Military beret

US Army Private wearing black beret with Distinctive Unit Insignia on the US Army beret flash

Berets have been a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world since the mid-20th century. Military berets are usually pushed to the right to free the shoulder that bears the rifle on most soldiers, but the armies of some countries, mostly Europe, South America and Iran have influenced the push to the left.

Berets are in some countries particularly associated with elite units, who often wear berets in more unusual colours. Examples include the grey of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps and of the new Polish GROM, maroon of Commonwealth parachute troops and the Danish Jægerkorpset, the green of the Royal Marines Commandos, Finnish Marine Commandos (Coastal Jaegers), French Commandos (Bérets verts), French Foreign Legion, Irish Army Ranger Wing, Portuguese Paratroopers (Boinas Verdes), Rhodesian Light Infantry and United States Army's Special Forces (Green Berets); the scarlet of the Royal Military Police, the Portuguese Army Commandos, the red of the Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation and the elite Soviet Internal Troops (Spetsnaz); the beige or tan of Commonwealth special forces units (SAS) and United States Army Rangers; or the wide black of French Chasseurs alpins, the first military unit to have worn berets.

History

Carlist forces in Spain, 1838.
Chasseurs alpins during the Occupation of the Ruhr, 1923.

The informal use of beret-like headgear by the military of Europe dates back hundreds of years, one example being the Blue Bonnet, that became a de facto symbol of Scottish Jacobite forces in the 16th and 17th centuries. As an officially required military headdress, its use dates back to the Carlist Wars of Succession for the Spanish Crown in the 1830s by order of Carlist General Tomás de Zumalacárregui who wanted a local and non-costly way to make headgear that was resistant to the mountain weather, easy to care for and could be used on formal occasions. The French Chasseurs alpins, created in the early 1880s, was the first regular unit to wear the military beret as a standard headgear. These mountain troops were issued with a uniform which included several features which were innovative for the time, notably the large and floppy blue beret which they still retain. This was so unfamiliar a fashion outside France that it had to be described in the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911 as "a soft cap or tam o'shanter".[1]

Berets have features that make them very attractive to the military: they are cheap, easy to make in large numbers, can be manufactured in a wide range of colors, can be rolled up and stuffed into a pocket or beneath the shirt epaulette without damage, and can be worn with headphones (this is one of the reasons why early tank crews adopted the beret). The beret is not so useful in field conditions for the modern infantryman, who requires protective helmets, and non-camouflage versions are seldom seen on operations.

The beret was found particularly useful as a uniform for armored-vehicle crews, and the British Tank Corps (later Royal Tank Corps) adopted the headdress as early as 1918.

German AFV crews in the late 1930s also adopted a beret with the addition of a padded crash helmet inside. The color black became popular as a tank-crew headdress, since it did not show oil stains picked up inside the interior of a vehicle. Black berets continue to be worn by armored regiments in many armies (see details below).

An unusual form of beret is the camo beret, mostly issued to special forces. Countries that have issued camouflage berets include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, PRC, Denmark, Ecuador, Israel, Paraguay, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand.

Berets have become the default military headdress of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, just as the morion, tricorne, shako, kepi, and peaked cap were each common headgear in their own respective eras. As recorded below the beret is now worn by many military personnel of the majority of nations around the globe.

Military berets by country

Afghanistan

Most berets are used by senior enlisted personnel and officers.

Algeria

Algerian para-commandos

light green beret used by para-commandos units

Angola

In the Angola Armed Forces, the following berets are in use:

Colour Wearer
       Green Páraquedistas (Paratroopers)
Brown Army general use
Black Navy and Fuzileiros Navais (Marines)
Red Commandos
Medium blue Air Force

Argentina

Berets are worn by some units in the Argentine Armed Forces,[2][3] with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colours are as follows:

Berets in Argentine Army:

Berets in Argentine Navy:

Berets in Argentine Air Force:

Berets in Argentine Gendarmerie:

Berets in other services:

Armenia

The Armed Forces continue to wear Soviet-style (pieced fabric) berets, which are draped to the right in most circumstances. When appearing in public on parade, the berets are draped to the left side so that the insignia shows to observing dignitaries and the public.

Australia

In the Royal Australian Navy, dark blue berets are an optional uniform item available to all members, with distinguishing badges to identify the ranks of Sailors and Officers.

Berets are worn by all corps in the Australian Army, with distinctive colours for some units:[4]

Blue berets are worn in the Royal Australian Air Force, but only by qualified Airfield Defence Guards and Ground Defence Officers.

In all cases, the beret is 'bashed' to the right, and a badge or insignia is worn above the left eye.

Austria

Austrian green beret.

Berets are common in most parts of the Army, and are usually worn for special occasions, but also regularly by certain forces.

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Belgium

Initially, the only unit of the Belgian military to wear berets were the Chasseurs Ardennais from the 1930s. Since World War II they have been adopted by all units. Berets vary in colour according to the regiment, and carry a badge (sometimes on a coloured shield-shaped patch) which is of gilt for officers, silver for non-commissioned officers and bronze for other ranks. Members of cavalry units all wear silver coloured badges.

A Belgian UN peacekeeper in Somalia, wearing a standard UN blue beret and badge, 1993.

Benin

Bolivia

Berets in Bolivian Army:

Berets in Bolivian Air Force:

Brazil

Colour Wearer
       Olive green All other Army units
Brown Special Operations Group
Black Armoured troops, Mechanized Infantry, Military Police (Gendarmerie)
Scarlet red Students of Colégio Militar (middle and high school).
Grey Mountain Infantry
Dark blue Students of Military Formation Schools (Cadets, Officer Candidates, NCO Candidates)
Royal blue Army aviation
Wine red Paratroopers
Camouflage Jungle Troops
Tan Air Assault Units
UN blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on international peacekeeping missions

Bulgaria

Berets have been worn by Bulgarian military personnel since 1991. Berets vary in colour according to the military branch, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) resembling the unit's insignia.

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Main article Uniforms of the Canadian Forces#Berets

The colour of the beret is determined by the wearer's environment, branch, or mission. The beret colours listed below are the current standard:

Colour Wearer
       Air Force blue Air Force
Black Armoured, Navy
CF Green Army
UN blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on peacekeeping missions
Scarlet Military Police
Maroon Paratroopers Serving in Active Jump Companies
Blaze Orange Search-and-rescue technicians
Terracotta Personnel serving with the Multinational Force and Observers
Tan Special Operations Forces

Chile

Berets in Chilean Army:

Berets in Chilean Navy:

Berets in Chilean Air Force:

China

Since May 5, 2000, the People's Liberation Army has adopted woolen berets for all its personnel,[6] along with the traditional peaked caps. Type 99 beret

Berets were not officially adopted by the CAPF, but some of the forces issued their own types NOT OFFICIAL:

During the 80s, camo berets were issued to some of the recon forces of PLA. It has no badge on it.

Type 07 uniform is being issued to both PLA and CAPF on August 1, 2007. Colours of 07 berets are changed to the same colours with the service uniform. And several changes in designs were made from type 99 beret. The berets were not being issued until summer of 2009 to most of the troops.

Other than colours of the berets, the most significant difference between type 99 and type 07 is the type 99 beret badge is cloth, while type 07 is plastic.

Colombia

Berets are worn by all personnel of the National Army of Colombia (Ejército) and certain members of the Navy (Armada), with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colors are:

Croatia

In the Croatian Army berets are used in special forces and guard brigades.
During Croatian War of Independence, Croatian Army consisted of seven professional brigades—guard brigades, each having its beret colour. During the army reforms number of guard brigades was cut to two, but the battalions kept the names and insignia (colour of beret also) of ex brigades.

Joint staff:

Guard brigades:

Also dark blue beret is used in Croatian Navy.

Czech Republic

The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic use berets for both battledress and display uniform. The colour of the beret is defined by the branch of the armed forces. The beret displays the state coat of arms with two swords crossed underneath and the badge of rank of the individual.[12]

Denmark

Danish Army beret. Green marks the soldier as belonging to a combat support regiment. The badge belongs to The Signal Regiment.

The Royal Danish Army first introduced berets for its armour personnel in 1958. It was later extended to the whole army, Homeguard and parts of the Navy and Airforce, replacing the standard issue Side cap.[13]

Colour Wearer
       Black Jutland Dragoons, Guard Hussars, Royal Life Guard, Army Combined Operations Training Center (HKIC), Garnisonskommandant Vordingborg and 1st Danish Artillery Battalion[14]
Green Engineers, Logistics, Army Intelligence Center, Army Home Guard, Infrastructure Home Guard
Dark Blue Royal Danish Navy; Naval Home Guard and Signal troops
Maroon Jægerkorpset (army special forces)
Red Military Police
Light Blue Grey Royal Danish Air Force; Air Force Home Guard
Light Blue (or "Mouse Grey") Army Air Corps, Disbanded
Dark brown Danish Women's Voluntarily Corp (Dansk Lottekorps), Disbanded
Camouflage Naval Infantry, Armoured Forces of Bornholm (Bornholms Værn's Marineinfantery), Disbanded
UN Blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on international peacekeeping missions

Ecuador

Berets are worn by all personnel of the Ecuadorian Army (Ejército) and certain members of the Navy (Armada) and Air Force (Fuerza Aérea), with distinctive colours for some units or functions. The beret colours are:

Egypt

Eritrea

All personnel of the EDF or Eritrean Defense Forces wear Berets.

Estonia

All personnel in the Estonian Military used to wear Berets in the beginning on 90's. In 2013, berets were reinstated.

Finland

The Finnish general Ensio Siilasvuo .

The Finnish Defence Force uses berets with cap badges for the Army, Navy and the Air Force. The berets are worn in "clean" garrison duties such as roll calls and with the walking-out uniform, but not with the battle dress. Until the mid-1990s, the beret was reserved for troops with special status, such as the armoured troops, coastal jägers and the parachute jägers, but is nowadays used by all units. In the winter, berets are replaced by winter headgear.

Berets are also used by the Finnish Border Guard, which is a military organization under the aegis of Ministry of Interior during peacetime.

France

French marines paratroopers in Rwanda.

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 beret as headwear[15] 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 DBLE of the French Foreign Legion when it was created in 1940. The Vichy Milice of the War period wore a blue beret.

The beret in red, blue or green was a distinction of the Metropolitan, Colonial and Foreign Legion paratroop units during the Indochina and Algerian wars. After 1962 the beret in either light khaki or the colours specified above became the standard French Army headdress for ordinary use.

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, Airforce & Gendarmerie) are pulled to the left with the badge worn over the right eye or temple. Gendarmerie personnel serving with the European Gendarmerie Force - an EU crisis response & intervention force - wear the standard EUROGENDFOR royal blue beret & badge when so assigned.

Colour Wearer
       Wide dark blue Chasseurs Alpins (the wide beret's nickname is the tarte (pie)) also worn with a white cover (winter dress).
Dark blue Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air; Troupes de Marine & all other Army troops; Gendarmerie Provost; Naval Fusiliers (badge on left)
Green French Foreign Legion (badge on right); Naval Commandos (badge on left)
Red (called amarante) Paratroopers wear red beret (except paratroopers of the Foreign Legion who wear Legion green)
Azure blue Army Light Aviation
Black Armoured regiments (Regiments de Chars de Combat); Gendarmerie GIGN anti-terrorist unit
UN blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on international peacekeeping missions

Gabon

Berets in Gabonese Army:

Germany

First Sergeant of the Panzerjäger with black beret 1989

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.

Military bands wear the beret colour of their respective division (e.g. black in the 1. Panzerdivision).

Note: The Panzerjäger started off with black berets but were moved into the Panzergrenadier branch. The last Panzerjägers wore green berets.

Ghana

The beret colours worn by the Ghana Army are as follows:

Greece

The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Army are as follows:

When in camouflage fatigues, the camouflaged cap is worn instead of the dark blue beret. The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Air Force are:

Guatemala

Hungary

History: the first beret-type cap (khaki colour, with black ribbon and "eagle" badge) was issued for Air Force enlisted personnel in 1930, but berets became popular in the 1970s, when reconnaissance troops (paratroopers) were issued with rifle green (or grass green) berets. Previously maroon beret was also experimented and even reversible (green to camo) "multi-purpose" berets were produced, but the standardization started on the 1975 military parade. In 1982 military secondary school students were issued with green berets too, while in 1987 River Force troopers received dark blue beret. After the collapse of the communism the beret as "mark of the elite trooper" received more and more popularity among soldiers.

Berets currently in Hungarian military:

Except these official versions different unofficial beret types, colours and badges are worn, for example Dark Blue berets by Signal Corps cadets etc.

Iceland

Icelandic armed services commonly use berets.

India

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:

Indonesia

The beret is the headgear of ground forces and military police in the Indonesian Armed Forces. In 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 units, the berets are dragged to the left (the insignia are worn on the right side). Military Services:

Iran

Iraq

Iraqi Maroon Beret

The beret colour system used for the different branches of the Iraqi military and security forces changed after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Berets currently worn by Iraqi forces:

Ireland

All Army personnel wear a common capbadge, a sunburst insignia with the letters "FF" inscribed above the left eye of the beret. The Irish Defence Forces cap badge for Officers in the Army has a more subdued appearance. Air Corps and Naval Service personnel wear their own cap badge on berets.

Irish troops wear UN blue berets while serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon.

Uii The beret colours worn by the Irish Defence Forces are as follows:

Colour Wearer
       Black Army, Air Corps and Naval Service - Army personnel wear red patch behind cap badge
Red Military Police
Dark green Army Ranger Wing (special forces)
UN blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on international peacekeeping missions

The beret colours worn by the Reserve Defence Forces are as follows:

Colour Wearer
       Light green Army Reserve - worn with dark green patch behind cap badge
Red Reserve Military Police - worn with dark green patch behind cap badge
Black Naval Service Reserve

Israel

Soldiers of the Nahal Brigade wearing light green berets

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 on 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:

CorpsColor
Air Force
Air Force  
Infantry Corps
Golani Brigade  
Paratroopers Brigade and SF units  
Nahal Brigade  
Givati Brigade  
Kfir Brigade
Armor Corps
Armor Corps  
Artillery Corps
Artillery Corps  
Combat Intelligence Corps
Combat Intelligence Corps  
Engineering Corps
Engineering Corps  
Intelligence
Directorate of Military Intelligence  
Military Police
Military Police  
Border Police
Border Police  
Home Front
Home Front Command  
General
General Corps  
Navy
Sea Corps  

Italy

Italian Carabinieri parachutists in a military parade
A female soldier of the Italian Folgore Brigade.

Italian Army personnel used to wear a garrison cap alongside the combination cap, until the early 1970s when the garrison cap was replaced by the beret. Until the early 1980s the general Army colour for the beret was drab khaki, the black being reserved to armoured units. The colours presently used by the Italian Army are as follows:

The Italian Navy uses the following berets:

The Italian Air Force uses the following berets:

Other Italian services that use berets:

Japan

All members in the Ground Self-Defense Force are authorized to wear wool rifle green berets - referred to as the "ベレー帽" (ベレーボウ　or bereebou) - as an optional head covering for dress, working and camouflage uniforms since 1992. However, it is normally considered a special dress item, worn for public relations events or parades. An embroidered goldwork cap badge representing the JGSDF logo identical to the one used on the service dress peaked cap is required by regulation to be affixed to the beret.

Jordan

The beret colours worn by the Jordanian Army are as follows:

Kenya

The beret colours worn by the Kenya Armed Forces are as follows:

Kuwait

Latvia

The beret colours worn by the Latvian Army are as follows:

Lebanon

All units, in the Lebanese Armed Forces wear berets when not in combat mode (Helmet), training camp (cap) or formal uniform (formal hat).

The Lebanese Army, unlike most militaries, wears the beret slanted (pulled down) on the left side as the Army embelm is positioned to the right aligned with the right eyebrow.

Lithuania

Malaysia

Female RMN personnels with dark blue coloured beret
The PASKAL personnel wearing the reddish purple or magenta coloured beret while GGK (right) wearing the sherwood green coloured beret.

The beret is the headgear of ground forces, air aviations and special forces in the Malaysian Armed Forces. The colours presently used are:

  1. Rifle Green — Royal Malay Regiment (Infantry)
  2. Dark Blue With Black Hackle — Royal Ranger Regiment (Infantry)
  3. Maroon — 10 Paratrooper Brigade (Paratroopers)
  4. Sherwood Green — Grup Gerak Khas (Special Forces)
  5. Cypress Green — Royal Intelligence Corps
  6. Cambridge Blue — Army Air Corps
  7. Black — Royal Armoured Corps
  8. Scarlet Red — Royal Military Police Corps
  9. Dark Blue — other Army branches
  1. Dark Blue — Regular and reserve force personnel
  2. Reddish Purple (Magenta) — PASKAL (English: Naval Special Warfare Team) commandos
  1. Sky Blue — PASKAU (English: Air Force Special Air Service) commandos and regular aviation
  2. Dark Blue — RMAF regiment personnels, reserve force and RMAF provosts personnels

Maldives

The beret colours worn by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) are as follows:

Mali

The beret colours worn by the Malian Armed Forces are as follows:

Mexico

In the Mexican Army, the beret is worn by:

In the Mexican Navy:

Alternative text
Mongolian army soldiers in dark green beret

Mongolia

In 2002, new army uniforms were introduced to the Mongolian armed forces and along with new uniform design, dark green berets were issued to all personnel. According to the rules, all military berets are pushed to the right and displays "Soyombo" symbol in middle of golden oak leaves in the right side.

Berets are worn by Mongolian Police since 1994. Police berets are deferent from the army beret in color and in shape, while it is pushed to the left while army berets are pushed to the right.

Morocco

The Moroccan military Uniform is inspired from the French Uniform, the berets are usually pulled to the left with the badge worn over the right eye or temple.

Mozambique

Presently, the following berets are in use by the Defense Armed Forces of Mozambique:

Nepal

Netherlands

When the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces acquired new modernised uniforms (designed by the Dutch couturier Frans Molenaar) in 2000, the berets changed as well. Since 2004, soldiers of the Royal Netherlands Army have worn a petrol (blue-green) beret, whereas previously they wore brown.

The following colours are also used (before and after the modernisation):

Navy:

Army:

Note: The only Dutch military unit that do not wear a beret are the Gele Rijders (Horse Artillery), who wear a blue garrison cap with yellow trimming. Air Force:

Military Police:

Other:

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 components recovered their color, except the administration they got the crimson color.

New Zealand

Personnel of the Royal New Zealand Navy and New Zealand Defence Force Military Police wear dark navy blue. Since 1999 all units in the New Zealand Army have worn a universal rifle green beret, except for the Special Air Service, who wear sand colour . Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel do not wear berets.

Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:

Berets in Nicaraguan Army:

Berets in Nicaraguan Navy:

Nigeria

Norway

Norwegian soldier wearing an olive green beret

The Norwegian armed forces use the beret as a garrison cap, but some units (mostly armored vehicle personnel) also use it in the field. The Norwegian beret and all other headwear except those of the Navy and His Majesty The King's Guard always have the current king's cipher as a badge in gold (most of the army) or silver (the air force); currently this is a numeral 5 inside an H, for "Harald V". The navy has a crowned gold anchor for their enlisted personnel, a crowned gold anchor surrounded by a circle of rope for their petty officers, and a crowned golden anchor surrounded by leaved branches for officers. The colours used are:

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:

Pakistan

Paraguay

The Paraguayan Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:[16]

Berets in Paraguayan Army:

Berets in Paraguayan Navy:

Berets in Paraguayan Air Force:

Panama

Berets were widely worn by many units in the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF) under Manuel Noriega. The PDF was abolished in February 1990, and with it all of the old military units stood down. Unique beret insignia were never approved, so units authorized to wear berets wore a combination of the approved shoulder insignia, as well as rank and qualification insignia (e.g. parachutist wings) on the berets. The following were being worn at the time of the 1989 invasion:

Philippines

Philippine Army

Philippine Air Force

Poland

Black berets were introduced before World War II for tank and armoured car crews. During World War II, berets were widely adopted in the Polish Army on the Western Front, armored troops - black, airborne - grey, commando - green. After the war in the communist era, berets were worn only by armoured units (black), navy for field and work uniform (black), paratroopers (maroon), and marines (light blue). After 1990, the beret became the standard headgear in the Armed Forces of Republic of Poland. Around the year 2000 the design of the Polish Army Beret changed, the beret sewn together from three pieces of material with four air holes, two at each side was changed to a smaller beret molded from one piece of material with no air holes. The following colours are in use:

Berets in other units

The black beret is also the distinctive headgear of World War II veterans, particularly Armia Krajowa veterans.

The dress code of the Polish armed forces states than when not worn on the head or kept in a locker the beret should be placed under the left shoulder loop.

Portugal

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.

The following colors of berets were or are still worn by the Portuguese Military and Paramilitary forces:

Colour Wearer
       Green Paratroopers
Brown Caçadores Especiais in 1960-1962, Army general use since 1962
Black Cavalry branch (except Cavalry Paratroopers and including Military Police) since 1962, Angola Provincial Organization of Volunteers and Civil Defense until 1975
Red Commandos (worn unofficially by some units since 1966 and officially since 1974)
Moss green Special Operations Forces
Blue Navy general use
Dark blue Marines, Republican National Guard (GNR) Infantry Regiment until 2013 (with a green stripe below)
Light blue Air Force Police
Dark green Republican National Guard (GNR) general use since 2013
Yellow Special Groups of Mozambique until 1975
Maroon Paratrooper Special Groups until 1975
Camouflage Guinea 3rd and 5th Commando companies (unofficial) in 1966-1968, Flechas until 1975
White Volunteer Aerial Formations until 1975
Tan GIPS (GNR rescue unit) until 2013 (still worn unofficially since then)
UN blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on international peacekeeping missions

Rhodesia

Acting Lieutenant Nigel John Theron of 2 Commando, Rhodesian Light Infantry receives the Bronze Cross of Rhodesia in 1976

Until the reconstitution Rhodesia as Zimbabwe ended their existence in 1980, the Rhodesian Security Forces wore the beret as the primary working dress and service dress headgear. Berets were coloured according to unit or service branch, with a distinctive regimental cap badge pinned above the left eye. The Rhodesian Security Forces were integrated into the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces in 1980.

Romania

Russian Federation

In 2011, the Russian Defence Ministry issued berets to all non-naval military personnel for field uniforms.

Saudi Arabia

Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia

Saudi military police
Colour Worn by[18]
      		 Olive Green Royal Saudi Land Forces.
      		 Blue Royal Saudi Air Force.
      		 Black Royal Saudi Navy.
      		 Dark Green Royal Saudi Air Defense.
      		 Red Military Police Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.
      		 Maroon And units of paratroopers and Special Security Forces.

Senegal

Serbia

The Serbian Armed Forces was wearing berets in the following colours:

With introduction of new M10 uniform and new regulations, berets are being replaced with garrison caps, remaining only with some branches worn in the following colours:

Singapore

The Singapore Armed and Police Forces adopts the beret as their standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:

The berets are all adorned with the Singapore Armed Forces coat of arms, with the exception of the Air Force beret, Military Police beret, navy beret and police beret which are adorned with their respective cap-badge. Officers in the navy have a different cap-badge from the enlisted men. Officers of the rank of colonel and above have a different cap-badge.

All berets have the National Cadet Corps or National Police Cadet Corps crest on the front.

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

The South African Army wears the beret as its standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:

The berets are all adorned with the unit's insignia. Some of the traditional units wear other headgear - for example, the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment and the band of the South African Military Health Service.

Outside of Army, the South African Military Health Service wear red berets. The South African Special Forces Brigade which is a separate entity, not part of the army, also wear the Maroon beret which is traditional for elite units in the western world.

South Korea

Berets are mostly limited to the elite units of the South Korean Military, including:

Other than these units, several secret commando units (mostly disbanded in the mid-1990s, among them the "Unit 684" which became infamous for its mutiny) formed to infiltrate North Korea during the Cold War days wore black berets and adorned them with the badges of individual units. Korean liaison soldiers serving in the U.S. Eighth Army (KATUSA) have also been wearing black berets along with American uniforms since that beret became a standard headgear of the U.S. Army in 2001.

As of 2006, there have been several proposals within the Korean Ministry of Defense to replace the current field cap with a dark-coloured beret as the standard army headgear.

South Vietnam

American advisers assigned to these units wore the berets.[19]

Spain

The beret is used in the various armed forces of Spain. The colours used are:[20]

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Swedish amphibious corps soldier with green beret

The beret is used in the various armed forces of Sweden. The colours used are:[21]

Sudan

The beret is worn by all police and military personal.

Switzerland

Since 1995, when it replaced the grey side cap, the beret is worn with the dress uniform and with the personally issued battle dress uniform by all Swiss soldiers. In training, a camouflage-colored field cap is worn instead.

The colours used are:[22]

Thailand

The beret is used in the various armed forces of Thailand. The colours used are:

The black beret is also worn by ordinary police in certain situations.

Togo

The beret colours worn by the Togolese Army are as follows:

Turkey

Colour Worn by[23]
       Black Armoured Corps of Turkish Land Forces.
Blue Commando Brigades of Turkish Land Forces and Gendarmerie (Jandarma).
Bluish-Green Personnel of Police Special Operations Department.
Green Personnel of Gendarmerie General Command.
Maroon Personnel of Special Forces Command.
UN Blue Personnel serving with the United Nations on international peacekeeping missions.

United Kingdom

Bermuda Regiment recruits wear generic dark blue berets.

The British Army beret dates back to 1918 when the French 70th Chasseurs alpins were training with the British Tank Corps. The Chasseurs alpins wore a distinctive large beret (see above) and Major-General Sir Hugh Elles, the TC's Colonel, realised this style of headdress would be a practical option for his tank crews, forced to work in a reduced space. He thought, however, that the Chasseur beret was "too sloppy" and the Basque-style beret of the French tank crews was "too skimpy", so a compromise based on the Scottish tam o'shanter was designed and submitted for the approval of George V in November 1923. It was adopted in March 1924.

During the Second World War, the use of the black beret was extended to all the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1940. The maroon beret was adopted by the Parachute Regiment in 1941 and the green beret by the Commandos in late 1942. A khaki beret was worn by the Reconnaissance Corps from 1941 until 1944,[24] and the Royal Air Force Regiment adopted a blue-grey beret in 1943.[25] Later in the war, a rather baggier beret-like hat, called a General Service Cap, was issued to all ranks of the British Army (with RAC, parachute, commando, Scottish and Irish units excepted), to replace the earlier Field Service Cap. The GS Cap was not popular, and after the war was replaced with a true beret.[26]

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.

Royal Military Police, 1984

Beret Colours

The colours are as follows:

General rule for wearing a British Army berets taught at training depots is to shape the head dress back and to the right for the material and to have the leather band level around the head with the cap badge two fingers above the left eye. Scottish Infantry have different rules for the Tamo'shanter with the cap badge worn on the left side of the head.

Other Adornments

Some Regiments and Corps wear a coloured backing behind the capbadge. These include:

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, the only remaining independent fusilier regiment, wears a feather hackle on the beret. Other ranks of the Royal Welsh also wear hackles.

Members of the Royal Tank Regiment, 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery Royal Artillery,[30] Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment, SAS and Intelligence Corps wear berets in Nos 1, 2, 3 and 6, Dress. Other English and Welsh Regiments and Corps wear peaked caps in these orders of dress.[31] Troops from other services, regiments or corps on attachment to units with distinctive coloured berets often wear those berets (with their own cap badge). Colonels, brigadiers and generals usually continue to wear the beret of the regiment or corps to which they used to belong with the cap badge distinctive to their rank.

Old Units

Former regiments and corps, now amalgamated:

United States

The US Army

Army Special Forces wearing green berets (The flashes on each beret represent a specific Special Forces Group to which they belong.)
COL Richard Clarke official portrait
Army Ranger with tan beret
1st Lt. Alexander Woody with the 82nd Airborne Division
Army Paratrooper with maroon beret
Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Instructor with sage green beret
Air Force Security Forces guard with dark blue beret

Berets were originally worn by select forces in the United States Army. The first were worn during World War II, when a battalion of the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment were presented maroon berets by their British counterparts.[32] Though unofficial at first, the green beret of the US Army Special Forces was formally adopted in 1961. Maroon airborne and black US Army Ranger berets were formally authorized in the 1970s.

"D" Troop 17th Cavalry were authorised a maroon beret in Vietnam.[33]

In the post-Vietnam era, morale in the US Army waned. In response, from 1973 through 1979 HQDA permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing uniform distinctions, however these distinctions were only allowed to be worn on the post. Consequently, many units embraced various colored berets, for example Armor and Armored Cavalry units often adopted the black beret. Similarly many other units embraced various colored berets in an attempt to improve dwindling morale. In particular, the First Cavalry Division assigned various colored berets to its three pronged TRICAP approach. In this implementation, Armored Cavalry, Airmobile Infantry units, Air Cavalry units, Division Artillery units, and Division Support units all wore different colored berets, including black, light blue, kelly green, and red. The 101st Airborne Division was authorised a dark blue beret.

In 1975 all female soldiers of the Women's Army Corps were authorized to wear a black beret variant as standard headgear for the service uniform.[34]

In 1975 the 172nd light Infantry Brg. out of Ft. Richarderson, Alaska were wearing the Olive Drab Berets.

In 2001, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki ordered the black beret worn as standard headgear army-wide, a controversial decision because it was previously reserved for the Rangers. The Rangers were then authorized to wear a tan beret, exclusive to them. The decision was implemented in hopes of boosting morale among conventional units. However, many soldiers began complaining that the new black beret was not practical with the utility uniform. In June 2011, Army Secretary John McHugh, acting on the recommendations made by Chief of Staff Martin Dempsey and Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler, once again chose the traditional patrol cap to be worn with the utility uniform. The black beret may be authorized with utility uniforms at commander's discretion for special ceremonies. The beret remains part of the Army's dress uniform for all units.

United States Army berets now use the following distinctive colors:

Special Forces, Ranger, and Airborne unit berets sport distinctive organizational flashes. All other units use a standard pale blue flash bordered with 13 white stars. Officers wear their rank insignia within the flash, while enlisted ranks wear their distinctive unit insignia.

The US Navy

In the United States Navy, female servicemembers may wear a black beret (of a different style than most military berets) instead of a combination hat or garrison cap while in service uniforms.

During the Vietnam War, the US Navy created special boat teams, unofficially dubbed the brown-water navy, to patrol coastlines, estuaries and rivers. Naval personnel assigned to these teams wore black berets as part of their uniform, as portrayed in the movie "Apocalypse Now".[36] US Navy SEAL teams serving in Vietnam wore camouflage berets in the field, the only beret somewhat standardized in the SEALs.

The US Air Force

Uruguay

A member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard with beret and halberd

Vatican State

The Pontifical Swiss Guard wears large black berets.

Venezuela

Berets are worn by some units in the Venezuelan National Armed Forces, with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colours are as follows:

Berets in Venezuelan Army:

Colour Wearer
       black Venezuelan Army general issue berets; included, the comandos (Army special forces units).
green Army Counter-insurgency troops (caribes).
red 311th Infantry Battalion "Simon Bolivar" (Army). Wears the red beret as the first and oldest active infantry battalion of the Army.
red 42nd Airborne Brigade (Army).
dark blue Army Headquarters and Security Group (Lieutenant General Daniel Florencio O´Leary Headquarters Battalion).

Berets in Venezuelan Navy:

Colour Wearer
       black Venezuelan Marine Corps general issue berets (since 2009).

Berets in Venezuelan Air Force:

Colour Wearer
       blue Venezuelan Air Force Infantry units (Infantería Aérea) and Air Force Police personnel.

Berets in Venezuelan National Guard:

Colour Wearer
       maroon Venezuelan National Guard general issue berets.

Berets in inter-service units:

Colour Wearer
       red Presidential Honor Guard Brigade (armed forces joint unit).
red Armed Forces General Headquarters (Minister Of Defence troops (Caracas Battalion), armed forces joint unit).

Note: Before the conversion to the red berets, the Caracas Battalion wore dark blue berets similar to those used by the O'Leary Battalion.

Vietnam

Berets used by the Vietnam Coast Guard are:

During the preparation for the celebration of the fall of Saigon, the People's Army of Vietnam presented new models of berets: - Green berets were worn by Infantry Reconnaissance soldiers. - Red berets were worn by Commando Ranger personnel.

Dark blue berets are worn by the Naval Infantry and special forces personnel of the Vietnam People's Navy.

Zambia

Zimbabwe

International forces

United Nations

Multinational Force and Observers

African Union

Camouflage berets

A camouflage beret is a beret intended for use in the battlefield when wearing combat fatigues. They are mostly issued to the likes of special forces, particularly in jungle warfare operations.

History

Camouflage berets possibly originate from the General Service cap "Cap, General Service" issued to the British Army in a Khaki material before the introduction of Berets. It was first introduced under "Army Council Instruction 1407" of September 1943. This cap was designed to replace the "Field Service cap" or "FS Cap" that had been worn since the outbreak of war. These caps were issued in priority to units serving overseas. UK based units got theirs later on. It was at first unpopular due to its over large appearance. This cap was not a beret. It was made from several pieces of drab cloth material, whereas a beret was a one piece item. It was based on the Scottish balmoral bonnet in design. First issues were made from the same gaberdine cloth as the old "FS" cap. Badges worn on it were the conventional Officers bronze, and OR's badges in both plastic and metal. Units which had special distinctions could still wear these on the "GS" cap. The General Service cap was worn by regulation one inch above the eyebrows, with badge over the left eye and the cap pulled down to the right. But many wartime photos will show it worn pushed back on the head, which seemed to be a fashion with many soldiers late in the War.

Officers could only obtain the cap upon repayment to the RAOC. They were not allowed to buy the cap until their unit had been issued with it wholesale. Higher ranking Officers often got away with wearing a Khaki beret, which was against regulations. Fashion conscious OR's would also risk punishment from NCO's/officers buying one of these for "walking out".

Not exactly camouflage but an early example is the Jungle Beret issued to the Australian Army during WW2.[38][39][40]

Users

See also

Military berets by color:

References

  1. ↑ "Uniforms", page 587, Volume XXVII Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911 Edition
  2. ↑ Pictures of the Argentine Armed Forces http://www.taringa.net/comunidades/naiem/7914799/Fuerzas-Especiales-Argentinas.html
  3. ↑ Pictures of the Argentine Armed Forces http://www.taringa.net/posts/imagenes/17507569/Cazadores-del-Ejercito-Argentino.html
  4. ↑ Australian Army Standing Orders for Dress
  5. ↑ http://www.emol.com/noticias/internacional/2013/03/08/587573/militares-bolivianos-reciben-equipo-satelital-para-operar-en-limite-con-chile.html
  6. ↑ PLA Caps and decorations
  7. ↑ http://www.demotix.com/photo/2274756/independence-day-celebrated-colombia-military-parade
  8. ↑ http://www.demotix.com/photo/2274831/independence-day-celebrated-colombia-military-parade
  9. ↑ http://www.demotix.com/photo/2274874/independence-day-celebrated-colombia-military-parade
  10. ↑ http://www.ellider.com.co/2011/12/11/incautan-manuales-de-las-farc-en-solano/
  11. ↑ http://www.demotix.com/photo/2274848/independence-day-celebrated-colombia-military-parade
  12. ↑ Edict about military uniforms (in Czech)
  13. ↑ "Gyldendal's Encyclopedia" (in Danish). Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Nye myndigheder, nye baretmærker og farver". Forsvaret (in Danish).
  15. ↑ Général Voyron, Rapport sur l'Expédition de Chine. 1900-1901, Paris, 1902, p. 99.
  16. ↑ http://www.yluux.com/2011/05/16/bicentenario-paraguayo-desfile-militar
  17. ↑ http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Paraguay-s-Lugo-changes-tack-ahead-of-summit-3664139.php
  18. ↑ http://www.kolikler.com/liste/cevap/23722/Askerlik/kimler-hangi-renk-bere-takar-
  19. ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19670212&id=NyUeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JZsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5384,1639494
  20. ↑ http://www.uniforminsignia.org/?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=2677
  21. ↑ http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/upload/dokumentfiler/uniformer/8_Tjanstetecken.pdf
  22. ↑ Kommunikation Verteidigung (2009). Schweizer Armee. p. 356. ISBN 978-3-7193-1515-3.
  23. ↑ http://www.kolikler.com/liste/cevap/23722/Askerlik/kimler-hangi-renk-bere-takar-
  24. ↑ Jewell, Brian (1981), British Battledress, 1937-61, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 0-85045-387-9 (p. 22)
  25. ↑ Oliver, Kingsley M (1997), Through Adversity: History of the Royal Air Force Regiment, Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd, ISBN 978-0952959700 (p. 49)
  26. ↑ Gordon, David. Uniforms of the World War II Tommy (Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Missoula, MT, 2005). ISBN 1-57510-122-X
  27. ↑ "Yorkshire Gunners honoured for Service in Iraq and Afghanistan". Ministry of Defence. Earlier in the day, in what marks a historic change in the history of one of the Batteries from the Regiment - 4/73 (Sphinx) Battery, the traditional dark blue beret of the Royal Artillery was replaced with a khaki-coloured beret. The change came about as a result of the Battery working closely, in times of war, with the Honourable Artillery Company
  28. ↑ BBC website on British headdress
  29. ↑ http://rafpolicehistory.blogspot.com/
  30. ↑ "Yorkshire Gunners honoured for Service in Iraq and Afghanistan". Ministry of Defence.
  31. ↑ http://www.ams.mod.uk/content/docs/jsp336/3rd_ed/vol12/pt3/pam15/s5aa.doc
  32. ↑ http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/berethistory.htm
  33. ↑ http://www.vhpamuseum.org/17thcav/3rdsquad/3rdsquaddtroop.shtml
  34. ↑ p.223 Stanton, Shelby US Army Uniforms of the Cold War 194-1973 1994 Stackpole Books
  35. ↑
  36. ↑ http://www.specwarnet.net/americas/sbu.htm
  37. ↑ http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25181&Cr=sudan&Cr1
  38. ↑ The Australian Army in World War II - Page 57 Mark Johnson ISBN 1472805224
  39. ↑ http://www.medalsgonemissing.com/Uniform-Kit-issued-to-the-AIF-During-WW2/5.html
  40. ↑ http://www.austcdoassocvic.com/history1.htm
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