The green beret is the official headgear as part of the uniform of several military forces.
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List of military forces that wear the green beret as part of their uniform
- Irish Army Rangers Wing
- UK (various shades of green)
- United States Army Special Forces
- Finnish Coastal Rangers (marines)
- Royal Swedish Amphibious Corps
- Swedish Coastal Rangers / Kustjägarna
- Royal Norwegian Jeger Battalion (Rangers)
- Norwegian Border Battalion on the Norwegian-Russian border
- Commando units of the Belgian Paracommando Brigade
- Malaysian Army Grup Gerak Khas
- New Zealand Army
- Russian Border Guards Paratroopers
- Dutch Royal Korps Commandotroepen
- French Foreign Legion and Naval Commandos
- Israeli Intelligence Corps and Border Police
- Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Infantry of the German Army (except the paratroops and mountain infantry)
- Infantry branch of Indonesian Army (except Special Forces)
- Canadian Army (All Army except Armoured, Jump Qualified members, Those in Scottish or Highland Regiments, Military Police or Those assigned to Canadian Special Operations)
- Portugal (two shades of green)
- Spanish Army Special Operations Forces
- Spanish Navy Special Operations Unit (UOE)
- Infantry of the Austrian Bundesheer (except paratroops, guard and Commando units)
- 1st Commando Regiment (Australia)
- 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, a special forces unit of the Australian Army, wear the green beret
- Special Operating Forces and Commando units of the Georgian military
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. 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 headdress which reflects regimental history. 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 at the time and was disallowed by the U.S. Army.[1] When visiting the Special Forces at Fort Bragg on October 12, 1961, President John F. 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 head piece, not the title.
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, British Army, and Royal Air Force volunteering for service with Commando Forces undertake the All Arms Commando Course. Commando-qualified Royal Marines always wear the green beret, but commando-qualified personnel from other services only wear it (with their own cap badge) when serving with commando units and sometimes when serving at Training Establishments; the commando badge of a fighting knife on a tringular patch is worn on the sleeve in perpetuity by those who have passed the course.[2]
Finnish Army
An olive green beret is used by most Finnish military units as standard parade headgear. In some regiments, as the Finnish Coastal Jaeger regiment, one must take part in a "beret march" to qualify to wear a beret. This beret is a darker green than the regular beret. The Finnish air force uses a blue beret, as do military musicians, and navy and armoured forces a black beret. As of special forces, Finnish paratroopers are allowed to wear a red beret after their first parachute jump.
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 Bosniak Muslims. Bosnian Green Berets were mostly active during the war in the early part of 1992 in northern and central Bosnia.
Swedish Rangers
There are two hues of green within the Swedish armed forces. The army ranger battalion in Arvidsjaur, the airmobile battalion (LBB), ISTAR battalion, military police and royal ceremonial guards all wear rifle green berets, like those worn by light infantry units in Canada and Great Britain. Soldiers attached to the airbase ranger school of the 17th airwing at Kallinge also wear the rifle green beret. Soldiers attached to the 1st Amphibious Regiment at Berga wear the commando green beret like the Royal Marine Commandos and the Finnish Coastal Jaegers.
Other uses
Green Beret was another name for Rush'n Attack, an arcade game.
See also
- United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
- Beret
- Black beret
- Maroon beret
- Tan beret
- Red beret
