Does the Green Berets only apply to SF or does it apply to all SOF?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:59:34 -0400

This may seem like a silly question, but I'm new to all of this...

Response by SFC(P) Jonathan P. made Oct 8 at 2018 1:00 PM

SFC(P) Jonathan P. — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 13:00:57 -0400

Green berets are for Army Special forces soldier who earn the tab and distinguish themselves through SFAS and SFQC.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2018 1:07 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 13:07:25 -0400

The best of my knowledge, Green Berets are United States Army. You do have Special Operations like pararescue jumpers, Navy Seals and Marine Special Forces. They all work together but they are separate. Be proud that you are special operations under psychological operations.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 8 at 2018 1:40 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 13:40:10 -0400

I believe green berets are SF within the Special Operations Command.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2018 4:03 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 16:03:53 -0400

The green beret is only worn by the Army and National Guard Special Forces.
There are a few circumstances when you will see them outside of SF units, but they all served within SF first and they can only wear the beret in certain positions outside the unit.

Response by SFC Quinn Chastant made Oct 8 at 2018 4:23 PM

SFC Quinn Chastant — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 16:23:31 -0400

Special Operations Forces (SOF), are Active Duty and Army Reserve Forces trained in missions not covered by Conventional Forces. While there may be Special Forces Soldiers (SF, also commonly Green Berets) in SOF Units, The SOF units may not have the skill sets SF Units do; they also do not perform similar missions. SF units traditionally have been valued more for Training Indigenous Forces, Foreign Internal Defense, and Unconventional Warfare Roles. SOF provide skills to both Conventional and Unconventional Forces. Those skill sets are Information Missions, Civil Military Liaison Support, and Preservation of Cultural/Historical aspects in theaters where the Armed Forces Operate. The common terms associated with SOF units are Civil Affairs (CA) and Psychological Operations (PO).

The U.S. Marine Corps also has CA and PO units in their table of organization, and early on in the GWOT the U.S. Navy had personnel go through the School House for training in Civil Affairs to augment the mission as the Army discovered it did not have enough Soldiers to fulfill the role with the mission needs.

Response by LTC Jeff Shearer made Oct 8 at 2018 5:15 PM

LTC Jeff Shearer — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 17:15:33 -0400

Just the Army, however, SF units/guys work with SOF units from across the different services and all across the globe.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Oct 8 at 2018 10:40 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 22:40:13 -0400

DA PAM 670-1 para 18-3
18–3. Beret
a. Beret, black. The black beret is a clothing bag issue items.
b. Beret, tan, green, maroon. The tan, green, and maroon beret are organizational issue items. Soldiers are authorized wear of organizational beret as indicated below:
(1) Ranger tan beret. Soldiers currently assigned to the following units are authorized to wear the Ranger tan beret. Personnel will wear the approved flash of the unit to which they are assigned
(a) 75th Ranger Regiment.
(b) Ranger Training Brigade.
(c) Ranger-qualified Soldiers inthefollowing units or positions,if they previously servedinthe75th Ranger Regiment: U.S. Special Operations Command; U.S. Army Special Operations Command; U.S. Special Operations Command Joint Task Force; and Theater Special Operations Command. The 75th Ranger Regiment is the sole authority for validation of service in the Ranger Regiment.
(2) Green beret. All Special Forces-qualified personnel carrying career management field (CMF) 18 military occupa- tional specialties (MOSs), to include 18A or 180A and command sergeants major (CSMs) reclassified from 18Z to OOZ are authorized to wear the green beret. This includes Senior and Junior ROTC instructors and those attending training in a student status (for example, Command and General Staff College, Defense Language Institute, or the U.S. Army Ser- geants Major Academy). Special Forces personnel who reclassify to another CMF continue to wear the green beret until a new MOS or branch is awarded. Those in CMF 18 who are filling a drill sergeant position will wear the drill sergeant hat while assigned to a valid drill sergeant position and actively training Soldiers. Soldiers awarded the Special Forces tab, but not branched Special Forces, will only wear the green beret while assigned to a Special Forces unit or position. Special Forces personnel will wear the approved flash of the unit to which they are assigned. Special Forces personnel who areassigned to an organization without an approved flash will wear the generic Special Forces flash (the flash approved for personnel assigned to Special Forces positions but not assigned to Special Forces units).
(3) Maroon beret. All personnel assigned to Airborne units whose primary missions are Airborne operations wear the maroon beret. The Airborne designation for a unit is found in the unit modification table of organization and equipment. Other Soldiers authorized to wear the maroon beret are indicated below. (Personnel will wear the approved flash of the unit to which they are assigned.)
1. Active Army advisors to reserve Airborne units on jump status.
2. All personnel assigned to the Airborne departments of the U.S. Army Infantry School and the U.S. Army Quartermaster School.
3. All personnel assigned to long-range surveillance detachments designated as Airborne.
4. All personnel assigned to the Airborne/Airlift action office.
5. RecruitersoftheSpecialOperationsRecruitingCompany,U.S.ArmyRecruitingCommand.Personnelwillwearthe
U.S. Army Special Operations Command flash.
6. All personnel assigned to the Airborne procurement team.
7. All personnel assigned to 55th Signal Company Airborne Combat Camera Documentation Team.
8. All personnel assigned to 982d Combat Signal Company Airborne platoons.
9. All personnel assigned to rigger detachments.
10. All personnel assigned to Army element of U.S. Special Operations Command.
c. Description. The beret is wool knitted outershell lined with silesia interlining and with a sweatband. A rayon adjust-
ing ribbon is threaded through the binding. The beret is equipped with a stiffener on the left front and has two eyelets with an eyelet protector on the right side. Except for color, all classes of berets are the same.
d. How worn. The beret is worn so that the headband (edge binding) is straight across the forehead, 1 inch above the eyebrows. The flash is positioned over the left eye, and the excess materials is draped over to the right ear, extending to at least the top of the ear, and no lower than the middle of the ear. Personnel will cut off the ends of the adjusting ribbon and secure the ribbon knot inside the edge binding at the back of the beret. When worn properly, the beret is formed to the shape of the head; therefore, Soldiers may not wear hairstyles that cause distortion of the intended shape of the beret. Paragraph 19–3c addresses wearing headgear insignia. Figure 18–2 shows wear of the beret. The beret is equipped with a stiffener on the left front for attaching organizational flashes and insignia.

This doesn't include the new beret authorized for SFAB Brigades