Military beret

Troops began wearing berets as a part of the headgear of military uniforms in some European countries during the 19th century; since the mid-20th century, they have become a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world. Military berets are usually pushed to the right to free the shoulder that bears the rifle on most soldiers, but the armies of some countries, mostly within Europe, South America, and Asia, have influenced the push to the left (i.e. "French pull").
In many countries, berets have become associated with elite units, who often wear berets in specific colours. For instance, the maroon beret is mostly traditional headgear for airborne forces around the world, with a few exceptions—for example, the Russian Airborne Troops, who wear a sky-blue beret, and the Portuguese Paratroopers who wear a green beret.
The use of beret-like headgear as a civilian headdress dates back hundreds of years, an early example being the Scottish Blue Bonnet, which became a de facto symbol of Scottish Jacobite forces in the 16th and 17th centuries. Berets themselves were first used as a military headdress in the 1830s during the First Carlist War in Spain, where they were said to have been imported from the South of France by Liberal forces, but were made famous by the opposing General Tomás de Zumalacárregui, who sported a white or red beret with a long tassel, which came to be an emblem of the Carlist cause.
The French Chasseurs alpins, created in the early 1880s, were the first regular unit to wear the military beret as a standard headgear. These mountain troops were issued with a uniform which included several features which were innovative for the time, notably the large and floppy blue beret which they still retain. This was so unfamiliar a fashion outside France that it had to be described in the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911 as "a soft cap or tam o'shanter".
Berets have features that make them attractive to the military; they are cheap, easy to make in large numbers, can be manufactured in a wide range of colors encouraging esprit de corps, can be rolled up and stuffed into a pocket or beneath the shirt epaulette without damage, and can be worn with headphones.
The beret was found particularly practical as a uniform for armored vehicle crews; the British Royal Tank Regiment adopted a black beret which would not show oil stains and was officially approved in 1924. German Panzertruppen also adopted a black beret or Schutzmütze in 1934, which included a rubber skull cap as head protection inside.
The wearing of berets of distinctive colors by elite special forces originated with the British Parachute Regiment, whose maroon beret was officially approved in July 1942, followed by the Commando Forces whose green beret was approved in October of that year. The United States Army Special Forces adopted a darker green beret in 1955, although it was not officially approved until 1961.
Most berets were used by senior enlisted personnel and officers.
Light green berets are used by para-commando units.
In the Angola Armed Forces, the following berets are in use:
Berets are worn by some units in the Argentine Armed Forces, with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colours are as follows:
The Armed Forces continue to wear Soviet-style (pieced fabric) berets, which are draped to the right in most circumstances. When appearing in public on parade, the berets are draped to the left side so that the insignia shows to observing dignitaries and the public.
In all service branches, the beret is "bashed" to the right and a badge or insignia is worn above the left eye. In the army, all units can wear them with certain units wearing unique ones. In the navy, the beret is an optional item and in the air force, it is only worn by certain units.
The Austrian coat of arms is worn on the left side of the beret (officers in gold, NCOs in silver, enlisted personnel as well as conscripts in dark grey). An exception are members of the special forces (Jagdkommando): after successfully completing the Basic Special Forces Course (Jagdkommandogrundkurs), they wear the Special Forces Badge (Jagdkommandoabzeichen) instead of the coat of arms on their berets.
Initially, the only unit of the Belgian military to wear berets were the Chasseurs Ardennais from the 1930s. Since World War II they have been adopted by all units. Berets vary in colour according to the regiment, and carry a badge (sometimes on a coloured shield-shaped patch) which is of gilt for officers, silver for non-commissioned officers and bronze for other ranks. Members of cavalry units all wear silver-coloured badges.
Berets in Bolivian Army:
Berets in Bolivian Air Force:
Berets have been worn by Bulgarian military personnel since 1991. Berets vary in colour according to the military branch, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) resembling the unit's insignia.
The colour of the beret is determined by the wearer's environment, branch, or mission. The beret colours listed below are the current standard:
Berets in Chilean Army:
Berets in Chilean Navy:
Berets in Chilean Air Force:
Since May 5, 2000, the People's Liberation Army has adopted woolen berets for all its personnel, along with the traditional peaked caps. Type 99 beret
Berets were not officially adopted by the CAPF, but some of the forces issued their own types NOT OFFICIAL:
During the 80s, camo berets were issued to some of the recon forces of PLA. It has no badge on it.
Type 07 uniform is being issued to both PLA and CAPF on August 1, 2007. Colours of 07 berets are changed to the same colours with the service uniform. And several changes in designs were made from type 99 beret. The berets were not being issued until summer of 2009 to most of the troops.
Other than colours of the berets, the most significant difference between type 99 and type 07 is the type 99 beret badge is cloth, while type 07 is plastic.
Berets are worn by all personnel of the National Army of Colombia (Ejército), certain members of the Navy (Armada) and National Police (Policía Nacional), with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colors are:
In the Croatian Army berets are used in special forces and guard brigades, as well as in cadet battalion. During Croatian War of Independence, Croatian Army consisted of seven professional brigades—guard brigades, each having its beret colour. During the army reforms number of guard brigades was cut to two, but the battalions kept the names and insignia (colour of beret also) of ex brigades.
Joint staff:
Guard brigades:
Black beret is also used in Cadet battalion. Also dark blue beret is used in Croatian Navy.
In the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, the following berets are in use:
The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic use berets for both battledress and display uniform. The colour of the beret signifies the branch of the armed forces. The beret displays the Czech Army badge (silver for NCOs and enlisted, gold for officers, gold with linden branchlets for generals) and the rank of the individual.
The history of the military berets in the Czech military dates back at least to the World War I, when the Czechoslovak legionaires in France wore the standard field blue military berets as part of their uniforms. After the war and foundation of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the whole uniform continued to be used for ceremonial purposes by the Prague Castle guard. During the World War Two, the Czechoslovak soldiers serving in the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade wore the standard British combat uniforms, including the black beret for armoured corps, with Czechoslovak insignia.
After the war, in 1948, the newly established Czechoslovak Airborne forces adopted the maroon beret, inspired by those worn by the British Paras. After a brief discontinuation by the Communist leadership on ideological basis it was re-established in 1960s and continues to be used until this day. After the Velvet revolution berets were selected as the new standard head cover for the newly democratic Armed Forces, with several colour variants to distinguish the type of Forces or Corps being developed.
In 2023 the Czech Armed Forces updated the colours of their berets, completely discontinuing the orange beret for the Rescue and Civil defence forces (disbanded) and adopting two new colours: blue for the Prague Castle Guard and khaki for the Ground forces (including the 4th Rapid reaction brigade, formerly wearing the maroon berets), both replacing the previous and broadly unpopular light green beret.
The Royal Danish Army first introduced the black berets for its armour personnel in 1958. In 1968 it was extended to the whole army, Homeguard and parts of the Navy and Airforce, replacing the standard issue Side cap.
Berets are worn by all personnel of the Ecuadorian Army (Ejército) and certain members of the Navy (Armada) and Air Force (Fuerza Aérea), with distinctive colours for some units or functions. The beret colours are:
All personnel of the EDF or Eritrean Defense Forces wear Berets.
All Estonian military personnel wore berets after the country's independence was reinstated in 1991. Although the practice of wearing berets was suspended, they were brought back in 2013.
The Finnish Defence Force uses berets with cap badges for the Army, Navy and the Air Force. The berets are worn in "clean" garrison duties such as roll calls and with the walking-out uniform, but not with the battle dress. Until the mid-1990s, the beret was reserved for troops with special status, such as the armoured troops, coastal jägers and the airborne jägers, but is nowadays used by all units. In winter, berets are replaced by winter headgear.
Berets are also used by the Finnish Border Guard, which is a military organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Interior during peacetime.
The military beret originated in the French Army, in the form of the wide and floppy headdress worn by the Chasseurs Alpins (mountain light infantry) from their foundation in the early 1880s. The practical uses of the beret were soon recognised and the Marine Infantry forming part of the Expeditionary Force sent in China in 1900 used berets as headwear A tight-fitting version was subsequently adopted by French armoured troops towards the end of World War I. Between the wars, special fortress units raised to garrison the Maginot Line wore khaki berets as did the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion when it was created in 1940. The Vichy Milice of the War period wore a blue beret.
The beret in blue, red or green was a distinction respectively of the Metropolitan, Colonial and Legion paratrooper units during the Indochina and Algerian wars. In 1962 the beret in either light khaki or the colours specified above became the standard French Army headdress for ordinary use.
With the exception of the Commandos Marine and the Fusiliers Marins, whose berets are worn pulled to the right, all other French military berets (army, air force and Gendarmerie) are pulled to the left with the badge worn over the right eye or temple. Also the military forces of the countries that have historical, colonial, or cooperative ties with France – such as Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sénégal, Togo, Tunisia – or have been trained by the French military wear their beret pulled left.
Gendarmerie personnel serving with the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) – an EU crisis response and intervention force – wear the standard EUROGENDFOR royal blue beret and badge when so assigned.
Berets in Gabonese Army:
The German Heer uses berets with different badges for every branch of service. The Luftwaffe and the Marine issue dark blue berets only to their ground or land combat units (called Luftwaffensicherungstruppe and Marineschutzkräfte) respectively. Berets are usually worn at special ceremonies and roll calls, although units with a special esprit de corps, especially armoured and mechanized infantry (Panzergrenadiere) battalions, wear their berets all the time. German berets are always pulled to the right, with the badge visible over the left temple.
Military bands wear the beret colour of their respective division (e.g. black in the 1st Panzer Division).
The beret colours worn by the Ghana Army are as follows:
The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Army are as follows:
When in camouflage fatigues, the camouflaged cap is worn instead of the dark blue beret. The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Air Force are:
History: the first beret-type cap (khaki colour, with black ribbon and "eagle" badge) was issued for Air Force enlisted personnel in 1930, but berets became popular in the 1970s, when reconnaissance troops (paratroopers) were issued with rifle green (or grass green) berets. Previously maroon beret was also experimented and even reversible (green to camo) "multi-purpose" berets were produced, but the standardization started on the 1975 military parade. In 1982 military secondary school students were issued with green berets too, while in 1987 River Force troopers received dark blue beret. After the collapse of the communism the beret as "mark of the elite trooper" received more and more popularity among soldiers. Light green (with border guard's badge) berets were issued for Border Guard reaction forces between 1990 and 2007. The berets of Hungarian forces were made first in "eastern-european style" (like worn by most Warsaw Pact armies), sewn together from 4 pieces. After 1993 "western style" one-piece berets were adopted.
Berets currently in Hungarian military:
Except these, mission-type berets were/are used in international peacekeeping missions (UN blue, EBECS yellow, MFO brick red etc.) worn. Beside the official versions different unofficial beret types, colours and badges are worn, for example Dark Blue berets by Signal Corps cadets etc.
Icelandic armed services commonly use berets.
The beret is the standard headgear for the Various forces of Indian Armed Forces. Berets are worn by officers and Other ranks, apart from Sikhs, who wear turbans. The beret colours worn by the Indian Army are as follows:
The beret is the standard headgear of armed forces and police personnel in Indonesia. It is also worn by paramilitary and other uniformed services in the country such as the Fire Brigade, Search and Rescue, Scouts, civil militias (such as Banser) and civil paramilitary organizations. In the Military Services (Army, Navy and Air Force), the berets are dragged to the right (the insignia are worn on the left side), while in the Indonesian National Police force and Military Police Corps, the berets are dragged to the left (the insignia are worn on the right side). Both having its own meaning, dragged to the right meaning "ready for combat and defense" and dragged to the left meaning "ready for law enforcement and order". Military and Police services according to their beret colours which represent different units within the force are as shown below:
The beret color system used for the different branches of the Iraqi military and security forces changed after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Beret colors currently (and formerly) worn by Iraqi forces are as follows:
All Army personnel wear a common capbadge, a sunburst insignia with the letters "FF" inscribed above the left eye of the beret. The Irish Defence Forces cap badge for Officers in the Army has a more subdued appearance. Air Corps and Naval Service personnel wear their own cap badge on berets.
The beret colours worn by the Irish Defence Forces are as follows:
The beret colours worn by the Reserve Defence Forces are as follows:
Israeli Defense Forces soldiers wear berets only on formal occasions, such as ceremonies and roll calls, and in disciplinary situations such as courts martial and imprisonments. While they are not attending formal occasions, they must place the beret beneath the left epaulette. The Border Police, which are a unit of the civil police rather than the military IDF, wear their berets at most times. The beret colors are as follows:
Italian Army personnel used to wear a garrison cap alongside the combination cap, until the early 1970s when the garrison cap was replaced by the beret. Only the Alpini never wore beret, wearing the characteristic Cappello Alpino. Until the early 1980s the general Army colour for the beret was drab khaki, the black being reserved to armoured units. The colours presently used by the Italian Army are as follows:
The Italian Navy uses the following berets:
The Italian Air Force uses the following berets:
Other Italian services that use berets:
All members in the Ground Self-Defense Force are authorized to wear wool berets – referred to as the "ベレー帽" (ベレーボウ or bereebou) – as an optional head covering for dress, working, and camouflage uniforms since 1992. However, it is normally considered a special dress item, worn for public relations events or parades. An embroidered goldwork cap badge representing the JGSDF logo identical to the one used on the service dress peaked cap is affixed to the beret. Berets were previously rifle green, but with the introduction of the Type 18 service uniform, the color has been changed to black.
JGSDF personnel on United Nations missions wear UN blue berets with the United Nations emblem pinned to the front.
The beret colours worn by the Jordanian Army are as follows:
The beret colours worn by the Kenya Armed Forces are as follows:
The beret colours worn by the Latvian Army are as follows:
All units in the Lebanese Armed Forces wear berets when not in combat mode (helmet), training camp (cap) or formal uniform (formal hat).
The Lebanese Army, unlike most militaries, wears the beret slanted (pulled down) on the left side as the army emblem is positioned to the right aligned with the right eyebrow.
The beret is the headgear of ground forces, air aviations and special forces in the Malaysian Armed Forces. The colours presently used are:
The beret colours worn by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) are as follows:
The beret colours worn by the Malian Armed Forces are as follows:
In the Mexican Army, the beret is worn by:
In the Mexican Navy:
Armed Forces wide, the blue beret with the UN arms is used by peacekeeping forces beginning in 2015–16, when Mexico sent armed forces personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.
In 2002, new army uniforms were introduced to the Mongolian armed forces and along with new uniform design, dark green berets were issued to all personnel. According to the rules, all military berets are pushed to the right and displays a "Soyombo" symbol in middle of golden oak leaves in the right side.
Berets are worn by Mongolian Police since 1994. Police berets are different from the army beret in color and in shape, while it is pushed to the left while army berets are pushed to the right.
The Moroccan military Uniform is inspired from the French Uniform, the berets are usually pulled to the left with the badge worn over the right eye or temple.
Presently, the following berets are in use by the Defense Armed Forces of Mozambique:
When the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces acquired new modernised uniforms (designed by the Dutch couturier Frans Molenaar) in 2000, the berets changed as well. Since 2004, soldiers of the Royal Netherlands Army have worn a petrol (blue-green) beret, whereas previously they wore brown.
The following colours are also used (before and after the modernisation):
Navy:
Army:
Note: The only Dutch military unit that do not wear a beret are the Gele Rijders (Horse Artillery), who wear a blue garrison cap with yellow trimming.
Air Force:
Military Police:
Other:
All regiments and services have their own distinctive colours. There are quite a lot, but the number of colours in the logistic services was reduced in 2001. This colour is shown in a patch of cloth behind the beret flash. The intendance (maroon), transport troops (blue), military administration (pink; hence the nickname 'Pink Mafia'), technical service (black), and medical troops and service (green) lost their colours and all now wear yellow patches. In 2010, the technical service and medical troops and services recovered their colors. The intendance and transport troops merched into one regiment with new colours (maroon with blue border) and the administration got the crimson color.
Royal New Zealand Navy –
New Zealand Army –
Pre 2002 beret colours –
Post 2002 beret colours –
Royal New Zealand Air Force –
The RNZAF does not currently wear berets except for:
The Nicaraguan Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:
Berets in Nicaraguan Army:
Berets in Nicaraguan Navy:
The Norwegian armed forces use the beret as a garrison cap, but some units (mostly armored vehicle personnel) also use it in the field. The Norwegian beret and all other headwear except those of the Navy and His Majesty The King's Guard always have the current king's cipher as a badge in gold (most of the army) or silver (the air force); currently this is a numeral 5 inside an H, for "Harald V". The navy has a crowned gold anchor for their enlisted personnel, a crowned gold anchor surrounded by a circle of rope for their petty officers, and a crowned golden anchor surrounded by leaved branches for officers. The colours used are:
The special operations units of the Navy wear the same berets as the rest of the navy. However they have a coloured patch behind the cap badge, the colour of which determines the unit:
The Royal Omani Armed Forces wears the beret as its standard headgear. Each color divisions are as follows:
The Palestinian Security Services adopted berets as their standard headgear since their establishment in 1994 following the Oslo Accords. The colouring scheme is similar to neighboring Jordan and Egypt.
Each color divisions are as follows:
The Paraguayan Armed Forces wear berets in the following colours:
Berets in Paraguayan Army:
Berets in Paraguayan Navy:
Berets in Paraguayan Air Force:
Berets were widely worn by many units in the Panama Defense Forces (PDF) under Manuel Noriega. The PDF was abolished in February 1990, and with it all of the old military units stood down. Unique beret insignia were never approved, so units authorized to wear berets wore a combination of the approved shoulder insignia, as well as rank and qualification insignia (e.g. parachutist wings) on the berets. The following were being worn at the time of the 1989 invasion:
Black berets were introduced before World War II for tank and armoured car crews. During World War II, berets were widely adopted in the Polish Army on the Western Front, armored troops – black, airborne – grey, commando – green. After the war in the communist era, berets were worn only by armoured units (black), navy for field and work uniform (black), paratroopers (maroon), and marines (light blue). After 1990, the beret became the standard headgear in the Armed Forces of Republic of Poland. Around the year 2000 the design of the Polish Army Beret changed, the beret sewn together from three pieces of material with four air holes, two at each side was changed to a smaller beret molded from one piece of material with no air holes. The following colours are in use:
Berets in other ministries:
The black beret is also the distinctive headgear of World War II veterans, particularly Armia Krajowa veterans.
The dress code of the Polish armed forces states that when not worn on the head or kept in a locker the beret should be placed under the left shoulder loop. This practice was discontinued due to introducing new field uniform (wz. 2010) with rank insignia placed on chest.
The beret was first introduced in the Portuguese Armed Forces in 1956, when the Air Force Paratroopers adopted the green beret. The Portuguese Army adopted the brown beret for its Caçadores Especiais special forces in 1960, generalizing its wear to all units in 1962.
The following colors of berets were or are still worn by the Portuguese Military and Paramilitary forces:
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia made changes to the army in 1979 and shortly after Zimbabwe disbanded all the regiments Rhodesian Security Forces in favour of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in 1979–1981.
Up to this point the Security Forces wore the beret as the primary working dress and service dress headgear. Like most countries formerly associated with the British Empire, Berets were coloured according to unit or service branch, with a distinctive regimental cap badge pinned above the left eye. The Rhodesian Security Forces were integrated into the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces in 1980.
Rhodesia introduced the brown beret as a new colour for specialist berets, for use of the Selous Scouts, which has since been used for specialist units in the Finnish and Brazilian forces, and with the New Zealand SAS
Rhodesian beret colours were as follows:
Like the United Kingdom, Rhodesia also used flashes and hackles behind cap badges on their berets, such as:
The Soviet Union's beret color scheme detailed below (e.g. for airborne troops and naval infantry) remained in effect in post-1991 Russia. In the late 1990s the Russian Ministry of Extreme Situations introduced orange berets for its own troops.
In the Soviet Union berets were sewn together from three pieces of material (top, front, and rear) with four air holes, two at each side, worn with the service badge centered between the eyes and draped to the right in most circumstances. When appearing in public on parade, the berets were draped to the left side so that the insignia shows to observing dignitaries and the public. The multi-piece beret has changed to a smaller beret molded from one piece of material with no air holes.
In 2011 the Russian defence ministry authorised the wearing of berets by all non-naval military personnel as part of their field uniforms.
The current beret colour scheme is:
The Serbian Armed Forces are wearing berets as their standard headdress.
The Singapore Armed Forces have adopted the beret as their standard headdress. The different color divisions are as follows:
The berets are all adorned with the Singapore Armed Forces coat of arms, with the exception of the Air Force beret, Military Police beret, navy beret, Digital and Intelligence Service beret which are adorned with their respective cap-badge. Officers in the navy have a different cap-badge from the ratings. Officers of the rank of colonel and above have a different cap-badge.
All berets have the National Cadet Corps, National Police Cadet Corps or National Civil Defence Cadet Corps crest on the front.
The Somali Armed Forces has the beret has the standard headgear since its inception in 1960. Each function within the security forces of Somalia has a unique colour.
The South African National Defence Force wears the beret as its standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:
The berets are all adorned with the unit's insignia. Some of the traditional units wear other headgear - for example, the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment and the band of the South African Military Health Service.
Outside of Army, the South African Military Health Service wear light maroon berets. The South African Special Forces Brigade which is a separate entity, not part of the army, also wear the Maroon beret which is traditional for parachute units in the western world.
Berets are worn by members of the Republic of Korea Army and some elite units of the South Korean Military, including:
Other than these units, several secret commando units (mostly disbanded in the mid-1990s, among them the "Unit 684" which became infamous for its mutiny) formed to infiltrate North Korea during the Cold War days wore black berets and adorned them with the badges of individual units. Korean liaison soldiers serving in the U.S. Eighth Army (KATUSA) have also been wearing black berets along with American uniforms since that beret became a standard headgear of the U.S. Army in 2001.
American advisers assigned to these units wore the berets.
In the Soviet Union berets were sewn together from three pieces of material (top, front and rear) with four air holes two per side seam, one per each side, worn with the service badge centered between the eyes and draped to the right in most circumstances. When appearing in public on parade, the berets were draped to the left side so that the insignia shows to observing dignitaries and the public. Berets were worn only by:
During this period berets were also worn by female personnel of the Armed Forces for everyday and parade uniform. The colour of the beret corresponded with that of the main uniform (e.g. Army and Air Force everyday uniform – olive, Navy uniform – navy blue or white, Army parade uniform – sea green, Air Force parade uniform – dark blue).
The beret is used in the various armed forces of Spain. The colours used are:
The beret is used in the various armed forces of Sweden.
The beret is worn by all police and military personnel.
Since 1995, when it replaced the grey side cap, the beret is worn with the dress uniform and with the personally issued battle dress uniform by all Swiss soldiers. In training, a black beret (without insignia) is worn by mechanised units, otherwise a camouflage-coloured field cap is worn instead.
The colours used are:
The beret was used in the now disbanded (2024) Syrian Arab Armed Forces as a standard patrol cap headgear in all branches of the military. Syria inherited most of their beret colors from Egypt during the period of the United Arab Republic.
The beret is used in the various armed forces of Thailand. The colours used are:
The black beret is also worn by ordinary police in certain situations.
The beret colours worn by the Togolese Army are as follows:
In the Ukrainian army, the tradition of wearing a beret in uniform begins in 1991 - after the collapse of the USSR. In many respects, the young army imitated and actually continued the traditions of the Soviet Army, in particular, the Airborne Assault Troops and the Marines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wore the corresponding berets of blue and black colours. The situation changed radically after the beginning of the hybrid war against Russia starting in 2014, when the society, and in particular the Ukrainian servicemen, fundamentally revised their attitude towards the eastern neighbour and their recent past. After fierce battles with Russian special forces, among whom there were paratroopers and marines of the Russian armed forces that fought against Ukrainians in the Donbas during 2014-2015, Ukrainians grew wary of the military traditions that the Russian Army inherited from the Soviet Army. In 2017, new elements of the uniform, including berets, were officially introduced in the Ukrainian Armed Forces to distance them from their Soviet legacy. Thus, the Special Operations Forces created in 2016 started wearing light grey berets. Meanwhile, Ukrainian paratroopers as well as marines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that joined them later have been willingly wearing the new colours since then.
Since 2017, the Armed Forces have worn berets of the following colours:
Other formations:
The Armed Forces of the UAE and National Service use berets with distinct colours to display the specific branch of the armed forces. All berets displays the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces emblem.
Emirati military personnel may also choose to wear military camo coloured ghutra in a turban fashion in keeping with traditional Arabic attire.
The colours are as follows:
The British Army beret dates back to 1918 when the French 70th Chasseurs alpins were training with the British Tank Corps. The Chasseurs alpins wore a distinctive large beret and Major-General Sir Hugh Elles, the TC's Colonel, realised this style of headdress would be a practical option for his tank crews, forced to work in a reduced space. He thought, however, that the Chasseur beret was "too sloppy" and the Basque-style beret of the French tank crews was "too skimpy", so a compromise based on the Scottish tam o'shanter was designed and submitted for the approval of King George V in November 1923. It was adopted in March 1924.
During the Second World War, the use of the black beret was extended to all the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1940. The maroon beret was adopted by British airborne forces in 1941 (the Special Air Service had adopted a sand coloured beret, was subsequently compelled to change to maroon in common with other airborne units, but resumed wear of the sand beret after the Second World War) and the green beret by the Commandos in late 1942. A khaki beret was worn by the Reconnaissance Corps from 1941 until 1944, and the Royal Air Force Regiment adopted a blue-grey beret in 1943. Later in the war, a rather baggier beret-like hat, called the General Service Cap, was issued to all ranks of the British Army (with RAC, parachute, commando, Scottish and Irish units excepted), to replace the earlier Field Service Cap. The GS Cap was not popular, and after the war was replaced with a true beret.
Today, English and Welsh military units wear a beret (the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Royal Irish Regiment and London Irish, wear the tam o'shanter and the caubeen respectively, the Scots Guards and Irish Guards, however, wear berets). Many of these berets are in distinctive colours and all are worn with the cap badge of the service, regiment or corps. The cap badge for all services in the UK is usually worn directly over the left eye.
The colours are as follows:
General rule for wearing a British Army berets taught at training depots is to shape the head dress back and to the right for the material and to have the leather band level around the head with the cap badge two fingers above the left eye. Scottish Infantry have different rules for the Tamo'shanter with the cap badge worn on the left side of the head.
Some regiments and corps wear a coloured backing behind the cap badge. These include:
Members of the Royal Tank Regiment, 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment, SAS and Intelligence Corps wear berets in Nos 1, 2, 3 and 6, Dress. Other English and Welsh Regiments and Corps wear peaked caps in these orders of dress. Troops from other services, regiments or corps on attachment to units with distinctive coloured berets often wear those berets (with their own cap badge). Colonels, brigadiers and generals usually continue to wear the beret of the regiment or corps to which they used to belong with the cap badge distinctive to their rank.
Former regiments and corps, now amalgamated:
Berets were originally worn by select forces in the United States Army. The first were worn during World War II, when a battalion of the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment were presented maroon berets by their British counterparts. Though unofficial at first, the green beret of the US Army Special Forces was formally adopted in 1961. Maroon airborne and black US Army Ranger berets were formally authorized in the 1970s.
"D" Troop 17th Cavalry were authorized a maroon beret in Vietnam.
After the Vietnam War, morale in the US Army waned. In response, from 1973 through 1979 HQDA permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing uniform distinctions; however, these distinctions were allowed to be worn only on the post. Consequently, many units embraced various colored berets, for example armor and armored cavalry units often adopted the black beret. Similarly many other units embraced various colored berets in an attempt to improve dwindling morale. In particular, the First Cavalry Division assigned various colored berets to its three-pronged TRICAP approach. In this implementation, armored cavalry, airmobile infantry units, air cavalry units, division artillery units, and division support units all wore different colored berets, including black, light blue, Kelly green, and red. The 101st Airborne Division was authorised a dark-blue beret.
In 1975 all female soldiers of the Women's Army Corps were authorized to wear a black beret variant as standard headgear for the service uniform.
In 1975 the 172nd Light Infantry Brigade at Fort Richardson and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, wore olive-drab berets.
In 2001, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki ordered the black beret worn as standard headgear army-wide, a controversial decision because it was previously reserved for the rangers. The rangers were then authorized to wear a tan beret, exclusive to them. The decision was implemented in hopes of boosting morale among conventional units. However, many soldiers began complaining that the new black beret was not practical with the utility uniform. In June 2011, Army Secretary John McHugh, acting on the recommendations made by Chief of Staff Martin Dempsey and Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler, once again chose the traditional patrol cap to be worn with the utility uniform. The black beret may be authorized with utility uniforms at commander's discretion for special ceremonies. The beret remains part of the Army's dress uniform for all units.
United States Army berets now use the following distinctive colors:
Special forces, ranger, and airborne unit berets sport distinctive organizational flashes. All other units use a standard pale blue flash bordered with 13 white stars. Officers wear their rank insignia within the flash, while enlisted ranks wear their distinctive unit insignia.
In 2019, the army proposed the creation of a grey beret for USASOC soldiers qualified in Psychological operations, but it did not receive official approval.
In the United States Navy, female officers and sailors were allowed to wear black berets instead of a combination hat or garrison cap while in service uniforms until 2016. The black berets were phased out in October of that year due to a lack of widespread use and a desire by the U.S. Navy to make its uniforms more unisex in appearance. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy created special boat teams, unofficially dubbed the brown-water navy, to patrol coastlines, estuaries and rivers. Naval personnel assigned to these teams wore black berets as part of their uniform, as portrayed in the movie Apocalypse Now. U.S. Navy SEAL teams serving in Vietnam wore camouflage berets in the field, the only beret somewhat standardized in the SEALs.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard wears large black berets.
Berets are worn by some units in the Venezuelan National Armed Forces, with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colours are as follows:
Note: Before the conversion to the red berets, the Caracas Battalion wore dark blue berets similar to those used by the O'Leary Battalion.
Note: Bolivarian National Police general issue red berets (since 2017).
Berets used by the Vietnam Coast Guard and the Vietnam People's Navy are:
During the celebration of the 40th Reunification Day, the People's Army of Vietnam presented new models of berets:
Army's servicemen served within the United Nations will bear the UN blue beret.
Berets are worn as standard headgear in the Yemeni Armed Forces, with most beret colors inherited from the South Yemeni armed forces.
A camouflage beret is intended for use on the battlefield when wearing combat fatigues. They are mostly issued to the likes of special forces, particularly in jungle warfare operations.
Camouflage berets possibly originate from the General Service cap "Cap, General Service" issued to the British Army in a Khaki material before the introduction of berets. It was first introduced under "Army Council Instruction 1407" of September 1943. This cap was designed to replace the "Field Service cap" or "FS Cap" that had been worn since the outbreak of war. These caps were issued in priority to units serving overseas. UK based units got theirs later on. It was at first unpopular due to its over large appearance. This cap was not a beret. It was made from several pieces of drab cloth material, whereas a beret was a one piece item. It was based on the Scottish balmoral bonnet in design. First issues were made from the same gaberdine cloth as the old "FS" cap. Badges worn on it were the conventional officers' bronze, and ORs' badges in both plastic and metal. Units which had special distinctions could still wear these on the "GS" cap. The General Service cap was worn by regulation one inch above the eyebrows, with the badge over the left eye and the cap pulled down to the right. But many wartime photos will show it worn pushed back on the head, which seemed to be a fashion with many soldiers late in the war.
Officers could only obtain the cap upon repayment to the RAOC. They were not allowed to buy the cap until their unit had been issued with it wholesale. Higher ranking officers often got away with wearing a khaki beret, which was against regulations. Fashion conscious ORs would also risk punishment from NCOs/officers buying one of these for "walking out".
Not exactly camouflage, but an early example is the Jungle Beret issued to the Australian Army during WW2.
Military berets by color: