Post-9/11 veteran hat and apparel collection

Honoring service since September 11, 2001

For more than two decades after September 11, 2001, an all-volunteer generation of American service members deployed across Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and support stations worldwide. As part of our complete lineup of veteran hats and apparel, our Post-9/11 collection provides a straightforward, understated way to wear your service era without loud graphics.

This collection includes four era and theater designs — Post-9/11 Veteran, Iraq War Veteran, Afghanistan Veteran, and GWOT Veteran (Global War on Terrorism) — offered across embroidered caps, heavyweight tees, long-sleeve shirts, polos, hoodies, ceramic mugs, and vinyl stickers. Two hats, one for each of you: many veterans and spouses pair the unstructured chino twill dad hat with the structured mesh-back trucker cap.

Official Post-9/11 era dates per VA and statutory rules

Federal statutes and Department of Veterans Affairs regulations define the Post-9/11 service period across three primary programs:

1. Post-9/11 GI Bill and transition benefits (September 11, 2001 – present): Under 38 U.S.C. § 3311, Congress established September 11, 2001, as the start of qualifying Post-9/11 active duty for Chapter 33 education benefits, Yellow Ribbon coverage, and related transition programs.
2. Wartime service status under 38 CFR § 3.2(i): Under 38 CFR § 3.2(i), the statutory Persian Gulf War period began on August 2, 1990, and extends through a date to be prescribed by Presidential proclamation or law. Because that period remains open, all active service on or after September 11, 2001—including Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation New Dawn (OND), Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS), and Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR)—qualifies as wartime service.
3. PACT Act post-9/11 toxic exposure presumptions (38 CFR § 3.320): Under 38 CFR § 3.320(a)(3), veterans who served in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen, or the airspace above them on or after September 11, 2001, are presumed to have been exposed to fine particulate matter and burn pit emissions.

Post-9/11 collection: dad hat, trucker hat, and heavyweight tee

We offer the Post-9/11 veteran design on three blanks so you can pick the style that fits your day-to-day wear:

• Post-9/11 veteran dad hat (Yupoong 6245CM): An unstructured, 6-panel, low-profile cap with a 3 1/8″ (7.6 cm) crown, curved visor, 6 embroidered eyelets, and an adjustable strap with an antique buckle. Made of 100% chino cotton twill (blank product sourced from Vietnam or Bangladesh). Available in Black, Dark Grey, Khaki, Navy, Spruce, and Stone.
• Post-9/11 veteran trucker hat (Yupoong 6606): A structured, six-panel, mid-profile cap with a low-profile embroidery area and a 3.5″ (8.9 cm) crown. Built with hard buckram front panels, a mesh back for days in the sun, a Permacurv® visor with matching undervisor, and a plastic adjustable closure fitting head circumferences from 21 5/8″ to 23 5/8″ (54.9 cm to 60 cm). Fabric composition varies depending on color and available stock between 60% cotton / 40% polyester and 74% polyester / 26% cotton (blank product sourced from Vietnam or Bangladesh). Available in Black, Brown/Khaki, Charcoal/Black, Heather Grey/White, Moss/Khaki, and Navy/White.
• Post-9/11 veteran tee (Comfort Colors 1717): A unisex garment-dyed heavyweight t-shirt made of 100% ring-spun cotton at a fabric weight of 6.1 oz/yd² (206.8 g/m²). Features a relaxed fit, a 7/8″ double-needle topstitched collar, twill-taped neck and shoulders for extra durability, and double-needle armhole, sleeve, and bottom hems (blank product sourced from Honduras). Available in Black, Granite, Khaki, Moss, True Navy, and White.

To keep lettering legible across colors, we pair light thread or ink with Black, Navy, Spruce, Dark Grey, Charcoal/Black, Moss/Khaki, Navy/White, Brown/Khaki, True Navy, Moss, and Granite, and dark thread or ink with Khaki, Stone, Heather Grey/White, and White.

DoD trademark compliance and typography design

Under federal law (10 U.S.C. § 2260) and Department of Defense Instruction 5535.12, service-branch names, seals, insignia, unit patches, flags, and campaign medals are protected marks that require a license. By using two-line typography—setting “POST-9/11” over “VETERAN” with a horizontal rule—our hats and tees honor Post-9/11 service without using restricted military insignia.

PACT Act toxic exposure benefits and gift resources

Post-9/11 veterans who deployed to CENTCOM or AFRICOM theaters should check the expanded list of PACT Act presumptive conditions and review how automatic inclusion works in our VA burn pit registry guide. If you are shopping for a spouse, parent, or friend who served after 2001, see our guide to gifts for veterans.