Green beret
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For other uses of the phrase, see Green Berets.
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The green beret is the official headgear of the Royal Marine Commandos, the United States Army Special Forces, The Finnish Coastal Jägers (marines), the Royal Swedish Amphibious Corps, the Royal Norwegian Jeger Battalion (Rangers), the Norwegian Border Battalion on the Norwegian-Russian border, the commando units of the Belgian Paracommando Brigade, The New Zealand Army, the Dutch Royal Korps Commandotroepen, the French Foreign Legion & Naval Commandos, and a military unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Special forces wear it because of a shared tradition which goes back to the British Commandos of World War II. Although it is unusual for American units to wear distinctive head gear, it is the norm in the British Army, where most regiments wear hats or cap badges which reflect regimental battle honours and traditions.
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[edit] United States Army Special Forces
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 (SF) soldiers.
The U.S. Army Special Forces wear the green beret because of their link to the British Commandos of World War II. The first Ranger unit, commonly known as Darby's Rangers, was formed in Northern Ireland during the summer of 1942. On completion of training at the Commando Training Depot at Achnacarry Castle in Scotland, those Rangers had the right to wear the British Commando green beret, but it was not part of the regulation uniform and at the time and was disallowed by the U.S. Army.
When visiting the Special Forces at Fort Bragg on October 12, 1961, President Kennedy asked Brigadier General 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 which 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 US Army.
On April 11, 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, but the President did not fail them. As a side note, while popularly known as the Green Berets, US Army Special Forces soldiers do not refer to themselves as such - they refer to themselves as Special Forces, the beret is just the cover, not the man.
[edit] The Royal Marines (British)
A Royal Marine is only allowed to wear the green beret once he has passed the Commando Course. Personnel from the Royal Navy, Regiments and Corps of the British Army and the Royal Air Force are allowed to send their ranks on an All Arms Commando course where they can train to pass the commando course and receive the Green Beret.
The reason the beret is green is that commandos stole several rolls of green material from a captured building during a raid in World War II. When they returned to the U.K, they decided it would be fitting to make this material into new berets. Few berets were made from this captured material, but the colour has been kept ever since.[citation needed]
[edit] Coastal Jägers (Finnish)
Finland's 675 nautical miles of coastline, its shallow and rock-strewn archipelago, long, dark and icy winters and the vital importance of sea transport to Finland's prosperity make the Navy's littoral field of operations unique and challenging. The Finnish Navy, which like the rest of the Finnish Defence Forces depends on compulsory military service, is responsible for maritime surveillance, repelling territorial violations and safeguarding vital sealines of communication. The Navy comprises its headquarters along with seven units, including both naval and coastal establishments. The Kotka Coastal Command and Uusimaa Brigade, along with the Naval Commands, train coastal troops such as Coastal Jägers during a 180 - 362 day training period at the Vasa Coastal Jäger Battalion. A Coastal Jäger is allowed to attempt the "Beret March", which is only arranged twice a year, once he has passed the compulsory training and meets the other qualifications. If a Coastal Jäger completes the Beret March, he is entitled to wear the green beret with its sea eagle badge.
[edit] Green Berets of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Green Berets were also a gear of choice and the name of a Bosnian, initially paramilitary, force during the Bosnian War from 1992-1995. They were integrated into a newly founded Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in second part of 1992. The Green Beret 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 color 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.
[edit] Other uses
Green Beret was another name for Rush'n Attack, an arcade game.
