Cavalry Stetson

The Cavalry Stetson is a Cavalry tradition within the United States Army.
History.
The Cavalry stetson was the headgear typical of cavalrymen during the late 18th century into the 19th century, including the Indian Wars and the Civil War. Before John B. Stetson, for whom the hat is named, introduced the Boss of the Plains hat in 1865, troopers wore hats in a similar style, but quickly adopted the Boss of the Plains as an unofficial standard.
Current use.
In the modern United States Army, the Stetson was revived as an unauthorized, unofficial headgear for the sake of esprit de corps in the Cavalry. Because they are not authorized by AR 670-1, the regulation for wear and appearance of the uniform, wear and use of the Stetson and the similar spurs is regulated by the unit commander.
On April Fools' Day, 2011, the U.S. Army released a humorous statement that the official black beret of the Army would be replaced by stetsons. Below is an excerpt from the full announcement:
The statement was supplemented by pictures of soldiers with Cavalry Hats photoshopped over their berets, including a military working dog toting a stetson.