The utility cover, also known as the utility cap and eight-pointed cover, is the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 cap

Cap

A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes...

, worn with their utility uniform. It is an eight-pointed hat, with a visor similar to a baseball cap

Baseball cap

A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...

. It is worn "blocked", that is, creased and peaked, for a sharper appearance. It is also worn by the U.S. Navy units such as Seabees and Beachmasters. It is also worn with the newer Navy Working Uniform as well as the Woodland CUU and desert DCU uniform. It is also under consideration by the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

's uniform board, and has been publicly wear-tested by Commandant ADM Robert J. Papp, Jr.

Robert J. Papp, Jr.

Robert J. Papp. Jr. is a United States Coast Guard admiral and the 24th and current Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. He leads the largest component of the United States Department of Homeland Security, with 42,000 active duty, 8,200 Reserve, 8,000 civilian, and 31,000...

.

History

The utility cover was first issued in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, with the Herringbone Twill utility uniform issued in 1943. It was based on a US Army field cap design World War II Marines nicknamed it the raider cap from its use by the Marine Raiders

Marine Raiders

The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...

. It was made from herringbone twill

Twill

Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs . This is done by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step" or offset between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. Because of this...

 until 1959, when the material changed to cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

 sateen

Sateen

Sateen, not to be confused with satin, is a type of fabric often found in bed sheets.Sateen is usually applied to cotton, or sometimes rayon. Better qualities are mercerized to give a higher sheen. Some are only calendered to produce the sheen but this disappears with washing and is not considered...

.

It is currently issued in desert and woodland Marpat

MARPAT

MARPAT is a digital camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, introduced with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform , which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform. The pattern is formed by a number of small rectangular pixels of color...

 camouflage patterns, though older versions came in M81 woodland

M81 Woodland

Woodland pattern is the name of the default camouflage pattern issued to United States soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors from 1981, with the issue of the M81 Battle Dress Uniform until nearly the present day...

, six-color desert, three-color desert

Desert Camouflage Uniform

The Desert Camouflage Uniform is essentially the same as the United States military's Battle Dress Uniform uniform, only featuring the three-color desert camouflage pattern of light tan, pale green, and brown, as opposed to the dark green, black, brown, and dark tan of the BDU's woodland pattern...

 camouflage patterns and olive drab. All versions except those worn with the Navy Working Uniform, or those worn by Navy Seabees and Beachmasters have the Marine Corps' Eagle, Globe, and Anchor

Eagle, Globe, and Anchor

The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps. The current emblem traces its roots in the designs and ornaments of the early Continental Marines as well as the British Royal Marines. The present emblem, adopted in 1966, differs from the emblem of...

 insignia on the front above the bill, the Navy versions having the wearer's rank insignia instead.

Proper wear

During recruit training

United States Marine Corps Recruit Training

United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, commonly known as "boot camp", is a program of initial training that each recruit must successfully complete in order to join the United States Marine Corps...

, Marine and Navy recruits are instructed in the proper method of wearing the utility cover. The proper manner to wear the utility cover is with the bill facing forward on the wearer's head and with the cover being aligned with the head (not 'leaning' to one side) and worn so as to appear horizontal from the side, not at an angle as a baseball cap

Baseball cap

A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...

is sometimes worn.