The whole idea is this beret is to be earned. The next assault is to write the congressional delegation. The Rangers think it's OK for other soldiers to wear a beret, but they want them to pick another color, Grimshaw said. In the military, symbols and traditions are sacred. The beret represents everything a Ranger stands for, Neves said.
Soldiers volunteer for the elite unit, whose mission is to make quick, intense combat assaults.
Giving the black beret to every soldier would be like issuing a letterman's jacket to everyone in high school, the thinking goes. These are things that are dear to us.