves to count.

As I work in the armour corps, I also have two pairs of work coveralls.

Am I missing anything?? I seemed to have gone cross eyed.. hehe

Bzz
 
The Imperial Argylls look like they have gone back to diced glens in the field, from what I saw in the latest issue of Thin Red Line - IIRC. Not so here in Calgary in their allied Regiment.
 
heh, I have 4 canteens.. :)

On the topic of medals, I‘ve been in for over 6 months now.. am I eligable for any long-term service medals yet?
 
Korus, you being smart?? Do your time, earn 12 years in then get yourself a Canadian Decoration. If you are dedicated enough, you can earn a rosette to add to it after another ten years, and keep adding for every ten years after that. I think the people that wear those decorations have definetly earned them. If you are going to make fun of awards and decorations, earn some first.

Bzz
 
Whats the canadian decoration medal?
Is that what you get you serving 10 years, so long as your not charged with a serious offense?
(Refered to as the CD)?
 
I agree with you on the CD having been earned by those who wear it. I was pretty much just poking fun at my being an FNG and the "Amended CF medals" list..
 
Ghost, yes I was referring to the CD, but as mentioned here, it is twelve years of service to qualify.

"The Canadian Forces Decoration is awarded to officers and Non-Commisioned Members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of service. The medal is awarded to all ranks, who must have a good record of conduct during the final eight years of claimed service."
http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhh/honours_awards/engraph/honour_awards_e.asp?cat=3&Q_ID=73

Korus, being a FNG is okay, but if that "amended medals" list had been posted here, maybe your joke would have been funnier.


Bzz
 
Geez, I forgot to mention my rubber boots, combat, and my rubber boots, dress. Not to mention the rubber slippers for the mukluks and my two pairs of matterhorn boots for orthopedic reasons.

Two sleeping bags, one liner, one bivvy bag, one ranger blanket, air matress, and sleeping bag hood. One rucksack, one set of webbing... three military handkercheifs, one scarf.... if anything else comes to mind, I will post it..

No yard sale yet, this is all signed for at Clothing Stores!!

Bzz
 
On the medals topic for a sec:

I am curious to know why the CD (combat deficient, as I have heard it referred to) was instituted with a relatively low limit of 12 years? Is this because service is voluntary and contracts are short? In Britain, joining the army means a 21 year commitment, normally. After a good portion of those years, you may qualify for a long service medal, which is simply called that, a "Long Service Medal" for the service you are in.

What‘s more, our CD is open to both commissioned ranks, and NCM‘s. I looked in to nominating my uncle (retired Lt-Cdr, Royal Navy) for a medal of some kind, and discovered that he doesn‘t even qualify for a long service medal, in spite of having over 21 years active service (including combat ... 1982, Falklands), plus 4 years reserve service. Why? Because long service with good conduct medals are only awarded to non-commissioned ranks! Perhaps "good conduct" is an expectation of officers, and it does not need to be rewarded?

Back on the subject of berets, I will be wearing my crap hat until at least August 14 this year, when my Infantry MOC finishes (assuming I am on the course). So any tops are making it look better are like gold. Right now the flap comes down over my right ear, due mainly to the beret being too large by about 1/4 size. I‘m gonna try the clothes dryer, but I fear a fuzz-bomb afterwards.
 
To understand the CD, you have to look at earlier medals like the VD, ED, etc., from all three services, that the CD effectively replaced.
 
I ran mine through the wash, but it didn‘t seem to help too much. It shrank the leather more than the wool. The flap is almost as long as it was before, and I couldn‘t get any circulation my scalp until the leather band stretched back a bit.

It did get fuzzy/linty, but I just took a razor and some masking take to it again.
 
Just got my kit issued to me today, and I have to go to work tomorrow, but that beret is @)*(#& hard to form correctly, and get it to stay. My friend told me to get it wet, form it, and leave it until it dries and that works best, but that seems a little extreme. :p . It doesnt look too bad now, would just like any suggestions on keeping it formed properly, and getting it that way without too much hassle :) .
 
Do what your friend said. Wear it in the shower (or soak it in hot water). The hot water helps loosen the fabric. Form it then allow it to dry. Sometimes the liner (the black fabric inside) happens to "fall out". With that liner out it is easier to form.
 
Place it in a sink of warm water. Soak it 2 minutes. Put it on your head, shape it, wear it till it‘s dry.

You might want to wait until after your basic starts, in case your instructors disapprove, but cut your liner out as well. Makes it easier to shape.
 
I had the worst time forming my Beret, i think part of it was because they issues me a beret that was way to big, the fold went down past the bottom of my ear...lol.
 
I didn‘t really care what my beret looked like through BMQ, SQ and BIQ. I knew it was coming off permanently after BIQ, in exchange for much more fashionable (in my opinion) headdress ... the balmoral.

That said, I did exactly what was suggested, to get it looking at least not "new". I soaked in water, and sometimes would have to do it again a few weeks later as it went back to it‘s original crap shape.

Mine was also way too big, and the flap came down way over my ear. Oh well! It‘s hardly functional headdress anyway.

My advice -- join a Highland regiment. A balmoral at least keeps the sun and rain out of your eyes a bit. ;)
 
Back
Top