# Military graduation caps thrown in air **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691 "2011-02-08T20:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/1 "2011-02-08T20:58:30Z")
Most of us have seen or been in (not me, unfortunately) military graduation ceremonies where the graduates throw their caps in the air. What opens to the caps? Gov. Issue so thrown out? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/2 "2011-02-08T21:02:32Z")
They have the owner’s name inside and are returned. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/3 "2011-02-09T01:57:21Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > What opens to the caps? “opens” = “happens” ?? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/4 "2011-02-09T02:49:31Z")
i am surprised snarky people n this board have not corrected you with the term for their caps. They call them covers because like all things military they wanna be different ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/5 "2011-02-09T02:59:07Z")
I thought the whole point was that the Midshipmen/Cadets wear different caps from commissioned officers, and once they graduate and receive their commissions, they can get rid of their dumb Academy outfits. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/6 "2011-02-09T03:31:42Z")
I picked mine up and saved it. After all I paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/7 "2011-02-09T03:34:02Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > > > What opens to the caps? > > “opens” = “happens” ?? Thank you. I was wondering what the heck that sentence meant. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/8 "2011-02-09T03:43:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Thank you. I was wondering what the heck that sentence meant. Godamn suggest-a-word thingie on Apple that I didn’t edit away. Sorry.:smack: Plus I knew about “covers” for the stuff over your hair. ---
**Author:** ![UTejas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UTejas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UTejas)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/9 "2011-02-09T05:52:33Z")
At the Air Force Academy at least, following the hat toss, kids are allowed out of the stands to go pick up one hat to keep. ---
**Author:** ![Vorpal\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Vorpal\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorpal_Blade)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/10 "2011-02-09T14:54:55Z")
> [@UTejas](#): > > At the Air Force Academy at least, following the hat toss, kids are allowed out of the stands to go pick up one hat to keep. USNA also. ---
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-graduation-caps-thrown-in-air/570691/11 "2011-02-09T17:40:52Z")
My brother is USMA (Army) '76 - kids could grab 'em off the ground. He only gave his a little toss so he could give it to Mom. Don’t know what happened to it after that.