Berets of the United States Army Since November 28 , 2001 , the black beret is worn by all United States Army troops unless the soldier is approved to wear a different distinctive beret . In the U . S . Army there are three approved distinctive berets . On June 13 , 2011 , the Army announced that the patrol cap will replace the black wool beret as the default headgear for the Army Combat Uniform . The maroon beret has been adopted as official headdress by the Airborne forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities , the tan beret by the 75th Ranger Regiment , and the green beret by the Special Forces . History . In the United States military , the beret was unofficially worn by a variety of special operations units during and following World War II . In the spring of 1951 , the 10th and 11th Ranger Companies wore black berets during their training at Camp Carson , Colorado before their deployment to Japan . In the post - Vietnam era , morale in the US Army waned . In response , from 1973 through 1979 HQDA permitted local commanders to encourage morale - enhancing uniform distinctions . 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 it ' s 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 . Black . A black beret was authorized for wear by female soldiers in 1975 . On January 30 , 1975 it was officially assigned as part of the newly created battalions of United States Army Rangers who had worn it unofficially during the Vietnam War . In 1979 the Army Chief of Staff ruled that the black beret was restricted to just Ranger and Airborne units ( the latter receiving their distinctive maroon berets on November 28 , 1980 ) . However , since November 28 , 2001 the black beret is worn by all United States Army troops unless the soldier is approved to wear a different distinctive beret . Maroon ( Airborne ) . 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 . 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 . Tan ( Ranger ) . An olive drab beret was worn by Alaska ' s 172nd Infantry Brigade from 1973 to 1979 ; the 1st Battalion , 60th Infantry wore theirs with a light blue flash . On June 14 , 2001 the U . S . Army Rangers assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment were authorized to wear a distinctive tan beret to replace the black berets that had become the army - wide standard . The tan beret is a homage to the original buckskin berets worn by Rogers ' Rangers during the French and Indian War ( 1755 – 1763 ) . Green ( Special Forces ) . In the U . S . armed forces , the green beret may be worn only by soldiers awarded the Special Forces Tab , signifying they have been qualified as Special Forces ( SF ) soldiers . Special Forces wear it because of a shared tradition which goes back to the British Commando s of World War II . Although it is unusual for American units to wear distinctive headgear , it is the norm in the British Army , where most regiment s wear headdress which reflects regimental history . The Special Forces beret is officially designated " beret , man ' s , wool , rifle green , army shade 297 . " The U . S . Army Special Forces wear the green beret because of their link to the British Commandos of World War II . The first Ranger unit , commonly known as Darby ' s Rangers , was formed in Northern Ireland during the summer of 1942 . On completion of training at the Commando Training Depot at Achnacarry Castle in Scotland , those Rangers had the right to wear the British Commando green beret , but it was not part of the regulation uniform at the time and was disallowed by the U . S . Army . The 10th Special Forces Group ( Airborne ) had many veterans of World War II and Korea in their ranks when it was formed in 1952 . They began to unofficially wear a variety of berets while training , some favoring the red or maroon airborne beret , the black Ranger beret , or the green commando beret . The commandos eventually began to work on a standard uniform that would mark them as unique but still show a smart and professional look . In 1953 , after extensive research , a beret whose design was based on that of the Canadian Army pattern , and which was rifle - green in colour , was chosen . Their new headgear was first worn at a retirement parade at Fort Bragg on 12 June 1955 for Lieutenant General Joseph P . Cleland , the now - former commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps . Onlookers thought that the commandos were a foreign delegation from NATO . In 1956 General Paul D . Adams , the post commander at Fort Bragg , banned its wear , even though it was worn on the sly when deployed overseas . This was reversed on 25 September 1961 by " Department of the Army Message 578636 , " which designated the green beret as the exclusive headgear of the Army Special Forces . When visiting the Special Forces at Fort Bragg on 12 October 1961 , President John F . Kennedy asked Brigadier General William P . Yarborough to make sure that the men under his command wore green berets for the visit . Later that day , Kennedy sent a memorandum which included the line : " " I am sure that the green beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead . " " By America ' s entry into the Vietnam War , the green beret had become a symbol of excellence throughout the US Army . On 11 April 1962 in a White House memorandum to the United States Army , President Kennedy reiterated his view : " " The green beret is a symbol of excellence , a badge of courage , a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom . " " Previously , both Yarborough and Edson Raff had petitioned the Pentagon to allow wearing of the green beret , to no avail .