Maroon beret
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The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of
Origins
The first British army unit to adopt the beret was the Armoured Corps in 1924 (for more information see black beret). During
A popular story is that the maroon colour was chosen by Major-General Frederick Browning, after his wife, Daphne du Maurier, suggested that he use the colour which made up part of his horse racing colours.[3] However, in a letter, now in the British Airborne Assault Archive, she wrote that it was untrue.[4] Whatever its origin, the maroon beret was adopted by the British paratroopers in July 1942. Initially it was adorned with an Army Air Corps badge. This was replaced with the Parachute Regiment badge in 1943.[5]
It was during the
Afghan Armed Forces
The maroon beret was worn by members of the Afghan National Army
Austrian Armed Forces
The maroon beret is worn by all members of the 25th (Airborne) Infantry Battalion (Jägerbataillon 25) of the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer), which is a mixed airborne/air assault unit.
The Special Forces group of the Austrian Armed Forces (
Argentinean Armed Forces
Maroon berets are worn by member of the Armed Forces Operational Command and, in the Argentinean Army, by the 601st Air Assault Regiment. Like all berets, its use is only authorized with the combat uniform.
Australian Army
Maroon (also referred to as Dull Cherry) berets were worn by parachute qualified members of the 3 RAR Parachute Battalion Group from 1985 – 2012, when the parachute role was performed by 3 RAR. In addition to the battalion, the Group included A Field Battery, Parachute Surgical Team, and Engineer and Signals elements. The beret was worn with the Royal Australian Regiment Badge by Infantrymen at the battalion, and individual Corps badges for other Corps members as appropriate. 2nd Commando Regiment now effectively perform the parachuting function formerly held by 3 RAR; they wear a Green Beret with a Commando Badge.
Qualified parachutists posted to Parachute Training School (PTS) wore the beret (or their Special Air Service or Commando Regt beret as appropriate) with individual Corps / Regimental Badges until a few years ago.
The beret is worn by any parachute rigger of RAAOC in a parachute rigger posting.
The beret was previously also worn by the Airborne Platoon Royal Australian Regiment 1951–1974, then the Australian Special Air Service Company (with the Royal Australian Infantry Corps Badge). When the Special Air Service Regiment was formed this was replaced by the tan beret (sometimes referred to as the sandy beret) with SASR Badge.
Azerbaijan Army
The
Bangladesh Army
All members of the
Belgian Army
The
Brazilian Army
In the
British Army
British Army Regiments wear distinctive headdress and cap badges which often reflect regimental history.
Members of the
Brunei Armed Forces
The Special Forces Regiment (Malay: Regimen Pasukan Khas, "RPK") wear a maroon beret.
Burkina Faso Armed Forces
Members of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces wear a maroon beret.
Canadian Army
Jump-qualified personnel in parachute units of the Canadian Army wear the maroon, provided they are in a designated parachute position. These are as follows:
- "Z" Battery, 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
- "E" and "Y" Batteries, 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
- 4 Troop, 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment
- 5 Troop, 24 Field Squadron, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment
- 5 Troop, 53 Field Squadron, 5 Combat Engineer Regiment
- "M" Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
- "A" Company, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- "A" Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment
- Instructors, packer/riggers and jump-slotted members of the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre at CFB Trenton
- Parachute Company, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
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 Caballería Blindada del Ejército (Armored Cavalry School of Army), and currently it is the 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.
Czech Army
A maroon beret is worn by
Danish Army Special Forces
Danish Army Special Forces,
French Army
The maroon beret is not worn by any active French military unit, however. Since 1957, nearly all
Among the French special forces, the French Army's 1er RPIMa and 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment operators respectively wear an amaranth beret and the standard red beret; the Commandos Marine of the French Navy retain their legacy green beret; while the Air Parachute Commando n° 10 (CPA 10) of the French Air and Space Force wear a dark blue beret. The latter is also worn by the elite paratroopers of the Air Parachute Commando n° 20 (CPA 20) and Air Parachute Commando n° 30 (CPA 30), although unlike the CPA 10, they're not part of the special forces.
Finnish Army
The Special Jäger Battalion (Finnish: Erikoisjääkäripataljoona) 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
Greek Army
Maroon berets are worn by members of the 1st Army Aviation Brigade.
Guatemalan Army
Maroon berets are worn by Kaibiles, Guatemala's special forces.
India
Army
The
The MARCOS (Marine Commandos) of the Indian Navy are all para qualified and wear the maroon beret. They are the only Indian unit qualified to para drop into water with a full combat load.
Air Force
The Indian Air Force's special operations force, Garud Commando Force, also wears the maroon beret and are parachute trained, with some personnel even free fall qualified.
Indonesia
Because Indonesian Airborne Paratrooper Battalions (Yonif Para Raider) are part of the Kostrad infantry division, they do not wear maroon berets as an independent regiment or corps, but instead wear green berets (Kostrad berets), identifying an army infantry group which is in the internal scope of the Kostrad division command.
Army
Maroon berets are the official headgear of
In the Indonesian Navy naval special forces unit, KOPASKA, tactical divers wear maroon berets.
Israeli Army
In the
Italian Army
In the
Lithuanian Armed Forces
In the Lithuanian Armed Forces, maroon berets are worn only by Volunteer Forces that took it from their initial Rapid Reaction Squad guarding the Parliament in 1991 that intended to become a paratrooper unit in the future. However, SKAT staff officers really liked it and started to wear and the other units followed them later replacing their traditional caps.
Malaysia
Army
The Malaysian Army's elite 10th Parachute Brigade has worn the maroon beret since its establishment in 1994.
Police
The Royal Malaysia Police has a two units wearing the maroon berets. The unit is:
- The Special Actions Unit, has worn the maroon beret with black hackle since its formation on 1 January 1975.
- The Senoi Praaq of the General Operations Force wears the maroon beret with yellow hackle.
Both of the units had their maroon berets bestowed by the Special Air Service.
Lebanese Army
The maroon berets are worn by the Army Rangers Regiment known as Maghaweer and by the Navy Seals known as Maghaweer El Bahr (Naval Commando). The current commander in chief General Joseph Aoun, himself having been in Maghaweer, allowed military personnel who have a Ranger badge to keep wearing their maroon berets even when serving in other non special forces units. The current military council (6 members) includes two Maghaweer General Joseph Aoun and Major General Georges Chreim.
Mexican Army
The maroon berets are worn by Mexico's Parachute Rifle Brigade called the Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas created in 1969 as a rapid response team.
Namibian Army
The maroon beret is worn by Namibian Special Forces specifically the Commandos and Paratroopers.
Netherlands Army
The
Norwegian Army
The
Pakistan
Army
The Special Service Group (SSG) wears a maroon beret with a silver SSG badge on a sky blue flash. Line infantry regiments which were parachute trained wore their own regiments' berets till airborne role was taken away from infantry and assigned to SSG which became the army's only airborne outfit from 1964 onwards. In addition to SSG, Army Aviation and Air Defence, Army medical corps wear maroon berets
Navy's Special Service Group, SSG(N) wear maroon berets
Air Force
PAF's elite Special Service Wing (SSW) wears maroon berets
Polish Army
The maroon beret is worn by paratroopers in the Polish Armed Forces, called the Bordowe Berety in Polish, and also members of the air cavalry. The beret is always decorated with an embroidered White Eagle (Polish coat of arms) and rank insignia. It is worn with the ceremonial uniform as well as the field uniform.
Portuguese Armed Forces
In the Portuguese Armed Forces, the maroon beret was worn by the members of the GEP Battalion , from 1971 to 1974.
The GEP was an elite paramilitary paratrooper unit, consisting of native volunteers, that were employed in
Russian Armed Forces
The maroon beret is worn by members of elite Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) Spetsnaz units, although it is referred to as krapoviy meaning crimson. In a contrast to the Western style, Russian troops wear the badge on the beret over the right eye.
Serbian Armed Forces
The maroon beret is worn by members of elite 63rd Parachute Brigade, the only parachute unit of the Serbian Armed Forces.
Singapore Armed Forces Commandos
The crimson beret is worn by the Commandos formation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) depicting their status as an elite airborne and special forces unit.
Slovak Armed Forces
A maroon beret is worn by members of the 5th Special Operations Regiment and by the qualified Slovak Air Force Search and Rescue service members.
Somali Armed Forces
The maroon beret is the standard issue beret of the Somali Army.
South Africa
The maroon beret is worn by both the Special Forces and 44 Parachute Regiment. (Parachute qualified members of 7 Medical Battalion Group wear the standard crimson beret of the South African Military Health Service.)
Soviet Union
In the Soviet Union, paratroopers wore a maroon beret until the late 1960s when General
Spanish Army
The
The Regimiento de Inteligencia 1 (Intelligence Regiment 1) based in Valencia wears the maroon beret, as do all units belonging to the Cuartel General Terrestre de Alta disponibilidad (GTAD). Spanish airborne forces have traditionally worn a black beret.
Sri Lanka Army
The Commando Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army wears the maroon beret, and is one of the two special forces in Sri Lanka Army along with the Special Forces Regiment .
Swedish Army
A maroon beret is worn by Fallskärmsjägarna, a jump qualified Swedish Army special operations unit. This is an airborne commando unit focused on intelligence gathering and squad level combat deep behind enemy lines.
Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army Special Operations Force and paratroopers in the 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard wear the maroon beret.
Turkey
The
Ukraine
On 21 November 2017 (Ukraine's Paratroopers' Day) the color of the
United States
United States Air Force
Maroon berets are worn by United States Air Force Pararescue personnel and United States Air Force Combat Rescue Officers. Pararescuemen (PJs) are among the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the U.S. military and the only ones in the Department of Defense specifically trained and equipped to conduct conventional and unconventional rescue processes, making them the ideal force to handle personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations. In early 1966, General John P. McConnell, then Air Force Chief of Staff, approved the wearing of the maroon beret.[10]
United States Army
In 1943, during the
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. However, due to the variety to headgear utilized at unit level, such as the
Venezuelan National Guard
All personnel of the Venezuelan National Guard wear maroon berets.
Footnotes
- ISBN 978-1-84486-399-0.
- ^ Hart, Sir Basil Henry Liddell (1959). The tanks: the history of the Royal Tank Regiment and its predecessors, Heavy Branch, Machine-Gun Corps, Tank Corps, and Royal Tank Corps, 1914-1945. Cassell. p. 466.
- ^ Bull 2016, p. 287–288.
- ISBN 978-1-4728-0514-0.
- ^ Skinner 2015, p. 39.
- ISBN 978-0-7509-1723-0.
- ^ "The Salisbury review". 21–22. The Salisbury Group. 2002: 55.
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(help) - ^ "The Paras: The Maroon Machine". BBC. 26 July 1984.
- UNIAN(21 November 2017)
- ^ "USAF PARARESCUE: Overview". Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ Myers, Meghann (19 November 2017). "Earning it: A complete history of Army berets and who's allowed to wear them". Army Times.
- ^ a b Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the U.S. Army Archived 1 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ DA Approves Ranger's New Headgear Archived 1 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
See also
Other military berets by colour:
References
- Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the US Army on the US Army website.