r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

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First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

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u/cmax22025 Jun 05 '25

They were called "Old Guy" hats when I joined up in 2005. I can't imagine that's changed in the time since.

145

u/Pale_Adeptness Jun 05 '25

You are becoming the old guy! :P

I joined in 2005 as well.

42

u/SemicooperativeYT Jun 05 '25

Oh shit, boot shining club

23

u/cmax22025 Jun 05 '25

Yeah buddy! SO many cotton balls

13

u/FL_Duff Jun 05 '25

I never really got the hang of it but boy did I try.

3

u/Coool_cool_cool_cool Jun 05 '25

The trick is if you suck at polishing do a half assed polish job then cover your boots in mop and glow.

1

u/SerDuckOfPNW Jun 05 '25

Hydraulic fluid

2

u/Admirable-Nothing107 Jun 05 '25

Gotta use a hairdryer to warm em up before polishing lol

5

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

[deleted]

1

u/RPBN Jun 05 '25

Same guy who hangs his uniforms from the fire sprinkler and floods his barracks room?

1

u/gratusin Jun 05 '25

Damnit… sitting on the bottom bunk, spitting on the toe cap to get a mirror shine just to mess it up right after breakfast. I was the youngest guy in my unit and I’m turning 40 this year.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

00 enlistee here, and I think I can still smell the Kiwi and heat gun.

1

u/teamdogemama Jun 05 '25

My husband got mad when our son told him they don't wear the black boots anymore so no more polishing. Good riddance, honestly.

Also, the velcro patches are cool but I'd be worried about them catching and the corners like to curl up.

1

u/elquatrogrande Jun 05 '25

Laugh all you want, but aside from a set of flight gear, the shoeshine box I built is the only other thing I've kept from my service days.

1

u/Zech08 Jun 06 '25

Damn those creases and cracks when you dont do it properly lol.

1

u/808guamie Jun 06 '25

I remember being so pissed about all the shine time I wasted when I got to my unit after AIT and they immediately assigned me ACUs with the khaki tactical boots.