beret

 

A beret (pronounced IPA: /bəˈreɪ/ in the US, /ˈbɛreɪ/ in RP^[1]) is a soft round cap, usually of wool felt, with a flat crown, which is worn by both men and women.

Berets are worn by many military and police units, and in some countries are particularly associated with elite units, who often wear berets in more unusual colours (such as the maroon of Commonwealth parachute troops and the German Kommando Spezialkräfte KSK, the green of the Royal Marines Commandos, French Commandos (Bérets verts), and United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets), the scarlet of the elite Soviet Internal Troops (Spetsnaz) and Police Tactical Unit of Singapore, the beige or tan of Commonwealth special forces units (SAS, CSOR) and U.S. Army Rangers, or the wide black of French Chasseurs alpins, the first military unit to have worn berets).

Reportedly, the first beret was seen in Ancient Crete in 1750 BC. ^{[citation needed]}

Wearing the beret

The beret when properly worn fits snugly around the head, and the soft crown can be shaped in a variety of ways – it is commonly pushed to one side. Berets were originally worn by Northern Basque peasants (from the border area of Southern France, and Northern Spain) and were knitted from wool. Today berets are normally made from wool felt or acrylic fibre.

Uniform berets feature a headband or sweatband attached to the wool, made either from leather or silk, sometimes with a drawstring allowing the wearer to tighten the hat. The drawstrings are, according to custom, either tied and cut off/tucked in or else left to dangle. The beret is often adorned with a cap badge, either in cloth or metal. Some berets have a piece of buckram or other stiffener in the position where the badge is intended to be worn. Berets are also often lined with silk, imitation silk, or other material, though in some militaries the liner is removed in order to shape (called "forming") the beret.

The headband is in most cases apparent, but it can also be folded in (Basque style beret).

Berets in the military

Berets have been a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world since the mid-20th century. A light blue beret is the international symbol of the United Nations Peacekeeping forces. Military berets are usually pulled to the right, but the armies of some European countries (including France) have influenced the pull to the left.

The use of berets as a military headdress dates back to the creation of the French Chasseurs alpins in the early 1880s. These mountain troops were issued with a new style of uniform which included several features which were very practical and advanced by the standards of the time, notably the large and floppy blue beret which they still retain (see below). This was so unfamilar a fashion outside France that it had to be described in an English encyclopedia in 1911 as "a sort of tam o'shanter hat".^[2]

Berets have features that make them very attractive to the military: They are cheap and easy to make in large numbers, they can be manufactured in a wide range of colours to enhance branch or regimental esprit de corps, they can be rolled up and stuffed into a pocket without damage and they can be worn with headphones (this is one of the reasons why tank crews came to adopt the beret). However, they are not so useful in field conditions for an infantryman, as they do not offer the protection for the face against sun and rain that a peaked or wide brimmed hat does.

The beret was found particularly useful as a uniform for armoured vehicle crewmen, 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 colour 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 armoured regiments throughout the Commonwealth.

Berets have become the default military headdress of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, just as the tricorne, shako, kepi and peaked cap were in various early eras. The beret is now worn by the majority of military personnel across the world. The three major hold-outs were the United States, Russia, and China (PRC) - all have now followed the example of the other armies in adopting berets.

Argentina

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

• Dark green — 601 Commando Company, 602 Commando Company
• Black — Armoured Troops, Mechanized Infantry, Marine Infantry
• Red — Paratroopers
• Claret — 601 Air Assault Regiment
• Tan — Mountain Troops (Cazadores de Montaña)
• Camouflage — Jungle Troops (Cazadores del Monte)
• Dark blue — Argentine Army Aviation, Special Operations Group (GOE)
• Green and camouflage — All other Army units

Australia

Berets are worn by all corps in the Australian Army, with distinctive colours for some units:^[3]

• Black — Royal Australian Armoured Corps
• Fawn — Special Air Service Regiment
• Light blue — Australian Army Aviation
• Scarlet — Royal Australian Corps of Military Police
• Dull cherry — Parachute units
• Rifle green — Royal Australian Regiment
• Sherwood green — 4RAR (Commando)
• Slate grey — Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
• Dark blue — other personnel

Black berets are worn in the Royal Australian Navy, and blue berets in the Royal Australian Air Force, but only by qualified Airfield Defence Guards and Ground Defence Officers. Terracotta berets are worn by Multi-National Force and Observer contingents. In all cases, the beret is pulled to the right and a badge worn above the left eye.

Austria

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

• Green — infantry, all troops that do not wear another colour
• Olive-green — Jagdkommandos
• Black — mechanized troops, anti-tank troops, artillery, reconnaissance
• Dark red — Jägerbataillon 25
• Scarlet red — guard of honour

Belgium

Berets have been worn by Belgian military personnel since World War II. Berets vary in colour according to the regiment, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) which is of gold colour for officers, silver for noncommissioned officers and bronze for troops.

• Maroon — Paracommando Immediate Reaction Cell (HQ)/1 Para/3 Para/Special Forces Group/Parachute Training Centre
• Green — 2 Commando/Paracommando Field Artillery/Commando Training Centre
• Green (bigger size, basque type with folded-in brim, with boar's head pin) — Chasseurs Ardennais regiment
• Brown — Infantry
• Black — Engineers and Armoured troops
• Dark blue — Artillery and Royal Military Academy
• Cobalt blue — Logistics and administration troops
• Grey — Transmission troops
• Bright red — Military police
• Grey-blue — Air component
• Light blue — former Land component Light Aviation (now part of Air Component)
• Navy blue (no crest pin, but embroidered crest) — Navy component
• Dark green — Medical component

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.

• Red — Army
• Light blue — Air Force
• Black or white — Navy
• Black — Gendarmerie
• Dark navy blue — Naval Specialized Research and Analysis Division

Canada

Berets were first worn in the Canadian Army in 1937 when tank regiments (at that time part of the infantry) adopted the black beret of the Royal Armoured Corps. The black beret, which is now the headdress of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC), was first worn by the Essex Regiment (Tank), now renamed The Windsor Regiment (RCAC). This was because the other new tank units were ordered to wear the headdress that they had while serving as infantry. The Essex Regiment (Tank) was a new unit, formed as a tank regiment, with no connection to the Infantry. As such, it picked the headdress that was worn by the Royal Tank Corps of the British Army.^[4]

During the Second World War, a khaki beret was adopted throughout the Canadian Army, with the Canadian Armoured Corps (later Royal Canadian Armoured Corps) wearing the black beret and parachute troops wearing the maroon beret adopted by British airborne forces. The 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion (the Canadian component of the First Special Service Force) wore a red beret with the dress uniform. Wartime berets were much fuller in cut than postwar berets.

After the Second World War, a series of coloured berets were adopted, with infantry regiments wearing scarlet, rifle regiments wearing dark (rifle) green, the armoured corps wearing black, and other arms and services wearing midnight blue berets, with a large coloured "flash" in corps colours - dull cherry for the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, Emerald Green for the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, etc. The coloured flashes were not popular and replaced in 1956 with forage caps bearing coloured bands in corps colours. The midnight blue beret itself was retained, however.^[5]

When the Canadian Forces unified in the late 1960s, the rifle green beret was adopted as the CF standard. The RCAC successfully fought to retain its distinctive black beret, and the Canadian Airborne Regiment wore the maroon beret until the unit was disbanded. Scottish and Irish infantry regiments wear tam o'shanters, glengarries, balmorals or caubeens instead of berets. The berets listed below are the current standard:

• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Black — Armoured Corps Units, Canadian Navy
• Scarlet — Military Police
• CF green (also known as "rifle green") — other army units
• Air force blue — Canadian Air Force
• Blaze orange — Search and Rescue technicians
• Tan — Special Forces units.

The beret is used with service dress as formal headdress (especially after the move away from the forage cap in the 1990s) as well as with CADPAT clothing as garrison dress and as a form of combat dress. In certain cases the beret is even used as Ceremonial Dress, most commonly in units of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.

China, People's Republic of

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

• Dark greenish brown — Infantry
• Dark blue — Navy
• Dark sky-blue — Air Force

Croatia

In the Croatian army berets are used in special forces and professional brigades. Image

Joint staff:

• Green with golden cap badge- Joint staff
• Red - presidential guard on their battledress uniforms
• Green - Special operations battalion
• Black - Military police

Guard brigades:

• Black - 1st Guard Brigade "Tigers"
• Green - 2nd Guard Brigade "Thunders"
• Grey - 3rd Guard Brigade "Martens"
• Red - 4th Guard Brigade "Spiders"

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 small state coat of arms and the badge of rank of the individual.^[7]

• Orange — Civil defence troops, Engineering Brigades
• Maroon — 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade (Airborne), 601st Special Forces Group
• Dark green — Reconnaissance troops
• Light green — Other ground forces (mechanised infantry, armour, artillery, NBC protection, etc.)
• Dark blue — Air Force
• Grey — Logistics, Medical troops
• Black — Military Police

Denmark

The Royal Danish Army uses berets for all its personnel. The Navy and Air Force also use berets.

• Green — Support troops; artillery; engineers; home guard
• Red — Military police
• Burgundy — Jægerkorpset (special forces)
• Black — Combat troops (armour, recon and infantry)
• Dark blue — Royal Danish Navy; Royal Danish Marines
• Light Blue Gray — Royal Danish Air Force
• Light blue - Army Aviation [Air Force]

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:

• Black — Military Police; Navy Marines (Infantería de Marina)
• Red — Paratroopers and Special Operations Forces
• Dark blue — Army Aviation (Aviación del Ejército); Air Force Aerial Infantry (Infantería Aérea)
• Dark green — all other Army units
• Gray — for use with the dress uniform (4-A) for those forces using the dark green beret
• Camouflage — IWIA (indigenous tribal members unit) forces

Finland

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 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 Frontier Guard, which is a military organization under the aegis of Ministry of Interior during peacetime.

• Olive-green (Badge: silver lion's head) — Army
• Olive-green (Badge: golden lion's head with a crown) — Finnish Rapid Deployment Force and units abroad
• Blue (Badge: Air Force insignia) — Air Force
• Blue (Badge: silver griffin) — Army aviation
• Blue (Badge: Harp and sword) — Military bands
• Dark blue (Badge: Anchor and Lion) — Navy (including coastal troops, but with the exception of coastal jägers)
• Black (Badge: Armored head) — Armoured Brigade
• Green (Badge: Golden sea eagle's head) — Coastal jägers
• Maroon (Badge: Arrow and parachute) — Parachute jägers or special jägers (Utti Jäger Regiment)
• Olive-green (Badge: Golden bear's head, sword and fir tree twig) — Frontier jägers

France

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. 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 beret in red, blue or green was a distinction of the Metropolitan, Colonial and Foreign Legion paratroop regiments during the Indochina and Algerian wars. After 1962 the beret in either khaki or the colours specified above became the standard French Army headdress for ordinary use. With the exception of the Naval Commandos whose beret emulates the British Commando beret and is worn pulled to the right with the badge worn over the left ear, all French berets are pulled to the left with the badge worn on the right side over the eye or the temple.

• Wide black — Chasseurs alpins and other mountain troops (the wide beret's nickname is the tarte (tart))
• Green — Naval Commandos; Foreign Legion
• Dark blue — Air Commandos; Troupes de Marine
• Red(scarlet) — Paratroops (except the Foreign Legion) (this colour is called amarante)
• Electric blue — Army Light Aviation
• Black — all other army troops

Germany

The German Heer uses berets with cap badges for every branch of service. The Luftwaffe and the Navy issue navy blue berets only to their ground or land combat units (called Luftwaffen- and Marine-Sicherungsstaffeln). Berets are usually worn at special ceremonies and roll calls, although units with a special espriat de corps, especially armoured and mechanized infantry (Panzergrenadiere) battalions, wear their berets all the time.

• Black — armoured units, including armoured reconnaissance and the now disbanded Panzerjäger (anti-tank)
• Maroon — special units, including airborne troops, army aviation, division airmobile operations (DLO; Division Luftbewegliche Operationen), and Division Special Operations (DSO; Division Spezielle Operationen), including the KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte)
• Red — support units, including artillery, engineers, intelligence, psychological operations (Operative Information), anti-aircraft, supply, NBC protection, signals, electronic warfare, transport, topography, and military police (Feldjäger)
• Moss green — infantry units, including Jägertruppe, Panzergrenadiere (armoured infantry), and ceremonial guards (Wachbataillon des Heeres); military bands
• Dark blue — medical units
• Navy blue — Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Deutsche Marine (Navy) infantry and ceremonial guards; multinational units (e.g. Eurocorps)

Greece

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

• Dark blue — Marine Corps
• Light blue — Presidential Guard
• Black — Armoured Corps
• Green — Special Forces (including Airborne Troops)
• Dark red — Army Aviation

Hungary

Berets currently in Hungarian military:

• Black - Armored Units
• Crimson - Military Police
• Green - Paratroopers
• Scarlet - Artillery

Iceland

Icelandic armed services commonly use berets.

• Blue — Icelandic Crisis Response Unit
• Black — Icelandic Coast Guard

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:

• Green — Infantry regiments (except light infantry and rifles)
• Dark (rifle) green — Light infantry and rifle regiments
• Maroon — The Parachute Regiment and Special Forces
• Black — Armoured Corps
• Grey — Army Aviation Corps
• Scarlet — Corps of Military Police
• Navy blue — Other corps and regiments

Indonesia

The beret is the headgear of ground forces and military police in the Indonesian Armed Forces.

• Red - Special Forces
• Green - Infantry
• Black - Cavalry
• Moss Green - Artillery
• Steel Gray - Combat Engineers
• Aquamarine - Army Military Police
• Purple - Marine Corps
• Light Blue - Naval Military Police
• Orange - Air Force's Special Troops
• Dark Blue - Air Force Military Police

Ireland

The beret colours worn by Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish Defence Forces) are as follows:

• Black with red patch behind capbadge — Permanent Defence Forces
• Light green with bottle green patch — Reserve Defence Forces
• Bottle green — Army Ranger Wing (Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm)
• Red — An Cor Póilíní Airm (Military Police)

All personnel wear a common capbadge, a sunburst insignia with the letters "FF" inscribed above the left eye of the beret; this is the ancient symbol of the Fianna, the elite forces of Irish warriors.

Israel

Main article: Israel Defense Forces insignia

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. The beret is placed beneath the left epaulette The beret colors are as follows:

• Olive green — general corps, recruits, general logistic corps
• Black — armored corps
• Turquoise — artillery corps
• Maroon — Paratroopers Brigade, general staff units (Sayeret Matkal and others)
• Light green (lime) — Nahal Brigade
• Purple — Givati Brigade
• Brown — Golani Brigade
• Camouflage — Kfir Brigade
• Deep green — Intelligence Directorate, field intelligence corps, border police
• Orange — Home Front Command
• Silver — engineering corps
• Blue — military police
• Deep blue — navy
• Gray — air force

Italy

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 khaki, the black being reserved to armoured units. The colours presently used are:

• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Blue — Army aviation
• Black — all Army units, except the above-mentioned ones
• Green — Navy (Comsubin) and Army Special Forces (Incursori)
• Teal blue — Air Force guards
• Red — Carabinieri Hunters and Tuscania Squadron (Military Police Special Raid Units)
• Dark green — GICO and other specialized units in Guardia di Finanza

Malaysia

Berets are worn by some units of the Malaysian Armed Forces. The colours presently used are:

• Maroon — Army 10 Paratroop Brigade
• Green — Army Special Forces (Grup Gerak Khas)
• Dark green — Royal Malay Regiment
• Light blue — Air Force elite Paskau (Special Air Team) and regular aviation
• Dark blue — Royal Malaysian Navy
• Pink — Naval elite Paskal troops

Mexico

In the Mexican Army, the beret is worn by:

• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Black — Special Forces Units (GAFEs)

In the Mexican Navy:

• Black — Paratroopers

Netherlands

When the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces acquired new modernised uniforms (designed by the Dutch couturier Frans Molenaar) in 2001, 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):

• Black — Armour and Cavalry
• Green — Commandos of the Korps Commandotroepen
• Red — Airmobile troops of the Air Manoeuvre Brigade (one third of the brigade is on jump status)
• Grey-blue — Royal Netherlands Air Force
• Dark blue (near black) — Royal Netherlands Navy
• Black — Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (wear a red patch behind the beret-flash)
• Bright blue — Koninklijke Marechaussee (Royal Gendarmerie)

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

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.

• Infantry — Red, except:
  • Grenadier Guards — Red with blue border
  • Rifle Guards — Green with yellow border
  • Fusilier Guards — Orange with blue border
  • Regiment van Heutsz — Black with orange border
  • Limburg Rifles Regiment — Green with maroon border
• Korps Commandotroepen — Black with dark green border
• Cavalry (Armour) — Blue with white, red or orange border
• Cavalry (Reconnaissance) — Blue with black border
• Artillery — Black with red border
• Engineers — Brown
• Signals — Blue with white border
• Logistics — Yellow
• Legal Affairs — Black with white border
• Psychological and Sociological Service — Red
• Protestant Chaplains — Black
• Catholic Chaplains — Blue
• Jewish Chaplains — Black
• Humanist Society Chaplains — Bright green
• Hindu Chaplains — Bright blue
• Troops in Initial Training — Red
• Royal Military Academy Cadets — Red with yellow border
• Physical Training Instructors — Blue
• Technical Staff — Maroon

New Zealand

All soldiers in the New Zealand Army wear rifle green berets, except for Special Air Service, who wear a sand or ERCW colour. Personnel of the Royal New Zealand Air Force wear dark blue, while the Royal New Zealand Navy wear black.

Norway

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 always have the current king's cipher as a badge; 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:

• Bright blue — 6th Division (except armoured troops, mechanised infantry and military police)
• Dark green — all army forces located in Finnmark
• Black — Armour; Intelligence
• Khaki — 2nd Battalion
• Emerald green — Telemark Battalion
• Maroon — Army Ranger Command
• Red — Military police
• Olive green — other army units
• Olive green with silver badge — recruits in His Majesty's The Kings Guards; Krigsskolen
• Dark blue — Royal Norwegian Navy
• Air force blue — Royal Norwegian Air Force Base Defence Units
• Air force light blue — Royal Norwegian Air Force Air Defence Artillery Units

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:

• Blue — Minedykkerkommandoen
• Red — Kystjegerkommandoen
• Green — Marinejegerkommandoen

Pakistan

• Rifle green — Frontier Force Regiment
• Green with red plume — Punjab Regiment
• Maroon — Baloch Regiment
• Red with plume — Sindh Regiment
• Green with red patch behind badge — Azad Kashmir Regiment
• Green with feather — Northern Light Infantry
• Black — Armour
• Dark blue — Artillery
• Maroon-red — Air Defence
• Blue — Engineers
• Red — Medical Corps

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. 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. The following colours are in use:

• Light Blue — Marines
• Black — Armoured troops, Navy (for field and work uniform)
• Brown — Territorial Defence
• Green — Army general use
• Maroon — Airborne troops and Special Operations
• Scarlet — Military Police (Gendarmerie)
• Steel grey — Air force
• Grey — Operational Mobile Reaction Group (GROM)

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

Portugal

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

• Emerald green — Paratroopers
• Brown — Army general use
• Black — Cavalry (except Cavalry Paratroopers), including Military Police
• Red — Comandos
• Grass green — Special Operations Forces
• Navy blue — Marines
• Sky blue — Air Force Police
• Navy blue with a green strip on the lower half — Republican National Guard (GNR) Infantry Regiment Operational Battalion (public order and special operations units)

Until 1975, the following berets were also in use:

• Yellow — Mozambique Special Groups
• Maroon — Mozambique Parachutists Special Groups
• Camouflage — Angola and Mozambique "Flechas" (covert operations special forces) and Guinea 3rd Commando Company
• Black - Angola and Mozambique Volunteer Civil Defense Organizations
• White - Mozambique Air Volunteer Formations

Russia/USSR

Russian military structures (both Armed Forces and Internal Troops) use the following types of berets:

• Sky blue — Airborne troops (VDV)
• Black — Marines
• Dark green — Special Units of FSB Border Troops
• Rust red — Special Units of Interior Ministry Troops (MVD)
• Orange — Search and Rescue and Emergency Ministry troops (EMERCOM)
• Cornflower blue — Federal Protection Service (FSO)
• Camouflage — non-regulation, but often seen at the Red Square parades

Serbia

The Serbian Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:

• Green — Army
• Black — Military Police
• Maroon — 63rd Paratroop Brigade and some other special forces
• Steel blue — Air Force
• Navy blue — Navy

Singapore

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

• Green — infantry
• Black — armour
• Khaki — guards
• Red — commandos
• Dark Blue — support and artillery & navy
• Air force blue — Air Force (contrary to its name, the beret is closer to green in color)

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

South Africa

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

• Green — infantry
• Black — armour
• Orange — Military Police
• Maroon — 44 Parachute Regiment, Special Forces, Military Health Services
• Dark blue — Artillery, Combat Engineers
• Light blue — Administrative Services Corps
• Light brown — Personnel
• Camouflage - Special Forces (South African 32 Battalion)

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 South African Military Health Service.

South Korea

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

• Black — Army Special Warfare Command (adorned with the Airborne badge), Reserve Officer Training Corps, KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the United States Army)
• Red — Air Force Combat Control Team (CCT)
• Maroon — Air Force Special Air Rescue Team (SART)
• Green — Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
• Camouflage — Navy UDT/SEAL Team and armor

Other than these units, several secret commando units (mostly disbanded in the mid-1990s) 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 (defunct)

• Red — paratroopers, Rangers
• Green — marines, LLDB
• Brown — rangers
• Black or Green — special forces
• Black — palace guards
• Tan — political officers

Sri Lanka

Only the elite forces wear berets in the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

• Red — Army Commando Regiment
• Black — Army Special Forces Regiment, Navy Special Boat Squadron, Air Force Regiment Special Force

Sweden

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

• Black (earlier dark blue) — armoured/mechanised units; Life Guard
• Maroon — paratroopers
• Bright red — musicians
• Dark green — Cavalry, which includes the army ranger battalion, the ISTAR-unit, Airmobile battalion, military police and the ceremonial guard.
• Green — amphibious troops and coastal rangers
• Dark blue — all other units and for units serving abroad. Was also worn by troops in the coastal artillery prior to 2001
• Blue — Helicopter Flotillia (helicopters)
• Brown — home guard

Switzerland

The beret is worn by all Swiss armed services, as well as various cantonal police forces and customs.

• Green — infantry
• Red — artillery
• Dark red — rescue troops
• Black — armoured and mechanised units; signals and headquarters troops
• Claret — mechanics; logistics troops; maintenance troops; territorial troops
• Grey — "Military Security": military police, fortification maintenance personnel, NBC specialists, special military security (Festungswachkorps)
• Deep blue — Air Force (including paratroopers)
• Light blue — medical and veterinary personnel
• Yellow — military observers on OSCE missions

Thailand

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

• Maroon — Paratroops, Special Forces
• Khaki green — Army Reserve Force Students
• Black — all other Army units, Air Force, Thahan Phran, Paratroop Police, Border Patrol Police
• Camouflage — Royal Thai Marine Corps

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

Turkey

• Black — Armored vehicle personnel
• Green — Gendarmerie
• Light blue — Commandos
• Maroon — Special forces

United Kingdom

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 beret was also adopted by the Commandos and Parachute Regiment. 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.^[8]

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 supposed to be worn directly over the left eye.

Beret Colours

The colours are as follows:

• Khaki — Foot Guards, Honourable Artillery Company, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, Royal Anglian Regiment, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, Royal Welsh, Yorkshire Regiment, Mercian Regiment
• Light grey — Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
• Dark grey — Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
• Brown — King's Royal Hussars, Royal Wessex Yeomanry
• Black — Royal Tank Regiment, W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron, Royal Yeomanry
• Dark (Rifle) green — The Rifles, Royal Gurkha Rifles, Small Arms School Corps, Essex Yeomanry, King's African Rifles
• Maroon — Parachute Regiment, All ranks serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade other than the non Parachute Regiment Infantry Battalion(note that the beret is not restricted to Parachute qualified personnel).
• Beige — Special Air Service including attached troops who are not SAS-qualified
• Lovat Green - Special Reconnaissance Regiment
• Sky blue — Army Air Corps
• Cypress green — Intelligence Corps
• Scarlet — Royal Military Police
• Green — Adjutant General's Corps (except Royal Military Police, who wear scarlet, and Military Provost Staff, who wear navy blue), Military Provost Guard Service
• Navy blue — all other Army units (except Scottish and Irish line infantry regiments), Royal Navy, Royal Marines who are not commando-qualified
• Commando green — commando-qualified Royal Marines, Commando qualified personnel of all services serving in Commando units, Special Boat Service
• RAF blue grey — Royal Air Force (including RAF Regiment)^[9]

Other Adornments

Some Regiments and Coorps wear a coloured backing behind the capbadge, these include:

• Foot Guards - Blue Red Blue patch
• Honourable Artillery Company - Black Circle
• Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment - Primrose and Blue Patch
• Royal Anglian Regiment - Small Black 'Tombstone'
• Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps — Red Patch
• Royal Army Medical Corps - Cherry Patch
• Army Air Corps - Black Patch
• Army Physical Training Corps - Patch in Corps Colours
• Royal Marines 'Red Tombstone' (only on blue beret worn by those who are not commando-qualified)
• Royal Welsh Regiment and Mercian Regiment - Green badge outline and square respectively

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, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment, SAS and Intelligence Corps wear berets in Nos 1, 2, 3 and 6, Dress. Other Regiments and Corps wear peaked caps in these orders of dress ^[10]. 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, that did not wear navy blue berets included:

• Khaki — Green Howards, King's Own Royal Border Regiment, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps, infantry motor battalions in World War II
• Dark (Rifle) green — Light Infantry, Royal Green Jackets, Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, Rifle Brigade, King's Royal Rifle Corps, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles), 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles
• Black — all Royal Armoured Corps regiments in World War II, Westminster Dragoons, Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons
• Maroon — Glider Pilot Regiment and glider-borne units
• Green — Women's Royal Army Corps, women in Officers Training Corps (now wear navy blue)
• Brown with a broad crimson headband and NO hat badge - 11th Hussars (PAO)

United States

Berets were originally worn by elite forces in the United States Army. Hence, there was controversy when in 2001 the United States Army adopted the black beret, previously reserved for the Rangers, as standard headgear for all army units.^[11] The Rangers are now distinguished by tan berets. The United States Army Special Forces are generally known as "green berets" for the colour of their headgear. Soldiers in special operations units wear distinctive organisational flashes. Conventional forces wear a pale blue flash with thirteen white stars. Officers wear their rank emblem within the flash, while enlisted ranks wear their regimental unit insignia. United States Army units can be distinguished by the colour of their berets, as follows:

• Jungle green — Special Forces, JFK Special Warfare School
• Tan — 75th Ranger Regiment, Ranger Training Brigade
• Maroon — paratroopers and all other Airborne units except 101st Airborne Division, other special operators (Civil Affairs, PSYOP) on jump status or under an airborne unit. Soldiers do not have to be jump qualified to wear the maroon beret
• Black — all other Army units

The wearing of berets in the United States Air Force is less common, but several career fields are authorised to wear berets of specific colours, as follows:

• Scarlet — Combat Controllers
• Maroon — Pararescue
• Navy blue — Security Forces
• Black — Tactical Air Control Party
• Pewter grey — Special Operations Weather Technicians
• Grey — Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape
• Academy blue — First Class (Senior) Academy Cadets

In the United States Navy, women are authorized to wear a black beret with Service and Service Dress uniform regulations. The Officers Crest, Chief's Anchor, and the silver eagle with USN are worn, as rank appropriate.

Berets in other paramilitary organisations

Iceland

The Police Cadets, Riot unit and the members of the Special Operations Unit of the National Commissioner of Icelandic Police (Víkingasveitin) wear black berets. High ranking members of the Reykjavík Air Rescue Unit are entitled to wear orange berets.

Italy

Dark blue berets are worn by the Polizia di Stato and blue berets by the Polizia Penitenziaria.

Malaysia

Dark blue berets are worn by the Royal Malaysian Police. The elite Pasukan Gerakan Khas, the paramilitary Northern Brigade and the General Operations Forces wear maroon berets. Some sub-units of the Pasukan Gerakan Khas, including the VAT 69 Commandos, wear tan (sand) berets. The anti-riot Federal Reserve Units (FRU) wear red berets.

Portugal

The Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) Intervention Corps wear navy blue berets, the Personal Security Corps (Corpo de Segurança Pessoal) (VIP bodyguards) wear sky blue berets, CIEXSS teams (explosive disposal) wear black berets, and the PSP Special Operations Group wear emerald green berets.

The Guarda Prisional (Prison Guards) wear black berets.

The members of the paramilitary Rescue Corps of the Portuguese Red Cross wear purple berets.

Until their disbandment in 1975, the Angola and Mozambique paramilitary ci