Posted on Jun 24, 2014
What do the different color berets in the Army signify?
131K
605
291
46
46
0
So this is more of a question for my army brothers than it is a discussion. I am curious to know what the colors mean.
Thanks Wags
Thanks Wags
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 143
Black - Low Speed High Drag
Maroon - High Speed Low Drag
Tan - Bad A$$ Michael Foxtrot
Green - Insanely Bad A$$ Michael Foxtrot, facial hair optional
Just to put this in perspective, this comment is just simple Army humor about beret colors and what units wear them. No disrespect to anyone's achievements or merits is intended based on what beret they wear/wore.
I'm was a commo guy and our chief of police flew Cobras. He calls me, "cable boy" and I call him, "rotor head."
Maroon - High Speed Low Drag
Tan - Bad A$$ Michael Foxtrot
Green - Insanely Bad A$$ Michael Foxtrot, facial hair optional
Just to put this in perspective, this comment is just simple Army humor about beret colors and what units wear them. No disrespect to anyone's achievements or merits is intended based on what beret they wear/wore.
I'm was a commo guy and our chief of police flew Cobras. He calls me, "cable boy" and I call him, "rotor head."
(210)
(0)
SGT Josh Suchoski
Can’t say as I agree sir. I have met plenty of black berets that are far more competent than the maroon or tan. I do agree with you on the green ones though.
(0)
(0)
SGT Larry Cooper
The Frontline Guys( or behind) are heavily depentent on every dog in the wheel,thanks guys.
(0)
(0)
SSG Jason Penn
It's more like:
Black - every day Joe
Tan - crybaby because "they took my black from me and color of head gear is more important than my achievements"
Maroon - lawn dart
Green - Military Advisor
Black - every day Joe
Tan - crybaby because "they took my black from me and color of head gear is more important than my achievements"
Maroon - lawn dart
Green - Military Advisor
(0)
(0)
All - Thank you for your willingness to explain the beret to an outsider. From the time I saw the movie "The Green Beret" I always had great respect for those men and their uniform. However IMHO they are the only ones I ever thought looked good in a beret. Any other time I see one I tend to think it and what it takes to earn one has been... well borrowed. Again in my opinion if you have a Ranger badge that already says you are a bad ass, if you have jump wings it already says there is something very seriously wrong with because you will jump out of a perfectly good aircraft. lol - Yeah you guys don't need a hat that is also worn by girl scouts and snooty French artists. You all have my respect.
What bothers me now after learning all of this is I now know that Bergdhal is Airborne. He is obviously the odd man out when it comes to that very honorable group of men.
What bothers me now after learning all of this is I now know that Bergdhal is Airborne. He is obviously the odd man out when it comes to that very honorable group of men.
(61)
(0)
(0)
(0)
MAJ (Join to see)
Don’t forget the dark brown for SFAB. On a side note : Just because someone wears a piece of headgear or has a badge does not quantify their contribution to a unit/organization. Take people for their own merit. This goes both ways.
(0)
(0)
SGT Larry Cooper
Just remember Cpl,100% of plane crashes occur at the time the aircraft touches down;get out of it early.
(0)
(0)
Black: Let's see if we can simultaniously piss off the Rangers AND everybody who isn't a Ranger.
(20)
(0)
(2)
(0)
1LT Rich Voss
CW3 Kevin Storm - just posted that in the 60's-70's German tankers berets were light brown/dark tan. Have one in my closet right now...
(0)
(0)
Before the changeover in 2001, the green beret signified Special Forces, the maroon signified Airborne, and the black signified Ranger. The black beret was "taken" from the Rangers and given to the whole Army as the new headgear. The Ranger black beret was changed with a tan beret.
(15)
(0)
1LT Rich Voss
CW4 Tim Claus - What year/s was that ? We never had berets. Our attached "A" Cav guys liked the idea of old 1880's brimmed hats with braids... I'm a tanker and we sure didn't have any in the 60's...
(0)
(0)
SPC Herold Bush
1LT Rich Voss , SFC Les Traylor, BSM, MA - In the 1970s, Army policy allowed local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing uniform distinctions, and the use of berets boomed. Armor personnel at Fort Knox, Ky., wore the traditional British black beret, while U.S. armored cavalry regiments in Germany wore the black beret with a red and white oval.
(0)
(0)
1LT Rich Voss
SPC Herold Bush - So, I missed by 10 years or so.. I do, in fact, have a tankers beret. But it's from one of my comrades in the Bundeswehr. It's wool and medium brown with a now somewhat flattened sigel on the front. Sadly, it blew off my head and was run over by a following vehicle. Our regular "hats" were mostly CVC helmets (LOL) or baseball style caps. One softer, one more traditionally shaped. Or the beloved cold-weather "Mickey Mouse" cap that we wore FAR too often !
(0)
(0)
CW4 Tim Claus
1LT Rich Voss - Saw them at Ft Knox in '73-74 time frame while I was doing AIT. The Car guys wore the black cav brimmed hats in Class A's or B's. Of course some of the Car folks also had some very impressive handlebar mustaches, lol.
(0)
(0)
That someone at or above the O-7 pay grade has nothing better to do, or, is looking for their next star.
(14)
(0)
Cpl Fermil, here is a good link to find out the history of the military use of the beret.
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/berethistory.htm
I particularly like this line: In 1951, the Marine Corps experimented with green and blue berets, but dismissed them because they looked too “foreign” and “feminine.”
In general, the only use the beret has these days is to distinguish "special" units and provide esprit de corps. Practically, the beret is horrible. It holds in the summer heat, provides no shade from the sun, stinks when wet, and once it gets dirty it is ruined. The patrol cap is much more practical as a daily duty uniform headgear. The beret does, however, look really good with dress uniform and jump boots. I happened to be in Korea when the black beret was mandated for wear by the Army. It was horrible. There is an elaborate ritual to prepare a beret for wear that includes shaving and shaping the beret. There is also a particular way that the beret should be worn. I was one of the only airborne troops in my unit in Korea, so it fell to me and one or two others to educate the entire unit on how to prepare and wear the black beret. Oh, the horror! Those guuys had no clue how silly they actually looked.
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/berethistory.htm
I particularly like this line: In 1951, the Marine Corps experimented with green and blue berets, but dismissed them because they looked too “foreign” and “feminine.”
In general, the only use the beret has these days is to distinguish "special" units and provide esprit de corps. Practically, the beret is horrible. It holds in the summer heat, provides no shade from the sun, stinks when wet, and once it gets dirty it is ruined. The patrol cap is much more practical as a daily duty uniform headgear. The beret does, however, look really good with dress uniform and jump boots. I happened to be in Korea when the black beret was mandated for wear by the Army. It was horrible. There is an elaborate ritual to prepare a beret for wear that includes shaving and shaping the beret. There is also a particular way that the beret should be worn. I was one of the only airborne troops in my unit in Korea, so it fell to me and one or two others to educate the entire unit on how to prepare and wear the black beret. Oh, the horror! Those guuys had no clue how silly they actually looked.
Military forces have worn distinctive uniform items for centuries to create a psychological advantage and boost their esprit de corps, but the United States Military use of berets is a relatively recent phenomenon.
(10)
(0)
SGM Van Seagraves
We never wore the Green Beret in the grass or on missions. Boonie hats or I preferred the cravat wrapped around my head..
(1)
(0)
1SG Henry Minor
Berets belong to the specialized units.I retired in 1995 before the headgear change.I have served in airborne units ,But never earned or felt i should wear the Beret.
(0)
(0)
SP5 Dennis Loberger
While I totally respected and still do those that wore berets in my time (1972-1974). I never liked berets. Still prefer a Garrison cap
(0)
(0)
(0)
(0)
my personal favorite beret comment was from Marine Commandant Krulak. When asked about a uniform upgrade to a beret, his reply: “I don’t want my Marines looking like Frenchmen”
(7)
(0)
Cpl Dennis F.
Cpl Brett Wagner I've got a black one around here somewhere with a silver embroidered tank flash on it. It was S. Vietnamese tanker gear. Not even sure how I came by it. Either souvenired to me or just ripped it off, being a tanker.
(0)
(0)
Cpl James Baumgardner
Cpl Dennis F. - I have a Black beret as well, has some sort of a silver emblem with a red feather on it. Traded with a Norwegian home guard, back in 79
(0)
(0)
The special forces Green Beret color is homage to their connection to the British Commandos during WW11 who wore that color. Do knot know what the green specifically means though.
Ranger Regiment Tan Berets: Black used to be the color they wore until the (poor) decision was made to make black the army wide color. Tan was used to replace the (stolen) black. The tan color symbolizes the buckskin caps worn by the Rogers' Rangers during the French and Indian War in the 1750s
Airborne Maroon Berets: First worn by British airborne under General Frederick Browning. Supposedly the color was chosen by the General's wife. I don't think it has significance other then what it has now earned as an international symbol of airborne forces.
If anyone else knows more specifics about the meanings of the colors, please chime in.
Ranger Regiment Tan Berets: Black used to be the color they wore until the (poor) decision was made to make black the army wide color. Tan was used to replace the (stolen) black. The tan color symbolizes the buckskin caps worn by the Rogers' Rangers during the French and Indian War in the 1750s
Airborne Maroon Berets: First worn by British airborne under General Frederick Browning. Supposedly the color was chosen by the General's wife. I don't think it has significance other then what it has now earned as an international symbol of airborne forces.
If anyone else knows more specifics about the meanings of the colors, please chime in.
(6)
(0)
SSG Darrell Peters
When the United States Army was looking to establish its own "Commando" Unit they looked at the British Royal Marines who wear the Green Beret. Those who Completed the British Royal Marine Commando Training were given the Green Beret from the British Royal Marines. Then the U.S. Army established their own "Commando" Schools but instead of adopting the Name "Army Commando" They wanted their own identity that would link to American History So the name "Army Ranger" was adopted.
(0)
(0)
SGT Joshua Bressel
The Rangers also chose tan, as the new color, in homage to the 22nd SAS, a unit they share a connection to. Also, WW 11? Did I sleep through 8? Just giving you crap, good synopsis.
(0)
(0)
Raspberry Beret (Originally Performed by Prince & The Revolution) (Karaoke Version)
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises Raspberry Beret (Originally Performed by Prince & The Revolution) (Karaoke Version) · Mega Tracks Karaoke Band...
Black berets signify theft,,,,,er they signify completion of training and being a Soldier.
Maroon berets are for those who need a reserve to the reserve chute. (Airborne)
Tan berets were property attained after the theft of the black berets for the Rangers.
Green berets are sung about in song often enough that you should know they are for Special Forces.
Raspberry beret is to signify the prince.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdUbQTsE-cM
Maroon berets are for those who need a reserve to the reserve chute. (Airborne)
Tan berets were property attained after the theft of the black berets for the Rangers.
Green berets are sung about in song often enough that you should know they are for Special Forces.
Raspberry beret is to signify the prince.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdUbQTsE-cM
(6)
(0)
Read This Next