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The maroon beret has been the international symbol of elite airborne forces since its selection for use by the airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British 1st Airborne Division.1. The maroon colour of the beret reportedly was chosen by his wife, the novelist Daphne du Maurier.1 It was first worn by the men of the Parachute Regiment when it went into action in North Africa during November 1942.
Australian Army
Maroon berets are worn by paratroopers in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and A Field Battery or any soldiers within the Airborne Battle Group (Transport, Catering, Medical etc).
Bangladesh Army
all members of the Bangladesh Army special forces para commando battalions wear Maroon Berets with para commando cap badge. Besides all members of the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Armed Forces Nursing Services of Bangladesh Army wear Maroon Beters with respective cap badges.
Belgian Army
The Paracommando Brigade (Belgium) wear the maroon beret with various types of cap badges.
Brazilian Army
In the Brazilian Army, the use of maroon berets and brown boots is restricted to the members of the paratroopers brigade—Pqdt (paraquedistas)—one of the few elite regiments of the Brazilian Armed Forces.
British Army
In the British Army, most regiments wear headdress or cap badges which reflect regimental traditions.
All personnel serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade wear the maroon beret (with their own cap badge), whether they are jump-qualified or not. The only exception to this are the non Parachute Regiment infantry battalion in the brigade (as at October 2007 this is The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland)), who retain their regimental headdress. Only members of the Parachute Regiment are permitted to wear the maroon beret no matter where they are posted. The beret is often called the "red beret" or (within the Army) the "cherry beret".
Canadian Army
Jump-qualified personnel in parachute units are allowed to wear the maroon. These are currently B Company, 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; M Company, 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment; A Company, 3rd Battalion Royal 22e Régiment; Parachute Company, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. As well as instructors, packer/riggers and jump slotted members of the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre (CFLAWC) at CFB Trenton.
Chilean Army
Since the creation of the Armored Cavalry in the Army, all personnel who serve in the Armored Cavalry unit wear maroon berets, using the same badges regardless of each member's speciality. Specialists in Armored Cavalry are trained in the Escuela de Caballeria Blindada del Ejercito (Armored Cavalry School of Army), and currently it is only branch of service whose members all wear berets; the other berets used in the Chilean Army distinguished only specialists (mountain troops, paratroopers, or special forces) and, in the last years, the combined branch of service regiment, called Regimientos Reforzados.
French Army
Since the First Indochina War, the French paratroopers wear a dark red beret. French Foreign Legion paratroopers wear a green beret though.
Finnish Army
The Finnish parachute ranger corps (Finnish: Laskuvarjojääkärikomppania) trains personnel in the Utti Jaeger Regiment, Utti, Finland. Jump-qualified personnel are allowed to wear the maroon beret.
German Army
A maroon beret is worn by the German Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Special Forces) and by all members of the Division Spezielle Operationen (DSO, containing airborne troops) and the Division Luftbewegliche Operationen (DLO).
India
Air Force
The Indian Air Force Special Forces unit, the Garud Force, wears the black beret.
Army
The Indian Army parachute-trained units, including the minor/support units of the parachute brigade and the special forces units wear the maroon beret. The Special Frontier Force of the Home MInistry are also parachute trained and wear the maroon beret.
Navy
The Indian Navy special forces unit, MARCOS, wear the sand-coloured beret like the SAS, but the significance of the sand colour in their uniform is unclear.
Para-Military Forces
The specially trained part of the Central Industrial Security Force for the protection of airports and other vital installations take the cue from the Army's Special Forces and have adopted the Maroon Beret as their headgear, though they are not parachute trained, thus diluting the airborne ethos.
Iraqi Army
The elite Iraqi Republican Guards wore maroon berets as well as red boots until their dissolution after the 2003 Iraq War.
Israeli Army
In the Israel Defense Forces, maroon beret is worn by the Paratroopers Brigade and elite special forces units (Sayeret Matkal, Oketz, Maglan, Duvdevan and others).
Malaysian Army and Police
The Malaysian Army's elite 10 Paratrooper Brigade has worn the maroon beret since its establishment in 1994. The Malaysian Police Pasukan Gerakan Khas Detachment A or Special Actions Unit has worn the maroon beret since in 1975.
Norwegian Army
The Norwegian army special forces has worn the maroon beret since its establishment in 1981.
Pakistan Army
The Special Service Group (SSG) wears a maroon beret; however, this is because the Baloch Regiment from whom the initial cadre was drawn from wears a maroon beret, rather than because the SSG are paratroopers.
Polish Army
Maroon berret is worn by paratroops, for it's colour called in Polish Czerwone Berety, and also: air cavalry and special forces. Berret is always decorated with embroidered White Eagle (Polish coat of arms) and rank insignia. It is used as well with ceremonial unoform and field uniform.
Russian Armed Forces
The maroon beret is worn by members of elite MVD Spetsnaz units, although it is referred to as 'Krapoviy' meaning crimson. In a contrast to the Western style, Russian troops wear the badge over the right eye on the beret. In the Soviet era, paratroopers wore a maroon beret until the early 1960s when General Margelov decided that a maroon beret for paratroopers was a Western idea and introduced a cornflower blue beret. This may have been influenced by the cornflower blue of the Soviet Air Force and the cornflower blue helmets worn by Soviet paratroopers during the Great Patriotic War.
South African Special Forces
The maroon beret is worn by both the Special Forces Operators of the South African Special Forces Regiments[1] and the Parabats.[2]
Spanish Army
The 1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ, the oldest military unit in the world, uses the maroon beret.
Swedish Army
The Fallskärmsjägarna (or Fallskärmsjägarkåren: Parachute Ranger Corps), is a Swedish military special operations unit. The unit is an airborne commando unit focused on intelligence gathering and squad to platoon level combat deep behind enemy lines.
Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army Special Operations Force and paratroopers in the 31st Infantry Regiment (Royal Guard) wear the maroon beret.
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army's Special Operations Force, Bordo Bereliler, translates as "The Maroon Berets".
Dutch Army
The Dutch Army's Air Mobile Force, 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade, which translates to Air Mobile Brigade, wear the "The Maroon Berets" (aka the Red Beret) as a sign of their status upon completion of their training.
United States Air Force
Air Force Pararescue pararescuemen (known as PJs) perform combat search and rescue duties.
United States Army
In 1943 General Frederick Browning, commander of the British First Airborne Corps, granted a battalion of the US Army's 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment honorary membership in the British Parachute Regiment and authorized them to wear British-style maroon berets. US Army advisers to Vietnamese airborne forces wore the Vietnamese French-style red beret during the Vietnam War.1
Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) policy from 1973 through 1979 permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing distinctions. Airborne forces chose to wear the maroon international parachute beret as a mark of distinction. This permission was rescinded in 1979 when the army introduced a policy of standardized headgear and designated wear of the black beret for Ranger and Airborne units. On 28 November 1980 permission was given for airborne organizations to resume wearing the maroon beret.1
Venezuelan Army Force
The Venezuelan National Guard is the fourth component of Venezuelan Army Force (Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard), responsible for all military operations (Land, Air, Sea) that secure the public order including antidrug operation, administrative police (customs police and cooperation with SENIAT), external security of jail, public security, citizen security, environment police, and the cooperation with the army, navy and air force for military operations in the defense of the nation. They account to one Unit of Special Forces (Grupo Acciones de Comando) involving many military special operations such as Assault, Recon.
Danish Army Special Forces
Danish Army Special Forces, Jægerkorpset (JGK) - by most seen as an worthy equivalent of British SAS and USAA SF Delta - wears the Maroon Beret with a brass emblem depicting a hunters bugle on a black felt liner. The beret is issued after completion of 16 weeks of SF training. However, not before 1 year of additional satisfactory service in JGK is the wearer issued the shoulder patch "JÆGER" and may call himself by this name.
Footnotes
See also
References
- Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the US Army on the US Army website.