The red beret is a military beret worn by many

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

, and

police The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

forces and should not be confused with the maroon beret worn by airborne troops all around the world.

Military police

Red berets are worn by the military police of many

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

and

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the C ...

militaries. * Military Police (Russia) - Russian Federation * Royal Military Police – Provost branch of the British Army *

Royal Australian Corps of Military Police The Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) is a corps within the Australian Army. Previously known as the Australian Army Provost Corps, it was formed on 3 April 1916 as the ANZAC Provost Corps. It is responsible for battlefield traff ...

* Corps of Military Police – India * Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police * Canadian Forces Military Police * MH Katonai Rendészeti Központ (MH KRK) - Hungarian Defence Forces Military Police Center *

Feldjäger The ''Feldjäger'' () are Germany's military police. The term ''Feldjäger'', literally meaning field huntsmen or field Jäger, has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century. History The first modern ''Feldjäger'' ...

– Military Police of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

'' * Royal Military Police – Malaysian Military Police * Póilíní Airm – Irish Military Police Corps (Ireland) * Danish Military Police * Military Police –

Kuwait Army The Kuwait Army, established in 1949, is the oldest armed branch among the military of Kuwait. Its cavalry and infantry predecessors operated in desert and metropolitan areas in 1919, 1920 and 1928 to 1938, tracing their roots directly to the c ...

* Namibian Defence Force Military Police * Royal Military Police – Jordan Armed Forces * Sõjaväepolitsei - Estonian Defence Forces * Militārā policija - Latvian National Armed Forces * Karo policija -

Lithuanian Armed Forces The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service ...

* Military Police - United Arab Emirates Army * Military Police -

Uganda People's Defence Force The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...

(UPDF)

Commando forces

MMEA STAR with Red Beret during 57th NDP

Special Forces Command (Cambodia) The Special Forces Command ( km, បញ្ជាការដ្ឋានទ័ពពិសេស), previously known as the 911th Special Forces Regiment until July 2020, is the special forces unit of the Royal Cambodian Army. Most of its commandos ...

– The Royal Cambodian Special Commando Force *

Angolan Armed Forces The Angolan Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Angolanas) or FAA is the military of Angola. The FAA consist of the Angolan Army (), the Angolan Navy () and the National Air Force of Angola (). Reported total manpower in 2021 was about 107,000. ...

Commandos – guerrilla and counter-guerrilla special operations force * Kopassus – Indonesian Army Special Forces Commandos * KOPASKA – Indonesian Special Naval Frogmen Command * Mozambique Special Forces (Commandos) – guerrilla and counter-guerrilla special operations force * Portuguese Army Commandos – guerrilla and counter-guerrilla special operations force * Commandos Formation,

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed ...

Special Brigade Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...

– Serbian Special Forces *

Lebanese Commando Regiment The Commando Regiment ( ar, فوج المغاوير, translit=Fawj al-Maghaweer) is an elite light infantry and is considered the first special forces regiment in the Lebanese Armed Forces. The regiment, which was founded in 1966, is also a membe ...

– Lebanese special forces regiment tasked with multiple roles * Special Task and Rescue – Malaysian coast guard counter-terrorist special operations force * Commando Parachute Group – French Commando Parachute Regiment * Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment – One of two Special Operations Forces of the Sri Lanka Army. * 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade (Czech Republic) – One of two Special Operations Forces of the army of the Czech Republic *

601st Special Forces Group , image = Znak 601. skss.gif , caption = , dates = , allegiance = Czech Republic , branch = Czech Special Forces , type = Special forces , role= , size = Classified , command_structure = , current_commander = , garrison = Prostějov ...

– The most elite unit of the Czech army

Paramilitary forces

* Special units of the

Internal Troops The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...

of the Russian MVD *

JSO (Special Operations Unit) Unit for Special Operations ( sr, Јединица за специјалне операције, Jedinica za specijalne operacije; abbr. ЈСО or JSO) or Special Operations Unit, also known as Red Berets (by berets; sr, Црвене берет� ...

of Serbia * Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs ( Intaf) in the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rh ...

General Service Unit The General Service Unit (GSU) is a paramilitary wing in the Kenya Police Service, consisting of highly trained police officers, transported by seven dedicated Cessnas and three Bell helicopters. Having been in existence since 1948, the GSU ha ...

of Kenya * Ulster Resistance of Northern Ireland

Other military units

The following military units wear red berets: * The

Saudi Arabian National Guard The Saudi Arabian National Guard or SANG ( ar, الحَرَس الوَطنيّ, al-Ḥaras al-Waṭanī), also known as the "White Army", is one of the three major branches of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The national gu ...

* The Special Services Group of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

. * Support troops in the German

(light red – called coral red, maroon only for airborne troops) * Special Forces Battalion "Wolves" of North Macedonia * The Austrian Army Guard battalion * Turkish Army's special forces * United States Air Force Combat Controller *

United States Air Force Special Tactics Officer A United States Air Force Special Tactics Officer ( AFSC 19ZXA) is a United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Special Warfare Officer who manages the training and equipping of U.S. Air Force ground special operations. Special Tac ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Flying Rifle Drill Team (Senior Drill Master only) *

Syrian Republican Guard The Syrian Republican Guard ( ar, الْحَرَسُ الْجُمْهُورِيُّ, ''al-Ḥaras al-Jumhūriyy''), also known as the Presidential Guard, is an elite 25,000 man mechanized division, although it may actually approach corps size w ...

* The 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade and 601st Special Forces Group of the Army of the Czech Republic * The

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wi ...

in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * The Swedish 32nd Intelligence Battalion * The Artillery Group of the Swiss Armed Forces * Military Police, Artillery and Anti Aircraft Artillery of the Hungarian Defence Forces The following military units formerly wore red berets: * The

1st First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

and 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalions of the

27th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade (27CIBG) was an Active Force infantry brigade created on May 4, 1951, for service in West Germany. The brigade sailed to Rotterdam in November and December of that year. It was posted near Hanover and provided co ...

in West Germany * The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment of Canada, * The

Vietnamese Airborne Division , image = Vietnamese Airborne Division 's Insignia.svg , image_size = 160px , caption = Vietnamese Airborne Division insignia , dates = 1 January 1948 – 30 April 1975 , country = , allegiance = , command_structure = , branch = , ty ...

(Mũ Đỏ Nhảy Dù) of the

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of t ...

* 40. Fallschirmjägerbataillon Willi Sänger of the former German Democratic Republic's Nationale Volksarmee. * The

4th Guards Brigade (Croatia) 4th Guards Brigade ( Croatian: Četvrta gardijska brigada) was a brigade of the Croatian Army which took part in the Croatian War of Independence. It was one of the best-known units in the war, and it was active until a 2008 reorganization when i ...

(called "The Spiders", 'Pauci')

Police forces

* Ertzaina – the Police force of the Basque Country *

Policía Foral The Chartered Police of Navarre ( es, Policía Foral de Navarra, eu, Nafarroako Foruzaingoa) is the autonomous police force for the chartered autonomous community of Navarre in Spain, largely replacing the Spanish Policía Nacional (National P ...

– the Police force of

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

Federal Reserve Unit The Federal Reserve Unit ( ms, Pasukan Simpanan Persekutuan; PSP), or better known by the abbreviation as FRU, is a riot control force and a paramilitary special response team that can be deployed at any time to engage in any emergency or publ ...

of the Royal Malaysia Police * Cacciatori of the Carabinieri – in English "Hunters", the Italian

Gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...

special unit operating in

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

* Special Operations Command of the Singapore Police Force * Dog unit of the Public Security Police,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

Carlists

The red beret was worn as a distinguishing device by

Carlist Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – o ...

Guías de Navarra (Navarre Guides) soldiers in the

First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Spanish monarchy: the conservative and devolutionist ...

, encouraged by their commander Tomás de Zumalacárregui. Regular Carlists wore a black beret. The red beret became widespread amongst the Carlists in the Second Carlist War, it later became an emblem of Carlists in general, often with a yellow pom pom or

tassel A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe. History and use In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him t ...

.p.32 MacClancy, Jeremy ''The Decline of Carlism'' University of Nevada Press, 2000 See also the Requetés, (Spanish:Hunting callers) a type of volunteer unit during the Spanish Civil War. The red beret was also worn by the Chapelgorris (Spanish:Red caps) who fought against the Carlists in the First Carlist War.

Non-military

Guardian Angels A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...

, international volunteer organization * Cadets in the California Cadet Corps who have completed survival training are authorized to wear a red beret with a flash representing their brigade. *

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded in ...

* Cadets in the Young Army Cadets National Movement Russia * ORB, a group within

Doctor Steel Rion Vernon, known by his stage name Doctor Steel (full name, Doctor Phineas Waldolf Steel) is an American musician and internet personality from Los Angeles. He performed on rare occasions with a "backup band", claiming that a fictitious robot b ...

's Army of Toy Soldiers fan club * ''Soldier of Fortune'' magazine uses a red beret as their logo. * The

Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African left-wing to far-left pan-Africanist and Marxist–Leninist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema, and ...

, a South African political party, have adopted the red beret as one of their symbols. * People Power, Our Power Political Pressure Group in

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...

led by Bobi Wine

Native American Veteran Organizations

* The American Indian Movement, Native American Indians whom were former U.S. military veterans, have adopted the use of the red beret as one of their Native warrior society symbols back in 1970. The Red Beret is also in use by Native American warrior societies and tribal government police, Law Enforcement and by members and veterans of Native American organizations such as the TIMB Taino Indian Movement of Boriken (Puerto Rico).

In popular culture

Films

* '' The Red Beret'' (1953) * '' The Devil's Brigade'' (1968) * '' The Red Berets'' (1968) * ''

The Wild Geese ''The Wild Geese'' is a 1978 war film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Krüger. The screenplay concerns a group of mercenaries in Africa. It was the result of a long-held ambit ...

'' (1978) * ''

Taps (film) ''Taps'' is a 1981 American drama film starring George C. Scott and Timothy Hutton, with Ronny Cox, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, and Evan Handler in supporting roles. Hutton was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1982. The film was directed ...

'' (1981) – worn by B Company, Valley Forge Military Academy and College treated as B Company of Bunker Hill Military Academy, led by

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

as Cadet Captain David Shawn in the film.

Comic books

* Mlle. Marie * '' Fightin' 5'' * Percy Pinkerton

Others

* Mirai Sentai Timeranger (2000-2001) – worn by Naoto Takizawa, played by Shinji Kasahara, as the leader of the City Guardians. *

Power Rangers Time Force ''Power Rangers Time Force'' is a television series and the ninth season of the '' Power Rangers'' franchise, based on the 24th Super Sentai series ''Mirai Sentai Timeranger'', running for 40 half-hour episodes from February to November 2001. ...

(2001) – worn by Eric Myers, played by Daniel Southworth, as the leader of the Silver Guardians.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Beret Military uniforms Hats Berets