A command’s novel approach to protecting troops from sun exposure in one of the nation’s warmest states has soldiers past and present weighing in on whether the boonie hat is the right fit for the Army.

News of the authorization at Fort Bliss in Texas to wear the boonie, officially designated the sun hat by the Army, spread on social media last week with posts on unofficial Army and military Reddit pages.

Reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with many applauding the decision as good for morale, though several commenters were skeptical with the posts being so close to April Fools’ Day.

“This is how little it takes to make enlisted Soldiers happy. Somebody finally gets it,” a commenter wrote on the Private News Network Facebook page, which is a self-described military entertainment site.

Other social media users disagreed with the move, saying the boonie has a comical and unprofessional appearance.

“This is the stupidest hat the Army has to offer,” a user on the Army subreddit page wrote. “You goobers look like you’re about to go on safari.”

Another Reddit user called it the Army’s most practical hat, albeit one that “looks like a rumpled diaper half the time.”

Nevertheless, soldiers from bases in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas expressed their desire across multiple social media platforms for boonie hats at their installations.

Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, has authorized soldiers to wear boonie hats on the post and surrounding training areas since October, said Lt. Col. Kimbia Rey, a spokeswoman for the division.

Army regulations allow commanders to authorize the hat in field environments, on work details or in other places where the patrol cap isn’t practical. The sun hat has a wide brim to provide more protection to a soldier’s face, ears and neck than the patrol cap or beret.

Neighboring city El Paso is commonly referred to as “Sun City,” with an average of more than 300 sunny days per year, Rey said.

Ultraviolet light overexposure from sunlight and tanning beds is the most preventable cause of skin cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Cancer Society estimates 3.3 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancers each year.

“If you’ve ever been stationed at Bliss, you’d understand why this has been a long time coming,” a commenter identifying himself as an Army veteran wrote on Facebook. “Bliss is a different kind of duty station when it comes to the sun.”

Another commenter identifying himself as a soldier with 19 years of service wrote on Facebook that “as someone who has had skin cancer cut off his face, I support this.”

All soldiers, whether permanently stationed, on temporary duty or visiting Fort Bliss, are authorized to wear the boonie hat. There is no temperature or seasonal requirement for authorized wear, Rey said.

Wearing the boonie at Bliss comes with some restrictions. Along with the requirements outlined in Army guidance, Isenhower issued rules regarding formations and ceremonies. It can only be worn in formations if all soldiers wear them, and at outdoor ceremonies, all soldiers must wear either the boonie or patrol cap without mixing the two, Rey said.

Although the sun hat has been an issued Army clothing item dating back to the Vietnam War era, wear outside of combat or training environments has been rare.

Graduates of the 25th Infantry Division’s Jungle Operations Training Course are authorized to wear the boonie as their garrison headgear in the Pacific theater. A small population of soldiers across the Army also have been authorized to wear it as a part of medical treatment plans.

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