In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

(US) military, a beret flash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth that is typically tall and wide with a semi–circular base that is attached to a stiffener backing of a

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. Mili ...

."Department of the Army Pamphlet 670–1, Uniform and Insignia Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia"
Department of the Army, dated 26 January 2021, last accessed 6 December 2022 Beret Insignia of the U.S. Army, by William A Hudspeath, dated 1987, "AR 670–1 1981 (OBSOLETE):Wear and appearance of Army uniforms and insignia"
Department of the Army via Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library, dated 1 November 1981, last accessed 21 November 2020 These flashes—a

British English British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...

word for a colorful cloth patch attached to military headgear—are worn over the left eye with the excess cloth of the beret shaped, folded, and pulled over the right ear giving it a distinctive appearance."Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2903: Dress and Personal Appearance of United States Air Force and United States Space Force Personnel"
US Department of the Air Force, dated 13 March 2024, last accessed 31 March 2025

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

soldiers and

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

s (NCOs) affix their

distinctive unit insignia A distinctive unit insignia (DUI) is a metallic Heraldry, heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit. DUIs may also be called "distinctive insignia" (D ...

(DUI), regimental distinctive insignia (when no DUI is authorized),

Sergeant Major of the Army The sergeant major of the Army (SMA) is a unique noncommissioned rank and position of office in the United States Army. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted soldier in the Army, unless an enlisted soldier is servin ...

collar insignia (when assigned), or Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff collar insignia (when assigned) to the center of their beret flash."11th ABN DIV vets pass unit legacy to newly minted 'Arctic Angels'"
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, by Derrick Crawford, dated 19 July 2022, last accessed 9 July 2023 Army

warrant officers Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...

and

commissioned officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...

affix their polished metal

rank insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. An insignia, which is typically made of metal or fabric, is a standalone sy ...

to the center of their beret flash while general officer's may choose to affix regular or miniature polished metal rank insignia. To better distinguish them from other Army personnel, Army chaplains affix their polished metal branch insignia to the center of their beret flash.

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

commissioned officers who are in the

security forces Security forces are statutory organizations with internal security mandates. In the legal context of several countries, the term has variously denoted police and military units working in concert, or the role of irregular military and paramilitar ...

or serving as weather parachutists wear their beret flash in the same manner as the Army while Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) officers attach a miniature version of their polished metal

below the TACP Crest on the TACP Beret Flash."First African-American Female Grey Beret"

93rd Air-Ground Operations Wing The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (93d AGOW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, Ninth Air Force. It is stationed as a tenant unit at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The wing directs the 3d Air Support Operations G ...

, by 1st Lt Katie Tamesis, dated 31 March 2022, last accessed 7 March 2023 Air Force

airmen An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred to as a soldier in other definitions. As a military rank designat ...

and NCOs with the security forces only wear their unique beret flash while those assigned as weather parachutists or are TACPs wear their Army–style Combat Weather Team or TACP Beret Flash with a Combat Weather Team or TACP Crest, respectively. Joint beret flashes—such as those worn by the

Joint Communications Support Element The Joint Communications Support Element (Airborne) (JCSE) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) standing joint force headquarters expeditionary communications provider that can provide rapid deployable, en route, early entry, and scalabl ...

—are worn by all who are assigned, given their uniform regulations allow, and will wear them in the manner prescribed by the joint unit."Joint Communications Support Element–Government Organization"
official Facebook page, last accessed 20 January 2021 The design of all

US Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

(DoD) beret flashes are created and/or approved by The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army."Army Regulation 670–1 (2021), Uniform and Insignia Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia"
Department of the Army, dated 26 January 2021, last accessed 11 April 2021 When a requesting organization is entitled to have its own beret flash, the institute will conduct research into the requesting organization's heraldry, as well as design suggestions from the requesting organization, in the creation of a unit or specialty beret flash."Organizational Insignia"
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 10 June 2025"Big Picture: Your Army Reports: Number 10"
US Army's The Big Picture (TV 713), hosted on PublicResourceOrg YouTube Channel, dated 1967, posted 31 December 2010, last accessed 28 August 2022 Leveraging geometrical divisions, shapes, and colors a heraldic artist will create a design that will represent the history and mission of the requesting organization. Once the organization agrees upon a design, the institute will authorize the creation of the new beret flash and will establish manufacturing instructions for the companies authorized to produce heraldic materials for the DoD."TIOH Organization"
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 28 August 2022"Beret Flash and Background Trimming for the 346th Quartermaster Company"
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry; SAAA-IHS; dated 16 December 2019; last accessed 28 August 2022 The institute will also monitor the production of the new beret flash to ensure quality and accuracy of the design is maintained.

History of the beret flash in the DoD

US Army

1940s

Throughout its history, Army units have adopted different

headgear Headgear, headwear, or headdress is any element of clothing which is worn on one's Human head, head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protective clothing, protection against t ...

and headgear devices—such as various colored cords, colored stripes, and insignias—to identify specific units, the unique mission of a unit, and/or the unique role of a soldier."Survey of U.S. Army Uniforms, Weapons and Accoutrements"

US Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the A ...

, by David Cole, dated November 2007, last accessed 7 August 2022 (can also be found in Commons at :File:Survey of U.S. Army Uniforms, Weapons and Accoutrements (2007), by David Cole.pdf)"All American Legacy Podcast Ep 25 – The French Hat"
82nd Airborne Division Official YouTube Channel, dated 26 June 2017, last accessed 24 March 2020"The colorful and controversial history of the Army's berets"
ConnectingVets.Radio.com, by Jack Murphy, dated 23 October 2019, last accessed 18 January 2020 According to some historians, the first US use of a military beret device was a beret flash created by the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(WWII)."Rare WWII 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion Airborne Italian Made Patch Superb, Pricing and History"
WorthPoint, last accessed 19 October 2021U.S. Army 509th Infantry Regiment "Geronimo" Patch (SSI)
The Solute Uniforms, last accessed 9 March 2024 The 509th trained with the

British 1st Airborne Division The 1st Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was formed in late 1941 during the Second World War, after the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, demanded an a ...

and was made honorary members of the British airborne forces in 1943."Earning it: A complete history of Army berets and who's allowed to wear them"
ArmyTimes, by Meghann Myers, dated 19 November 2017, last accessed 19 October 2021 This honor authorized the 509th to wear the British

paratrooper A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...

maroon beret The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the World War II, Second World War. It was first officially introduced by the British Army in 1942, at the direction of Major-general (Uni ...

. Some 509th paratroopers had a small hand–

embroidered Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile, fabric or other materials using a Sewing needle, needle to stitch Yarn, thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across ...

version of their

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

's pocket–patch created for use as their beret flash on their honorary berets."509th Infantry Regiment, Distinctive Unit Insignia, Coat of Arms"
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, dated 28 May 1970, last accessed 4 July 2021 The design of the 509th's WWII pocket–patch and beret flash depicts a stylized figure of a paratrooper standing at an open aircraft door wearing a reserve

parachute A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating Drag (physics), drag or aerodynamic Lift (force), lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves va ...

with an artistic rendering of the number "509" surrounding the paratrooper's head and the name

Geronimo Gerónimo (, ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a military leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache bands the Tchihen ...

displayed at the base of the door all embroidered in gold on a black shield-shaped cloth with a semi–circular top.

1960s

The official start of the Army's beret flashes began in 1961 with

Department of the Army The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. The DA is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is organized. It is led ...

Message 578636 authorizing the establishment of organizational beret flashes for wear on the special forces' rifle–green beret.RFK Speech- "Authorizations for Green Beret"
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum, soc.mil, last accessed 24 September 2022 Championed and heavily influenced by

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

William P. Yarborough Lieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough (May 12, 1912 – December 6, 2005) was a senior United States Army officer. Yarborough designed the U.S. Army's parachutist badge, paratrooper or 'jump' boots, and the M42 airborne jump uniform. He ...

(Ret.)—creator of the US Army parachutist badge, airborne background trimming, and established the term "beret flash" in

US military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...

lexicon—the message described the beret flash as shield–shaped with a semi–circular base made of felt tall and wide using solid colors to represent each of the special forces

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

s of the era."Research Center, Parachute Badge History"
U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, last updated 30 December 2015, last accessed 5 December 2022
hosted on angelfire.com, by Dr. Howard G. Lanham, dated 2001, last accessed 5 December 2022 The message also described who was authorized to wear the organizational beret flash stating that only special forces qualified paratroopers would be permitted to wear their special forces unit's organizational beret flash. These organizational beret flashes were to be worn centered over the left eye with either the 1st Special Forces Regiment

DUI Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether recreational or ...

, polished metal officer rank insignia, or chaplain branch insignia positioned below their parachutist badge and centered on the beret flash. Later, the parachutist badge was removed and non–qualified soldiers assigned to a special forces unit wore a rectangular cloth beret flash, known as a recognition bar, long and wide color and pattern matched to their group's organizational beret flash."US Army Special Forces 1952–84"
Bloomsbury Publishing, by Gordon L. Rottman, dated 20 September 2012, , last accessed 29 March 2019"Army Regulation 614–200, Enlisted Assignments and Utilization Management"
Department of the Army, dated 25 January 2019, last accessed 30 May 2020 The recognition bar was worn below their 1st Special Force

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

DUI, polished metal officer rank insignia, or chaplain branch insignia on the rifle–green beret.

1970s

Various beret accoutrements began to appear in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly between 1973 and 1979 when the Department of the Army had its morale–enhancing order in effect and different colored berets began to be worn by numerous units and branches of the Army."History of the Army Beret, CSA SENDS – THE ARMY BLACK BERET"
armyreal.com, last accessed 12 February 2020"The Beret in U.S. Military Uniform History"
liveabout dotcom, by Rod Powers, updated 27 June 2019, last accessed 4 June 2025
army.mil via WebArchive, dated 3 November 2000, last accessed 19 May 2024"US Army berets – blue, black, green, maroon, tan..."
The US Militaria Forum, last accessed 13 January 2024 Historical photographs from the 1960s through the 1970s show soldiers assigned to

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

, ranger, and

armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...

units informally wearing black berets with various units affixing a wide variety of custom beret flashes that were worn over the left eye or left temple. In 1975, the Army formally authorized its ranger units to wear the black beret."History of the Black Beret"
Army Study Guide, by SMA Jack L. Tilley, last accessed 23 December 2020 If earned, some of these ranger units had their

rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...

affix their Ranger Tab to the top edge of their organizational beret flash along with their regiment or unit DUI, polished metal officer rank insignia, or chaplain branch insignia affixed to its center and worn over the left eye."Rangers In Action - Part 1 of 3, Class RB1R04"
by US Army Fort Benning Training Support Crew; dated 26 September 1979, last accessed 16 February 2023 Wearing of the black beret by armor units expanded in the 1970s with some adopting organizational beret flashes. For example, many US Army armor units stationed in

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

, such as the 1st Armored Division,

2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the Second Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison ...

, and

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Blackhorse Regiment") is a unit of the United States Army garrisoned at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California. The regiment has served in the Philippine–American War, the Pancho Villa Expedi ...

, began wearing black berets in the 1970s with the armored cavalry regiments affixing maroon and white ovals for use as their beret flash. The oval beret flash was worn vertically on the black beret behind their DUI to the left of their metal rank insignia or chaplain branch insignia and positioned over the left temple. Another example is the Army's "triple capability" experiment with the 1st Cavalry Division that outfitted the division for armor, airmobile, and air cavalry warfare in 1971."Nick's FARRP #7 – First Cavalry Division – 1978"
The Days Forward, dated 14 June 2020, last accessed 13 January 2024"Evolution and Endurance, The U.S. Army Division in the Twentieth Century (Chapter Five, The Triple Capability Division: TRICAP)"

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation, doing business as RAND, is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND engages in research and development (R&D) in several fields and industries. Since the ...

, by Richard W. Kabzior, published 2000, last accessed 13 January 2024 The division decided that its soldiers should wear different colored berets to represent the capability they brought to the division: black for armor, light–blue for

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

, red for

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

, and kelly–green for support—later settling for black berets across all formations. As they became available, 1st Cavalry soldiers would affix a battalion or squadron specific organizational beret flash of various shapes, colors, and materials to their beret. Historical photographs show many 1st Cavalry soldiers wearing their berets in the same manner as US armored cavalry soldiers in West Germany. The use of black berets extended to training units as well, such as the

US Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine. ...

and its armor school. Historical photographs of the era show plastic triangles being worn on black berets of US Army Armor School cadre and were worn in the same manner as beret flashes are today. In 1973, Army leaders authorized the wear of the maroon beret by

airborne forces Airborne forces are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as paratroopers. The main ...

. Within a year or so, paratroopers of the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

began incorporating organizational beret flashes onto their maroon berets pattered after their unit's airborne background trimming. These organizational beret flashes, representing various units of the 82nd, were worn in the same manner as they are today. Similarly, in 1974 Army leaders authorized the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

to wear a dark–

blue beret A blue beret is a blue-colored beret used by various (usually special) military and other organizations. United Nations Peacekeeping, United Nations peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue be ...

when it was reorganized into an

air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy l ...

division at

Fort Campbell Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky–Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee (post address is located in Kentucky). Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Div ...

."101st Airborne Division Blue Air Assault Beret 1973–1978"
U.S. Militaria Forum, last accessed 10 June 2025"Welcome to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)"
Army.mil, by 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs Office, dated 2 April 2014, last accessed 25 January 20212"On episode 25 of the All American Legacy Podcast, we mention the blue beret of the 101st Airborne Division in the 1970s. Well, here is the proof."
82nd Airborne Division official Facebook page, dated 28 June 2017, last accessed 27 January 2022 Army articles and historical photographs of 101st soldiers show them wearing organizational beret flashes patterned after their unit's airborne background trimming and were affixed with either their polished metal rank insignia, DUI, or chaplain branch insignia centered on the beret flash and worn over the left eye. Between 1976 and 1977, 101st soldiers would affix their Airmobile Badge—renamed

Air Assault Badge The Air Assault Badge, U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, dated 18 January 1978, last accessed 16 October 2020 is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the United States Army Air Assault School, Air Assault School. The course includes ...

in 1978—to their berets positioned over their left temple, next to their beret flash."Qualification Badges, Air Assault Badge"
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, dated 18 January 1978, last accessed 16 October 2020 Other Fort Campbell units of the era also wore the dark–blue beret as well as red for headquarters

command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * command (Unix), a Unix command * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on A ...

and light-green for

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

, all with traditional organizational beret flashes that were worn in the same manner as they are today. Also during the 1970s, arctic–qualified soldiers of the 172nd Infantry Brigade wore locally authorized olive–drab berets with organizational beret flashes that were unique to each

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troo ...

, or

battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

of the brigade and were worn in the same manner as they are today. By 1979, the Army put a stop to the use of berets by conventional forces, leaving only special forces and ranger units the authority to wear berets.

1980s

In 1980, the Army reversed part of its decision allowing airborne units to wear maroon berets, ranger units black berets and special forces units rifle–green berets."Army Regulation 670–1 (2002), Uniforms and Insignia, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia"
Department of the Army, dated 1 July 2002, last accessed 22 April 2020 The Army's 1981 uniform regulation describes the wear of these berets with the only authorized accoutrements being organizational beret flashes or recognition bars with officer rank insignia, chaplain branch insignia, or DUI affixed."Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada) (US Military photo gallery)"
PBase.com, by Oly Olson, last accessed 4 July 2018 The organizational beret flash did not become the norm across the Army until 1984 when the recognition bar was discontinued after the

Special Forces Tab The Special Forces Tab is a service school qualification tab of the United States Army, awarded to any soldier completing the Special Forces Qualification Course at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N ...

became authorized for wear by special forces qualified soldiers. Today, all paratroopers assigned to a special forces unit wear their unit's organizational beret flash on either a rifle–green beret, for special forces qualified paratroopers, or a maroon beret, for support paratroopers.

2000–present

In 2000, the Chief of Staff of the Army,

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Eric Shinseki Eric Ken Shinseki (; , born 28 November 1942) is a retired United States Army general who served as the seventh United States secretary of veterans affairs from 2009 to 2014 and as the 34th chief of staff of the Army from 1999 to 2003. Shinseki ...

, decided to make the black beret the standard headgear of the Army. This was codified in regulations in 2001 but was amended in 2011 making the Army black beret optional headgear with certain uniforms."ACU changes make Velcro optional, patrol cap default headgear"
U.S. Army, by C. Todd Lopez, dated 15 June 2011, last accessed 13 March 2023 Due to this change, the

75th Ranger Regiment The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as the United States Army Rangers, Army Rangers, is the United States Army Special Operations Command's premier light infantry and direct-action raid force. The 75th Ranger Regiment is also part of Joint S ...

was authorized to switch from black to

tan beret The tan beret, also known as a beige beret, has been adopted as official headgear by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities. Afghan National Army Afghan National Army Special Forces members were awarded a tan b ...

s in 2001, given the black beret was no longer a distinctive uniform item for the Rangers. General Shinseki also decided that a new Department of the Army Beret Flash be worn on the Army black beret."Beret Flash, U.S. Army, A-4-187 ''(manufacturing production sheet)''"
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry (courtesy of Eagles of War), dated 22 November 2000, last accessed 11 June 2020—a copy is also available on Wikimedia Commons at :File:US Army TIOH Manufacturing Instructions Sheet-Army Flash.png According to The Institute of Heraldry, the Department of the Army Beret Flash is designed to resemble the flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

, General

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, that was flown at the

siege of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

."George Washington's Headquarters Flag"
Museum of the American Revolution, dated June 2018, last accessed 19 May 2024
Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, dated 20 November 2000, last accessed 19 May 2024"George Washington Personal Position Flag–Washington Headquarters (HQ) Flag"
Gettysburg Flag Works, last accessed 19 May 2024 According to Department of the Army Pamphlet 670–1, the Department of the Army Beret Flash is to be worn by all units "unless authorization for another flash was granted before implementing the Army black beret as a standard Army headgear." Army units can request an organizational beret flash for their unit from The Institute of Heraldry given it is not for wear on the Army black beret."Clothing and Heraldry PSID"
Web Archive for "US Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command" website, last accessed 11 June 2025 A good example of this is The Institute of Heraldry's 2018 authorization of organizational beret flashes for the

Security Force Assistance Command The Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC) is a division-level command element for the United States Army's new Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB). These units' core mission is security force assistance to conduct training, advising, as ...

and its

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

s ( SFABs) for wear on their brown beret."US Army / US Army Heraldry / Beret Flash and Background Trimmings"
The Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 11 June 2025 In 2024, soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division began wearing their unit's historical organizational beret flashes from the 1970s, as well as new beret flashes patterned after their battalion's airborne background trimming, on the Army black beret."The 101st Division Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) hosts a Change of Command Ceremony, July 11, 2024, at Fort Campbell Ky."
official Facebook post from the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade, dated 11 July 2024, last accessed 9 June 2025"International Ceremony at Utah Beach During 81st Anniversary of D-Day [Image 2 of 3
">mage 2 of 3">"International Ceremony at Utah Beach During 81st Anniversary of D-Day [Image 2 of 3
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, by 1LT Dalton Worley (101st Airborne Division, dated 5 June 2025, last accessed 10 June 2025 Note that no documentation authorizing the creation and/or wear of these new beret flashes on the Army black beret by air assault units has been identified. In the 21st century, Army organizational beret flashes signify a specific formation of a specialized unit, such as an airborne, ranger, special forces, or combat advisor unit with some historical airborne units still authorized to wear their unit's beret flash. However, there is a generic Special Forces Beret Flash worn on the rifle–green beret when a special forces paratrooper is assigned to a special forces position in a unit not authorized an organizational beret flash. This beret flash is often worn by special forces qualified paratroopers regardless of their status or position due to the rifle-green beret informally representing a soldier's special forces qualification rather than a special forces unit as it did in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

US Air Force

Weather Parachutists

In the mid 1960s, Air Force commando weathermen,"Special Operations Weather Team"
AFSOC, dated 12 August 2014, last accessed 14 November 2020 formally known as weather parachutists, with Detachment (military)">Detachment Detachment or detached may refer to: * Single-family detached home, a structure maintained and used as a single dwelling unit. * Emotional detachment, in psychology, refers to "inability to connect" or "mental assertiveness" * Detachment (philosoph ...

History of the beret flash in the DoD

US Army

1940s

1960s

1970s

1980s

2000–present

US Air Force

Weather Parachutists

Security Forces

TACP

Combat Aviation Advisors

US Navy

Beret flashes of the US military (1973–present)

Air Force

Army

Adjutant general

Air defense artillery

Armor and cavalry

Aviation

Chemical

Civil affairs

Engineers

Field artillery

Infantry

Logistics

Medical

Military intelligence

Military police

Multidisciplinary units

Ordnance

Psychological operations

Public affairs

Signal

Special forces

Training

Joint

State defense forces

State/Territory specific beret flashes

See also

References