Why do the Special Forces wear green berets?
Green beret
U.S. Special Forces wear the green beret as a distinction of excellence and uniqueness within the Army.
Robin Moore
Thanks to connections with Harvard classmate Robert F. Kennedy, Moore was allowed access to the U.S. Army Special Forces to write about this elite unit of the United States Army. It was General William P. Yarborough who insisted that Moore go through special forces training in order to better understand "what makes Special Forces soldiers 'special'." He trained for nearly a year, first at "jump school" for airborne training before completing the Special Forces Qualification Course or "Q Course", becoming the first civilian to participate in such an intensive program. Afterwards, Moore was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group on deployment to Vietnam. His experiences in-country formed the basis for "The Green Berets", a bestseller that helped secure him international acclaim (see United States Army Special Forces in popular culture).
Multinational Force and Observers
The terracotta beret is unique to the MFO and was selected to show that the force is not a United Nations peacekeeping force. UN peacekeeping forces wear a distinctive light blue beret. A metal or cloth MFO badge is worn on the beret.
Military beret
Berets in Gabonese Army:The German "Heer" uses berets with different badges for every branch of service. The "Luftwaffe" and the "Marine" issue dark blue berets only to their ground or land combat units (called "Luftwaffensicherungstruppe" and "Marineschutzkräfte") respectively. Berets are usually worn at special ceremonies and roll calls, although units with a special "esprit de corps", especially armoured and mechanized infantry ("Panzergrenadiere") battalions, wear their berets all the time. German berets are always pulled to the right, with the badge visible over the left temple.
10th Special Forces Group (United States)
The green beret was authorized for wear by Col. William E. Ekman, the group commander, in 1954, and it became group policy. By 1955, every soldier in the unit wore a green beret as part of the uniform. However, the Department of the Army (DA) did not recognize the beret as headgear. The DA banned the wear of the beret, but it was later restored by President Kennedy, a major champion of the Special Forces.
Berets of the United States Army
The change in color also required modification of the associated flashes worn by the Ranger units, changing the borders from white to black in order to provide better contrast to the lighter beret.
In the U.S. armed forces, the green beret may be worn only by soldiers awarded the Special Forces Tab, signifying they have qualified as Special Forces soldiers.
Special Service Group
Initially, the SSG were popular as the Green Berets with Baloch insignia in 1950s, but SSG dropped their green berets in favor of adopting the Baloch Regiment's maroon berets– hence giving them the nickname the Maroon Berets.
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
"Ballad of the Green Berets" had many cover versions ranging from Ennio Morricone and Duane Eddy to "drugstore records" on labels such as Diplomat and Wyncote records. Hanna-Barbera Records released a children's LP "The Story of the Green Beret" available to members of the G.I. Joe club. The album was a tie-in with the release of the G.I. Joe Green Beret "action figure" (doll) that had appeared in 1966. The record had an album cover of Special Forces in action and a picture of the Medal of Honor. The record started off with a cover version of "Ballad of the Green Berets" but was a spoken account with sound effects of Colonel Pat Lawrence (Mike Road) taking two small boys (Andy and George) to visit Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to learn about the training and capabilities of "The Green Berets". The album then featured an exciting account of the Battle of Nam Dong where Captain Roger Donlon received the first Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War.
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
Robin Moore successfully completed the courses and was allowed to live with the soldiers in Special Forces and their South Vietnamese, Montagnard, and Nung allies. His book, "The Green Berets", was published in 1965, but, because he mentions the American presence in North Vietnam and Cambodia, he published "The Green Berets" as a novel. The U.S. Army was upset by the book; the reading public was not and it became a best selling book, especially its paperback edition in 1966.
Uniform beret
Auxiliary police officers of Certis CISCO and Aetos Security Management don dark blue berets when performing escort and other high-risk duties, as do specialist forces of the Singapore Prison Service. In addition, student cadets of uniformed youth organizations such as the National Cadet Corps also wear berets of different colours. National Cadet Corps has three distinct beret colours for each of its services (Land, Sea and Air), these are NCC Green, NCC Black and NCC Blue for each service respectively.National Police Cadet Corps wears their own separate dark blue berets, while National Civil Defence Cadet Corps wears their separate black beret.
United States military beret flash
It is not clear when beret flashes began to be used by the US Army. However, US Army films between 1956 and 1962 suggest beret flashes may have been introduced around 1961, when the green beret was officially authorized for wear by members of the US Army Special Forces.
Green beret
The proposal that the commandos should start wearing green beret as their official headdress was submitted to the Chief of Combined Operations and forwarded by Lord Mountbatten to the Under-Secretary of State for War. Approval was granted and in October 1942 the first green berets were issued to the Royal Marines.
Special Forces (United States Army)
In countries other than the U.S., the term "special forces" or "special operations forces" (SOF) is often used generically to refer to any units with elite training and special mission sets. In the U.S. military, "Special Forces" is a proper (capitalized) noun referring exclusively to U.S. Army Special Forces (a.k.a. "The Green Berets"). The media and popular culture frequently misapply the term to Navy SEALs and other members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces.
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
As the public wearied of the Green Berets, so did the American Regular Army. The 1969 "Green Beret Murder Case" in which Colonel Robert B. Rheault and several of his men were tried for assassinating a Communist spy was used as a discrediting tactic against the Special Forces. The case also contributed to the plot of the movie "Apocalypse Now" in which a Green Beret Colonel accused of the same offence has gone rogue.
Special Operations Troops Centre
After the creation of the special operations unit in 1981, the CTOE ceased to be just an instruction facility but also served as the HQ for the new Portuguese special operations unit. The unit members wear a grass green beret and are the heir of the Special Hunters: the beret badge includes a trumpet — a symbol of the Special Hunters; and the unit is known as Rangers because the first instructors of the Special Hunters completed the Ranger Course and adapted the characteristics of that training to the Special Operations Course. The unit has operated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, East-Timor, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.The CTOE has several courses:For those already badged as special operations soldiers, there are also courses outside the CTOE:Special Operations soldiers also take courses in friendly countries:
History of the United States Army Special Forces
On May 26, 2016, Green Berets supported about 80 soldiers of the Afghan 3rd Special Operations Battalion whose mission was to clear insurgents from Elbak, Kandahar province. The goal was to clear the road from Kandahar through Elbak to Tarin Kowt and allow an 800-man Afghan army convoy to deliver troops and supplies to Tarin Kowt. Green Berets called in three airstrikes by U.S. drones on Taliban insurgents near the landing zone, killing seven and wounding others. The mission had mixed results. The Taliban reoccupied the area and the convoy barely made any progress, however the operation interrupted the Taliban’s nightly routine of bomb-planting. A week later, the Afghan commandos removed 18 booby-trap bombs from the road and made their way slowly through Elbak and further north. On August 23, a US soldier from A Company, 3rd battalion, 1st SFG, was killed by an IED while another was wounded along with six Afghans during a foot patrol near Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province.
Maroon beret
The Special Forces Regiment (, ""RPK"") wear a maroon beret.
Green Lantern Corps
"The Corpse" is an elite, top-secret Black Ops division of the Green Lantern Corps. Members of The Corpse are not restricted by the same rules that regular Lanterns follow, and they perform the darkest, most dangerous missions and are allowed to use lethal force. These members do not use Power Rings; instead, they swallow special coin-like disks that give them all of the powers of the standard ring with a charge that lasts five earth days. These disks produce purple energy instead of the traditional green. Members of the "Corpse" do not wear Green Lantern uniforms, or display the Green Lantern symbol. Instead, they seem to prefer black uniforms that have no symbol.
Korps Speciale Troepen
The forces wore the green beret, which was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. Under the name No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, the first Dutch commandos were trained in Achnacarry, Scotland, as part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando'. After the war, members of No. 2 Dutch troop served in RST (1945–1950). The paratrooper wing of the KST No 1 parachute company wore the Red beret.
Maroon beret
The Turkish Armed Forces Special Operations Force, aka "Bordo Bereliler", which translates as "The Maroon Berets", is named for their distinctive headgear.
Special Groups (Portugal)
The GEP wore the Portuguese Air Force paratroopers camouflaged uniform and a Maroon beret. It should be noted that the GEP was the first Portuguese military force to use a red beret, prior to the commandos who only officially adopted its use in 1974.
Brotherhood of War
Hanrahan's real-life counterpart as the Special Forces Commandant during that era was then-Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, who arranged for President Kennedy to approve the famed green berets worn by Special Forces.
The Green Berets (film)
Shortly after this attack, while supervising a group of United States Navy Seabees clearing part of the jungle around the base camp and evacuating the civilians in preparation for a potential Viet Cong attack, Sergeant Muldoon notices an ARVN soldier pacing out distances in the camp and knocks him out. When Captain Nghiem interrogates him, he discovers a silver Zippo lighter in the ARVN soldier's possession. The lighter belonged to a Green Beret medical specialist, a friend of Kirby's, recently murdered by the Viet Cong. After Beckworth sees Nghiem torture the Viet Cong suspect to get a confession from him, he confronts Kirby about it. The Colonel justifies the interrogation by telling Beckworth about the cigarette lighter, and says the Viet Cong are ruthless killers who deserve no legal protections of any sort in this new kind of war.
Maroon beret
The Special Frontier Force of the Home Ministry are parachute trained and wear the maroon beret.
History of the United States Army Special Forces
Since Operation Inherent Resolve began, U.S. airstrikes have been supported by Green Beret adviser teams, helping stop the advances of ISIL. Green Berets from the 5th SFG deployed to Jordan in support of OIR, several news outlets reported they were at the Prince Faisal Air Base in Al-Jafr working for a CIA program to train moderate Syrian fighters. On November 4 2016, a small convoy of carrying Green Berets were returning to the base after a training exercise when a Jordanian guard, after waving the first vehicle through the entry control point at the base, then opened fire on the second vehicle killing 2 Green Berets, U.S. troops from the vehicle behind opened fire, another Green Beret was killed but a fourth, who was wounded, shot the Jordanian, severely wounding him. On January 8 2017, a Green Beret assigned to 2nd Battalion 5th SFG, was killed in a non-combat-related incident in Jordan.
Robert Rheault
He would later command the 1st Special Forces Group on Okinawa before being assigned to Vietnam to take command of the 5th Special Forces Group. Colleagues said of Rheault that he was one of the most respected and beloved officers ever in Special Forces, a "must promote" to General Officer rank if his command, and career, had not been ended prematurely by the Green Beret Affair.
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
The 1st Special Forces Group on Okinawa provided a number of troopers to act as extras in director Samuel Fuller's "Merrill's Marauders" (1961) and were credited at film's start. On U.S. television, a March 1962 episode of "Surfside 6" titled "The Green Beret" featured SF training. Henry Fonda appeared in, and narrated, a 1962 "Special Forces" episode of "The Big Picture" series of U.S. Army-produced films that found their way to U.S. television. In 1963, a Green Beret appeared in the episode "In Praise of Pip" of "The Twilight Zone" though the U.S. Army told the CBS television network to not name the Southeast Asian country where the story occurred. The Green Beret's first Hollywood appearance is in the futuristic thriller film "Seven Days in May" (1963) wherein Andrew Duggan is a Special Forces officer loyal to the U.S. President, not the traitorous JCS Chief Burt Lancaster; the film also gave the U.S. filmgoer a first glimpse of the M16 rifle.
Military beret
The special operations units of the Navy wear the same berets as the rest of the navy. However they have a coloured patch behind the cap badge, the colour of which determines the unit:
The Paraguayan Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:
Military beret
With the exception of the Naval Commandos (Commandos Marine) and the Naval Infantry (Fusiliers Marins), whose berets are worn pulled to the right, all other French military berets (army, air force and Gendarmerie) are pulled to the left with the badge worn over the right eye or temple.
Gendarmerie personnel serving with the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) – an EU crisis response and intervention force – wear the standard EUROGENDFOR royal blue beret and badge when so assigned.
Dark Green - Naval Commandos - (Badge on the left)
Black beret
The black beret is a type of headgear. It is commonly worn by paramilitaries and militaries around the world, particularly armored forces such as the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC), and the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC). Notable non-armored military units to wear the black beret include the Russian Naval Infantry (and formerly Soviet) and Russian OMON units, the United States Air Force (USAF) Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) members, and the Royal Canadian Navy ("navy blue"). It was also worn by the United Kingdom's Royal Observer Corps (ROC) with their Royal Air Force (RAF) uniform, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Black berets are also worn by navies. In some navies, the naval color called black is officially "very dark blue". The Dutch Navy and Marines wear dark navy blue berets; a silver anchor for the Navy and a gold or dark brown (field duty) anchor on a red background for the Marines. The Portuguese Marines and San Marco Regiment, the Marines of the Italian Navy also wear a dark blue beret. The Royal Norwegian Air Force also use a dark blue beret. Finnish Marine Infantry wear a dark blue beret with the Navy insignia.(Finnish Coastal Jaegers - marine commandos - part of the same Nylands Brigade, wear the green beret).
Green beret
In the United Kingdom all Royal Marines who have passed the Commando Course wear the green beret. Personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force volunteering for service with 3 Commando Brigade undertake the All Arms Commando Course, completion of which allows individuals to wear the headdress. Commando-qualified Royal Marines always wear the green beret, with the Globe and Laurel cap badge and commando-qualified personnel from other armed services wear the beret, with their own cap badge, when serving with commando units unless otherwise authorised. The Special Boat Service (SBS) also wear the green Commando beret but with their own unique cap badge consisting of a sword with two blue waved lines with the words "by strength and guile"
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
Members of the U.S. Army Special Forces will emphatically assert that the "Green Beret" is a hat and not the man who wears it. Nevertheless, for a time in the 1960s the Green Berets and the men who wore them became a national fad emerging in a wide variety of popular culture referents. After a decline in popularity during the 1970s — coinciding with the American public's backlash against the Vietnam War — the Green Berets gripped the popular imagination again beginning with the Rambo film franchise in 1982. They continue to appear as both major and minor referents in popular culture — especially in movies and television — often serving as a shorthand signifier for a shady or covert military background for a fictional character. As a dramatic device, this can cut both ways — i.e., lead an audience to either admire or fear (or both) a character.
Tan beret
The sand-coloured beret of the Special Air Service is officially designated the beige beret. The beige beret was worn from 1942 till 1944. In 1944 when the SAS returned to the UK they were forced to adopt the maroon beret of the airborne forces as they became part of that command. When the SAS was re-raised in 1947 as 21st SAS Artist Rifles they again wore the maroon beret. In 1956 however the SAS officially adopted the beige beret again, an attempt was made to match the original sand coloured cloth beret from those in the possession of veterans. This proved impossible to do from existing approved cloth colour stocks held by the British authorities, so, as a compromise and with no authorisation for expenditure on a new colour dye the nearest acceptable colour was selected and approved by an all ranks committee of the Regimental Association. In 1958 all SAS personnel switched from maroon to beige. Personnel attached to the Regiment also wear this beret but with their own badges in accordance with usual British practice.
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
Kennedy approved of the Green Beret, and the U.S. Army authorised it. In 1962, he called the green beret, "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom." Special Forces soldiers in berets and dress Greens were President Kennedy's cortege in 1963. An SF beret was photographed atop his grave at Arlington National Cemetery.
Shades of green
Rifle green was originally adopted by rifle regiments in the 18th century, including the famous 95th Rifles of the Napoleonic Wars. As the traditional role of riflemen was that of marksmen and skirmishers who attacked behind the cover of trees, a dark green uniform was adopted as an early form of camouflage, as opposed to the colorful uniforms worn by other soldiers of the period. The vegetable based dyes used during the 18th and early 19th centuries were not fast, frequently fading after exposure to the elements to lighter shades of green or even brown. While this had advantages in terms of reduced visibility on active service, it did not make for a smart appearance on the peace-time parade ground. Accordingly, the color of the rifleman's uniform was progressively darkened until it approached black. After 1890 the development of chemical dyes permitted the adoption of the stable shade of rifle green now worn. In the U.S. armed forces, the green beret may be worn only by soldiers awarded the Special Forces Tab, signifying they have been qualified as special forces soldiers. The special forces beret is officially designated "beret, man's, wool, rifle green, army shade 297". Previously, rifle green uniforms had been issued to Hiram Berdan's elite 1st and 2nd United States Sharpshooters during the American Civil War.
Maroon beret
The Special Service Group (SSG) wears a maroon beret with a silver SSG badge on a sky blue flash.
Line infantry regiments which were parachute trained wore their own regiments' berets till airborne role was taken away from infantry and assigned to SSG which became the army's only airborne outfit from 1964 onwards.
In addition to SSG, Army Aviation and Air Defence, Army medical corps wear maroon berets
Military uniform
The Air Force makes use of its Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) as a common daily uniform. The breakdown is of sage green, foliage green, sand tan, and a green blue arranged in elongated digital stripes. The footwear worn with ABUs are sage green suede boots and head covering is the ABU pattern Patrol Cap, or the beret of the relevant career field (Security Forces, Special Operations Weather Team, SERE Instructor, Pararescue, and Combat Controller). The purpose of the colors and patterns in this uniform serve to help one blend into the concrete-like color of the flight line on which the uniform is most often worn outside. Aside from ABUs, the most common uniform to be worn would be dress blues, which incorporate a light navy blue for bottoms, and the same shade to match the top jacket. Underneath the top jacket either a long sleeve or short sleeve sky blue shirt may be worn with a tie or neck tab whenever wearing the top jacket. The jacket is reserved for more formal events. Placed on the outermost tunic, Airmen may pin their ribbons and career badge as optional with their name plate as the only mandatory item. For head gear a flight cap of matching shade to the pants and similar in appearance to the former Army green garrison cap and the shoes are a black high polished dress shoe. Other, but not standard, head gear includes the flat top mess dress cap and the appropriate beret career field beret. Blues, though the second most used uniform, receive far less service than ABUs. Those performing duties not suited for the formal dress uniform may wear ABUs instead. The Mess Uniform uses the same pants and jacket as dress blues, but with a white under-shirt, bow tie and cumberband, and the same black dress shoes().
Maroon beret
A maroon beret is worn by 601st Special Forces Group and by all members of 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade.
Commandos Marine
The Commandos Marine are the Special Operation Forces (SOF) of the French Navy. The Commandos Marine are nicknamed "Bérets Verts" (Green Berets). They operate under the Naval Riflemen and Special Operations Forces Command (FORFUSCO) and form part of the French Special Operations Command.
Military beret
Today, every British military unit wears a beret, with the exception of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and Royal Irish Regiment, who wear the tam o'shanter and the caubeen respectively (the Scots Guards and Irish Guards, however, wear berets, as frequently do the Royal Irish Regiment on operations). Many of these berets are in distinctive colours and all are worn with the cap badge of the service, regiment or corps. The cap badge for all services in the UK is usually worn directly over the left eye.
Aaron Bank
Colonel Aaron Bank (November 23, 1902 – April 1, 2004) was a United States Army officer, and the founder of the US Army Special Forces, commonly known as the "Green Berets". He is also famous for his exploits as an OSS officer during World War II, parachuting into France to coordinate and activate the French Resistance and organizing an operation intended to capture Adolf Hitler. During his retirement years, Bank played a quiet but critical role in warning the nation about the risks of terrorism and modern technology and he is largely responsible for the high level of security at U.S. nuclear power plants since the early 1970s.
Military beret
The beret was first introduced in the Portuguese Armed Forces in 1956, when the Air Force Paratroopers adopted the green beret. The Portuguese Army adopted the brown beret for its "Caçadores Especiais" special forces in 1960, generalizing its wear to all units in 1962.
Michael John Hurdzan
A senior writer and equipment editor for WorldGolf.com (powered by Golf Channel), Kiel Christianson wrote that "[Hurdzan] served for 23 years as commander of Green Beret[s] and Psychological Operations units in the U.S. Army Reserve, specializing in survivalist tactics." Howard Richman wrote in the December 2012 issue of the "Golf Course Management (GCM) Magazine" that "Nearly 40 years ago — before Hurdzan emerged among the world’s most notable and decorated golf course architects — he traveled the globe to protect America's interests. As a commander for the U.S. Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, Hurdzan prepared his unit in case it needed to be called to action in theaters of war or conflict, such as Vietnam. Part of their war games training included missions in places such as Germany". Richman also wrote that an architecture editor for Golf Digest, "[Ron] Whitten is convinced that Hurdzan, who chose not to pursue the rank of general, earned his stripes. Twice Hurdzan's orders to join the fighting in Vietnam were canceled (he was supposed to go there to spray jungles after he was schooled in chemical, biological and radiological warfare). Not seeing combat left him unfulfilled. "I wanted to be a real live warrior, a cutter and a shooter, not some technical geek," Hurdzan says. If he had fought for his country, Whitten imagines Hurdzan would have been outstanding." Richman concluded that, "convinced he has lived a charmed life, [Hurdzan is] thankful now that Vietnam wasn't in the cards for him so long ago."
Green beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF who serve within 3 Commando Brigade and who have passed the All Arms Commando Course.
New Frontier
The Kennedy administration with its new Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, gave a strong priority to countering communist political subversion and guerrilla tactics in the so-called "wars of national liberation," in the rapidly decolonizing Third World. As well as fighting and winning a nuclear war, the American military was also trained and equipped for counterinsurgency operations. Though the U.S. Army Special Forces had been created in 1952, Kennedy visited the Fort Bragg U.S. Army Special Warfare Center in a blaze of publicity and gave his permission for the Special Forces to adopt the green beret. The other services launched their own counterinsurgency forces in 1961; the U.S. Air Force created the 1st Air Commando Group and the U.S. Navy created the Navy Seals.
Edson Raff
After the war, in 1954, Raff would command the 77th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is credited by Lieutenant General William Yarborough (who had served under Raff with the 509th in North Africa) as the "father" of the then-controversial green beret now routinely worn by U.S. Army Special Forces. Raff retired from the army in 1958. He died on March 11, 2003, at 95 years old.
New Zealand Army
In recent years, a number of distinctive New Zealand features have appeared, while at the same time corps and regimental distinctions have been reduced in favor of standardised items of dress for reasons of supply rationalization and economy. Until 2002, berets were in various colours according to branch or unit. Since then, under a "one beret" policy, rifle-green has become the universal colour for this headdress, except for the tan beret of the New Zealand Special Air Service and the blue beret of the New Zealand Defence Force Military Police. On overseas service, a New Zealand flag badge and a white Kiwi on a circular black field with the words "New Zealand" are worn.
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
Mattel toys made "Guerrilla Fighter" playsets in 1962 containing a commando green beret with an interesting tin "Guerrilla Fighter" badge depicting the crossed arrows insignia of the Special Forces, (formerly worn by the 1st Special Service Force, and before that the U.S. Army Indian Scouts) and a jungle knife in front of a parachute. The set also contained the Mattel Dick Tracy automatic cap firing "tommy gun" or "Scattergun" (the Dick Tracy cap firing but no longer water firing riot shotgun) toy guns, both now in military camouflage plastic, a military camouflaged poncho, and in some sets, a rubber Ka-Bar knife and a tripwire booby trap. Mattel later made the "M-16 Marauder", in 1966, which appeared in "The Green Berets" film wherein an enraged John Wayne smashes one against a tree.
Sam Browne belt
The Sam Browne belt is largely obsolete in police and security use due to risk of strangulation by potential opponents. It has sometimes been referred to as a "Suicide Belt" by personnel. It had enjoyed some popularity with civilian police agencies worldwide and was probably most widely worn in this context during the 1940s and 1950s. This use has gradually faded out due to field safety concerns. It is part of the ceremonial dress uniform of many agencies, most notably the Red Serge worn by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The RCMP enlisted ranks wear the cross belt over the left shoulder to support the pistol worn on the right side. RCMP commissioned officers wear the cross strap over the right shoulder due to the need to support a sword when wearing the red serge ceremonial uniform. This difference of wearing the cross strap over different shoulders for commissioned and non-commissioned members is even maintained when wearing the stripped Sam Browne belt (no pistol or sword).
The Sam Browne belt has been proposed as a solution to occupational safety and health concerns about injury due to the weight of equipment on police officers' belts. However, others have expressed concern that the vertical design of the belt could enable criminals to gain physical control of law enforcement officers in an altercation.
Green beret
There are certain other military organizations which also wear the green beret because they have regimental or unit histories that have a connection with the British Commandos of the Second World War. These include the Australian, French and Dutch commandos. It is the norm in the armed forces of the Commonwealth Nations, where most regiments wear hats or cap badges which reflect regimental battle honours and traditions.
Uniform beret
Several police SWAT teams belonging to different municipalities wear either maroon or green berets; Seoul Metropolitan Police SWAT team (Unit 868) wears maroon berets, while Incheon Metropolitan Police SWAT team (Unit 313) wears green berets.
Military beret
All regiments and services have their own distinctive colours. There are quite a lot, but the number of colours in the logistic services was reduced in 2001. This colour is shown in a patch of cloth behind the beret flash. The intendance (maroon), transport troops (blue), military administration (pink; hence the nickname 'Pink Mafia'), technical service (black), and medical troops and service (green) lost their colours and all now wear yellow patches. In 2010, the technical service and medical troops and services recovered their colors. The intendance and transport troops merched into one regiment with new colours (maroon with blue border) and the administration got the crimson color.Royal New Zealand Navy -New Zealand Army -
Uniform beret
In Portugal, the beret is worn by a number of civil security forces and emergency organizations. The colors worn are:
Black berets were worn by all members of the Singapore Police Force until 1969, when the peaked cap was introduced. The beret was, however, retained for specialist forces, such as officers of the Special Operations Command (SOC) and the Police Coast Guard, as well as the Gurkha Contingent. A dark blue beret is worn, although the Police Tactical Unit of the SOC switched to red berets in 2005. The Gurkha Contingent began wearing khaki-coloured berets from 2006. TransCom (Public Transport Security Command) officers wear light grey berets.
Garud Commando Force
The Garuds used to wear a black beret, instead of the traditional maroon beret of the other Indian Special Forces units, but now wear the maroon beret. They sport the operational paratroopers brevet on the right chest. The formation insignia is worn on the left shoulder. The Garuds are also entitled to wear "IAF GARUD" titles on the sleeves.
First Special Service Force
In 1952 Colonel Aaron Bank (an operator for the Office of Strategic Services [OSS] during WW II) created another elite unit using the training, strategies, and lessons learned from various OSS team missions as well as the experiences of the First Special Service Force (FSSF). This force evolved into the United States Army Special Forces (aka the Green Berets) which draws its lineage from both the OSS and the FSSF. In Canada Military Intelligence and Logistical Operations 1952–1988, the Canadian Airborne Regiment 1968–1995 which formed part of the Special Service Force 1977-1995 and today's Canadian Special Operations Regiment, like United States Army Special Forces, trace their roots to the FSSF. Just like in World War II, Canada's elite JTF2 and the United States' elite SFOD-D operators were united once again into a special assignment force for the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.
In 2006 the Canadian members of the 1st Special Service Force received the United States Army's Combat Infantryman Badge for participation in front-line combat. On February 3, 2015, the FSSF was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award congress can give to civilians.
Green beret
In addition to being the headdress of the United States Army Special Forces, "Green Berets" is also a well known nickname of the organization.
Maroon beret
In the Italian Armed Forces, maroon berets are worn only by paratroopers: the army units Folgore Parachute Brigade, Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania" and Gruppo di intervento speciale, and the police elite unit Nucleo operativo centrale di sicurezza.
History of the United States Army Special Forces
LtCol Matt Maybouer, the commander of the operation said that "U.S. soldiers are not engaged in direct combat;" Green Beret teams conducting patrols carryout zone reconnaissance: a coordinated search for recent LRA activity. When they find it, the teams follow the trails, tracking the fighters for days across miles of uninhabited wilderness until they make contact. Matching these generic terrain-feature descriptions to specific GPS markers enabled SOCAFRICA to build a map of the area. The results enable the Green Berets to anticipate LRA movements. Commanders have used this knowledge to carry out operations that have sharply reduced the remnants of the LRA.
Special Forces Association
The Special Forces Association (SFA) is a non-profit fraternal organization for current and retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, also known as "Green Berets." Established in 1964, the association is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with 84 chapters located in the United States as well as Panama, South Korea, Germany, Thailand, Philippines and Okinawa. Chapters meet in their respective areas and conduct meetings, hold reunions and host social functions for their members.
William P. Yarborough
It was during his tenure as Commander of the Special Warfare Center that in 1961, he arranged for President Kennedy to visit Fort Bragg, the results were twofold - acquiring the funding to further develop the Special Forces into a strategic unit within the US Army and the more visible sign - the authorization of the Green Beret for wear as the official headgear of Special Forces. Yarborough's design for the original parachutists uniform was incorporated into the 1963 Army tropical uniform that was later worn by all Army units in the Vietnam War.
Commandos Marine
Commando training is the gateway to the Special Operations Forces for the Naval Riflemen. Conducted at the Fusilier Marins school at Lorient on the Atlantic coast, it provides upon successful completion entry to the commandos and the right to wear the green beret. Lasting 20 weeks, it includes one week of commando testing, six weeks of screening and preparatory training, four weeks of evaluation, the actual SOF course for seven weeks, and two weeks of parachute training. During this period, any mistake can instantly disqualify the candidate. The ultimate goal of this training is to detect individuals with the physical, intellectual and psychological potential needed to serve in the Commandos Marine. The historical roots of commando training date back to the Second World War, when Fusilier-Marins volunteers from the Free French Navy went to the Commando training center in Achnacarry, Scotland. Since then, the Commandos Marine have kept by tradition the green beret pulled right with the bronze shield badge on the left, the only such exception in the French armed forces. They have retained the principle of exceptional training without compromise, based on immersion in a highly stressful environment, close to the conditions of combat operations.
The Green Berets (book)
Moore, a Harvard classmate of Robert Kennedy, wanted to write about the United States Army Special Forces. It was Special Forces founder General William P. Yarborough who insisted that Moore go through the "Q Course" in order to better understand what made Special Forces "special." Moore trained with the soldiers at Fort Benning and Fort Bragg for nearly a year, becoming airborne qualified. He then accompanied them on a deployment to Vietnam in 1963.
Grup Gerak Khas
Members of Gerak Khas wear the Green Beret, a common symbol among the commando and special forces community. The '"Harimau Berjuang"' cap badge is worn with the green beret.
The Green Berets (film)
Colonel Lamar Asbury "Bill" Welch, the actual commander of the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning in 1967, makes a brief cameo shooting trap with John Wayne. Welch wears a 1960s US Army Fatigue Baseball Cap (common issue during the Vietnam War) in the scene while the actors wear green berets. Soldiers exercising on the drill field - that Wayne shouts to - were actual Army airborne recruits in training.
Maroon beret
Maroon berets are worn by Kaibiles, Guatemala's special forces.
Black beret
In the Philippine National Police, members of the Special Action Force wears black berets.
Green Berets (Bosnian paramilitary)
Zelene beretke (English, "Green Berets") was a paramilitary organization founded in Sarajevo in early 1992. They were founded by demobilized soldiers and conscripts from the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) who were mostly ethnic Bosniaks and supporters of Bosnian nationalism. They were integrated into a newly founded Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second half of 1992. The Green Berets as a gear of choice and name was selected both as a reference to United States Army Special Forces (although no actual relation existed) and as a common colour brand of the predominant ethnic group that composed the unit, namely Bosniaks. Bosnian Green Berets were mostly active during the war in the early part of 1992 in northern and central Bosnia.
Uniform beret
Gendarmerie General Command personnel wears green beret.
Police Special Action teams of General Directorate of Security wears dark green beret.
Maroon beret
The Royal Thai Army Special Operations Force and paratroopers in the 31st Infantry Regiment (Royal Guard) wear the maroon beret.
Delta Force
The origin of the term operator in American special operations comes from the U.S. Army Special Forces (aka the Green Berets). The Army Special Forces was established in 1952, ten years before the Navy SEALs and 25 years before DELTA. Every other modern U.S. special operations unit in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines was established after 1977. In "Veritas: Journal of Army Special Operations History", Charles H. Briscoe states that the Army "Special Forces did not misappropriate the appellation. Unbeknownst to most members of the Army Special Operations Force (ARSOF) community, that moniker was adopted by the Special Forces in the mid-1950s." He goes on to state that all qualified enlisted and officers in Special Forces had to "voluntary subscribe to the provisions of the 'Code of the Special Forces Operator' and pledge themselves to its tenets by witnessed signature." This pre-dates every other special operations unit that currently uses the term/title operator.
Israel Defense Forces insignia
Each corps in the Israel Defense Forces has a beret of a different color and/or a different beret pin worn by its soldiers, independent of rank and position. Israel Defense Forces soldiers wear berets on their heads only on formal occasions, such as ceremonies and roll calls. The beret is placed beneath the left shoulder strap while wearing the service uniform (alef), but not while wearing the combat/work (bet) uniform in the field. On base it is left to the unit's discretion whether to wear berets or field hats. Air force and navy officers, military orchestra soldiers and military police law enforcement soldiers wear combination caps. Formerly, male soldiers of all ranks wore combination caps, while female soldiers wore the garrison cap. In the 1950s, the beret was adopted as the default headgear for the service uniform. The color of the air force beret was blue-gray; armored corps, artillery, and special operations personnel wore a black beret. Paratroopers, following the pattern of the British Army, wore maroon, all other infantry wore olive drab. Combat engineers wore a gray beret. For all other army personnel, except combat units, the beret for men was green and for women, black. Women in the navy wore a black beret with gold insignia while men wore the traditional white sailor cap like that of the US Navy.
Mohair berets
"Mohair berets" () is a tongue-in-cheek expression that stands for people who support the views expressed by the Polish consenvative-nationalistic Catholic movement, whose main representative is Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. This expression originated from the characteristic headgear worn by the stereotypical representatives of this circle. The term “mohair berets” alludes to the colloquial name "Green berets" for military units such as special forces (in Polish, "red and green berets").
11th Parachute Brigade (France)
The 11th Parachute Brigade () is a unit of the French Army, dominantly infantry, part of the French Airborne Units and specialized in air combat and air assault. The Brigade's primary vocation is to project in emergency in order to contribute a first response to a situational crisis. An elite unit of the French Army, the brigade is commanded by a "général de brigade" (Brigadier General) with headquarters in Balma near Toulouse. The Brigade's soldiers and airborne Marines wear the red beret (amaranth) except for the Legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment who wear Green beret of the French Foreign Legion.
Special Forces (United States Army)
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized them for use exclusively by the U.S. Special Forces. Preparing for a 12 October visit to the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the President sent word to the Center's commander, Colonel William P. Yarborough, for all Special Forces soldiers to wear green berets as part of the event. The President felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. In 1962, he called the green beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom".
Maroon beret
The Maroon Beret or Red Beret is worn by the elite commandos of the Singapore Armed Forces depicting their status as an elite airborne and special forces unit.
Military beret
Icelandic armed services commonly use berets.
The beret is the standard headgear for the Indian Army. Berets are worn by officers and other ranks, apart from Sikhs, who wear turbans. The beret colours worn by the Indian Army are as follows:The beret is the standard headgear of armed forces and police personnel in Indonesia. It is also worn by paramilitary and other uniformed services in the country such as the Fire Brigade, Search and Rescue, Scouts, civil militias (such as "Banser") and civil paramilitary organizations. In the Military Services (Army, Navy and Air Force), the berets are dragged to the right (the insignia are worn on the left side), while in the Indonesian National Police force and Military Police Corps, the berets are dragged to the left (the insignia are worn on the right side). Both having its own meaning, dragged to the right meaning "ready for combat and defense" and dragged to the left meaning "ready for law enforcement and order". 
Military and Police services according to their beret colours which represent different units within the force are as shown below:The beret color system used for the different branches of the Iraqi military and security forces changed after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Beret colors currently (and formerly) worn by Iraqi forces are as follows:
Charles Alvin Beckwith
Meanwhile, as the 7th SFG(A) operations officer, Beckwith went to work revolutionizing Green Beret training. Special Forces at the time focused on unconventional warfare, and especially foreign internal defense: i.e. training indigenous personnel in resistance activities. But Beckwith recognized that, "Before a Special Forces Green Beret soldier could become a good "un"conventional soldier, he'd first have to be a good conventional one... Because I had commanded rifle and weapons companies, I was appalled on arriving in Special Forces to find officers who had never commanded conventional units." Beckwith restructured 7th's training, basically rewriting the book on Army special operations training from the real-world lessons he had learned with the SAS. Beckwith also had learned that a symbol of excellence like a beret had to be earned. Officers were being assigned to Special Forces straight out of war college with no prior special ops experience and were given their Green Beret on arrival. The hard-nosed and practical training standards that Beckwith instituted would lend themselves to the birth of the modern Q-Course.
Bolivian Army
Army officers, NCOs, and enlisted personnel generally wear gray service uniforms. For tropical areas they wear gray-green service uniforms. Army fatigue uniforms are olive green, and combat uniforms consist of US woodland pattern camouflage and Desert pattern camouflage. The standard headgear for enlisted personnel is the beret bearing the national colors red, yellow and green. Armored troops are distinguished by black berets, and paratroops also by black berets. Special forces wear distinctive camouflage uniforms with green berets.
David Oh
During the 2011 campaign, "The Philadelphia Daily News" reported that Oh's claim that he served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, commonly known as the Green Berets, was a stretching of the truth. Oh criticized the paper for publishing the tabloid-styled piece and for confusing military uniform and terminology of 1991 with that of 2011. He noted that he did indeed serve as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Army National Guard. He also stated that the reporter had official documentation that his MOS (military occupational specialty) was changed from 11-A, "Infantry Officer", to 180-A, "Special Forces Technician", and that he was assigned a green beret which he had full authority to wear during his time of service. Oh himself did not, however, complete Special Forces training. He defended his military service” but issued an apology not being aware of the uniform changes since 1993 and for any confusion that may have resulted. Several veterans and related groups stepped-forward to defend Oh, including the Green Beret officer who recruited him to join the U.S. Army Special Forces. Veterans criticized the "Daily News"' original story, including the front cover picture of Oh with a green beret photoshopped onto his head, as misleading. As a result, the United Veterans Council of Philadelphia endorsed Oh and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Society made him an honorary member.
Black beret
In the Philippine Air Force, members of the Special Operations Wing wears black berets.
Army of the Republic of Macedonia
Special Forces Battalion "Wolves" was formed in 1994. It consists of a Headquarters and an undisclosed number of Special Forces detachments and specializes in covert actions, Foreign Internal Defence assistance, Special Reconnaissance, Counter Terrorist operations, and Drug interdiction tasks. Its members wear the Maroon Beret.
The Rangers Battalion was formed in 2004. It consists of a Headquarters and 3 Reconnaissance and Direct Action Companies, its members wear the Ranger Green Beret. The Rangers Battalion is well respected by its allies and is continually preparing for success in conducting its missions. Since 2004 the unit has gone through an intensive development period and has put maximum effort into improving its operative ability and its readiness to manage all challenges of modern time conflicts.
Military beret
Israeli Defense Forces soldiers wear berets only on formal occasions, such as ceremonies and roll calls, and in disciplinary situations such as courts martial and imprisonments. While they are not attending formal occasions, they must place the beret beneath the left epaulette. The Border Police, which are a unit of the civil police rather than the military IDF, wear their berets at most times. The beret colors are as follows:
Green beret
The Special Forces of the Netherlands consist mainly of the KCT (Korps Commando Troepen). Their motto is "Nunc aut Nunquam" which is Latin for "Now or Never". The roots of the KCT go back to World War II. Under the name No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, the first Dutch commandos were trained in Achnacarry, Scotland, as part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. The unit was formed on March 22, 1942, the birthday of the present KCT.
Military beret
Berets are also used by the Finnish Border Guard, which is a military organization under the aegis of Ministry of Interior during peacetime.The military beret originated in the French Army, in the form of the wide and floppy headdress worn by the Chasseurs Alpins (mountain light infantry) from their foundation in the early 1880s. The practical uses of the beret were soon known army-wide: the entire Expeditionary Force sent in China in 1900 used berets as headwear A tight-fitting version was subsequently adopted by French armoured troops towards the end of World War I. Between the wars, special fortress units raised to garrison the Maginot Line wore khaki berets as did the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion when it was created in 1940. The Vichy Milice of the War period wore a blue beret.
Green beret
Once the design was agreed, Brigadier Robert Laycock was approached by No. 1 Commando to seek his permission to wear it. He had been pondering on what the commandos should use for their headdress, and welcomed the green beret as a chance to introduce it as standard for all commando formations, with No. 1 Commando being the first to don them.
Maroon beret
Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) policy from 1973 through 1979 permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing distinctions. Airborne forces chose to wear the maroon international parachute beret as a mark of distinction. However, due to the variety to headgear utilized at unit level, such as the Stetson being used in cavalry units, this permission was rescinded in 1979 when the army introduced a policy of standardized headgear. Exceptions were allowed for the continued wearing of the black beret (changed to tan in 2001) for the 75th Ranger Regiment & Ranger Training Brigade, and the green beret for Special Forces. On 28 November 1980 permission was given for airborne organizations to resume wearing the maroon beret. Most American paratroopers refer to it as a red beret, which history and tradition mandates, out of respect for their World War II British allies.
The Venezuelan National Guard is the fourth component of Venezuelan Army Force (Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard), responsible for all military operations (Land, Air, Sea) that secure the public order including antidrug operation, administrative police (customs police and cooperation with SENIAT), external security of jail, public security, citizen security, environment police, and the cooperation with the army, navy and air force for military operations in the defense of the nation. They have one Unit of Special Forces (Grupo de Acciones de Comando) involving many military special operations alongside law enforcement duties. All personnel of the National Guard wear maroon berets.
Gene Yu
Gene Yu () is a United States Military Academy graduate, former U.S. Army Special Forces officer and author. He wrote the book "Yellow Green Beret: Stories of an Asian-American Stumbling Around U.S. Army Special Forces (series)|Yellow Green Beret: Stories of an Asian-American Stumbling Around U.S. Army Special Forces" Vols. 1 to 3, under the pen name of "Chester Wong", a semi-autobiographical and comedic take on his time in the Green Berets.
1st United States Sharpshooters
The most notable aspect of the Berdan Sharpshooter uniform is the green color, rather than the standard Union blue. They were one of only a few regiments that went outside the typical Potomac Army's uniform. The green uniform gave the sharpshooters the clear advantage of camouflage, but also sometimes was a disadvantage because they were easy to distinguish against the rest of the Union soldiers for Confederate marksmen to spot and target. Sharpshooters were high-priority kills amongst the Confederate army, because they had such high skills and good salvageable equipment. Sharpshooters used more guerrilla warfare battle tactics than the rest of the Union infantry. Along with the green uniform, a soldier was to have no brass on any of their buttons. Their shoes were standard Union issue, but their pants were made of green wool just like the frock coats, with a pair of gaiters. Furthermore, Sharpshooter knapsacks were a Prussian-style fur sack fitted over a wooden frame, as opposed to the usual tarred canvas. However, as the war went on the men were not reissued this clothing and many of the men received standard federal clothing making them harder for rebel troops to notice their elite capabilities. By the Gettysburg campaign most of the men were wearing modified blue uniforms.
Special Forces (United States Army)
Kennedy's actions created a special bond with the Special Forces, with specific traditions carried out since his funeral, when a sergeant in charge of a detail of Special Forces soldiers guarding the grave placed his beret on the coffin. The moment was repeated at a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of JFK's death – General Michael D. Healy (ret.), the last commander of Special Forces in Vietnam and later a commander of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, spoke at Arlington Cemetery, after which a wreath in the form of a green beret was placed on Kennedy's grave.
Black beret
In the Brazilian auxiliary military forces of the Polícia Militar (Military Police), specially in Minas Gerais state, officers sometimes wears black berets as official parts of patrol gear.
In the Canadian Armed Forces, black berets are worn by Royal Canadian Armoured Corps soldiers and by all sailors (except military police and special operations sailors).
In the Chilean Army, the black beret is worn by the paras and the special forces.
In the Croatian Army black berets are worn by Military police units and by 1st Guard Brigade (Croatia).
In the Czech Army, military policemen wear black berets.
In the Danish Army, the black beret was originally used by all combat regiments, but now it is worn by Jutland Dragoons, Guard Hussars, Royal Life Guard, Army Combat and Fire Support Center, Garnisonskommandant Vordingborg and 1st Danish Artillery Battalion
The Finnish Panssarijääkäri (panzerjaegers) and members of the Armored Brigade also wear black berets.
In the German Army, an oversized black beret was introduced during the National Socialist era for tank crews, to be worn over the crash helmet; however this was dropped in favour of a black garrison cap during World War II. Today the black beret (of conventional size) is worn by the Armoured Corps and the Armoured Reconnaissance Corps.
Uniform beret
The Special Task Force of the Sri Lanka Police wear green berets. Sri Lanka Army Commandos wear a maroon beret while special forces wear a black beret.
Laotian Civil War
In July, U.S. Special Forces Mobile Training Teams from the 77th Special Forces Group, working under the code name Hotfoot, began training the Royal Laotian army. The Green Berets were attached to the Programs Evaluation Office, and like other PEO employees, were nominal civilians and dressed as such.
Green beret
The Commandos Marine are an elite special operations unit of the French Navy. Formed from Fusiliers Marins during the Second World War in Britain, they wear the same green berets, pulled right, as the British Commandos. They are called "bérets verts" (green berets).
Berets of the United States Army
The maroon beret has been adopted as official headdress by the Airborne forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities, the tan beret by the 75th Ranger Regiment, the brown beret by the Security Force Assistance Brigades, and the green beret by the Special Forces.
Berets of the United States Army
When visiting the Special Forces at Fort Bragg on 12 October 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked Brig. Gen. William P. Yarborough to make sure that the men under his command wore green berets for the visit. Later that day, Kennedy sent a memorandum that included the line: '"I am sure that the green beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead". By America's entry into the Vietnam War, the green beret had become a symbol of excellence throughout the U.S. Army. On 11 April 1962 in a White House memorandum to the United States Army, President Kennedy reiterated his view: "The green beret is a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom". Previously, both Yarborough and Edson Raff had petitioned the Pentagon to allow wearing of the green beret, to no avail.
Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command
Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command (ROK-SWC; ; Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍 特殊戰司令部), also known as the Republic of Korea Army Special Forces "Black Berets"(R.O.K-Special Forces) is the military command of the Republic of Korea Army responsible for their special operation forces. ROK Special Forces brigades work in close relationship with their counterparts in the United States Army Special Forces "Green Berets". ROK Special Forces brigades were modelled after United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets).
Guías de Navarra
The Carlist troops had lacked a regular uniform and had used instead the black beret that was already worn in the Basque region. Zumalacárregui gave these troops distinctive red berets, purchased in France, as a type of uniform. At first, the red berets were accepted with joy by Carlist officers, but they then realized that Liberal sharpshooters found the red berets to be a good target. The red berets were thus retired and hidden in a house in Eulate. When he created the Guías de Navarra, Zumalacárregui ordered that these red berets be brought to him and given to this new battalion, which was, in any case, used for the most dangerous missions.
The Green Berets (film)
Film commentator Emanuel Levy noted in his review that Wayne was not attempting to promote the cause of the Vietnam War as much as he was trying to portray the Special Forces in their unique role in the military: "Wayne said his motive was to glorify American soldiers as the finest fighting men 'without going into why we are there, or if they should be there.' His 'compulsion' to do the movie was based on his pride of the Special Forces, determined to show 'what a magnificent job this still little-known branch of service is doing.' ... 'I wasn't trying to send a message out to anybody,' he reasoned, 'or debating whether it is right or wrong for the United States to be in this war.'"
Special Forces (United States Army)
Their new headdress was first worn at a retirement parade at Fort Bragg on 12 June 1955 for Lieutenant General Joseph P. Cleland, the now-former commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Onlookers thought that the commandos were a foreign delegation from NATO. In 1956 General Paul D. Adams, the post commander at Fort Bragg, banned the wearing of the distinctive headdress, (although members of the Special Forces continued to wear it surreptitiously). This was reversed on 25 September 1961 by "Department of the Army Message 578636", which designated the green beret as the exclusive headdress of the Army Special Forces.
The Special Warfare Memorial Statue
Inside the base of the statue is a time capsule containing a SF uniform, a green beret, a bust of John F. Kennedy, and Kennedy's speech presenting the green beret to Special Forces Soldiers.
Special Forces (United States Army)
Forrest Lindley, a writer for the newspaper "Stars and Stripes" who served with Special Forces in Vietnam said of Kennedy's authorization: "It was President Kennedy who was responsible for the rebuilding of the Special Forces and giving us back our Green Beret. People were sneaking around wearing [them] when conventional forces weren't in the area and it was sort of a cat and mouse game. Then Kennedy authorized the Green Beret as a mark of distinction, everybody had to scramble around to find berets that were really green. We were bringing them down from Canada. Some were handmade, with the dye coming out in the rain".