Italian Soldier Olypmic Games Turin 2006

The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of

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 ...

since the

Second World War 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 ...

. It was first officially introduced by the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

in 1942, at the direction of Major-General Frederick "Boy" Browning, commander of the British 1st Airborne Division. It was first worn by the Parachute Regiment in action in North Africa during November 1942.

Origins

The first British army unit to adopt the beret was the Armoured Corps in 1924 (for more information see

black beret Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Montgomery wearing his black beret The black beret is a coloured beret, commonly worn by paramilitaries and militaries around the world, particularly armored forces such as th ...

). During

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 ...

some British Army units followed the lead of the Armoured Corps and adopted the beret as a practical headgear, for soldiers who needed a hat that could be worn in confined areas, slept in and could be stowed in a small space when they wore steel helmets. A popular story is that the maroon colour was chosen by Major-General Frederick Browning, after his wife,

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...

, suggested that he use the colour which made up part of his horse racing colours. However, in a letter, now in the British Airborne Assault Archive, she wrote that it was untrue. Whatever its origin, the maroon beret was adopted by the British paratroopers in July 1942. Initially it was adorned with an Army Air Corps badge. This was replaced with the Parachute Regiment badge in 1943. It was during the

Western Desert Campaign The Western Desert campaign (Desert War) took place in the Sahara Desert, deserts of Egypt and Libya and was the main Theater (warfare), theatre in the North African campaign of the Second World War. Military operations began in June 1940 with ...

(1940–1943) that the Germans in the

Africa Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African ...

began to refer to members of the British Parachute Brigade as ''Rote Teufel'' (Red Devils) after their maroon berets and their fighting skills.

Afghan Armed Forces

The maroon beret was worn by members of the

Afghan National Army Commando Corps The Afghan National Army Commandos (formerly ANA Commando Brigade; ANA Commando Battalion and Afghan National Army Commando Corps) was a commando (special operations capable) force of the Afghan National Army. During the Taliban insurgency, the co ...

. As early as 1970, members of the

Afghan Commando Forces The Afghan Commando Forces (Persian language, Persian: نیروهای کماندوی افغانستان, Pashto: افغان کمانډو لړۍ), also referred to as the DRA Commando Forces from 1978 to 1992, were the former combined forces of com ...

also wore a maroon beret during certain combat operations and military parades, signifying their para-commando status and differentiating them from the rest of the

Afghan Army The Islamic National Army (, ), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the land force branch of the Afghan Armed Forces. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be traced back to the early 18th century when the Ho ...

. The maroon beret has most commonly been sighted in use by the 37th Commando Brigade under the

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state between History of Afghanistan (1978–1992), 1978 and 1992. It was bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, by Iran to the west, by the ...

Austrian Armed Forces

The maroon beret is worn by all members of the 25th (Airborne) Infantry Battalion (''Jägerbataillon 25'') of the

Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian Armed Forces () are the combined military forces of Austria. The military consists of 16,000 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 1.0% of national GDP (including pensions) or €3.317 billion (20 ...

(''Bundesheer''), which is a mixed airborne/air assault unit. The Special Forces group of the Austrian Armed Forces (

Jagdkommando The Jagdkommando () is the Austrian Armed Forces' special forces unit. The unit is based at Wiener Neustadt and is known to have a manpower of 400 operators. History The history of the Austrian Special Operations Forces begins in 1961, when a ...

) also originally wore the maroon beret because of their airborne capability, but adopted an olive-green beret in 2003. In addition, the Austrian coat of arms is only used as cap badge until the successful completion of the basic selection course (''Jagdkommandogrundkurs''), after which Jagdkommando members wear a cloth version of the ''Kommandoabzeichen'' (="commando badge").

Argentinean Armed Forces

Maroon berets are worn by member of the Armed Forces Operational Command and, in the Argentinean Army, by the 601st Air Assault Regiment. Like all berets, its use is only authorized with the combat uniform.

Australian Army

Maroon (also referred to as Dull Cherry) berets were worn by parachute qualified members of the 3 RAR Parachute Battalion Group from 1985 – 2012, when the parachute role was performed by 3 RAR. In addition to the battalion, the Group included A Field Battery, Parachute Surgical Team, and Engineer and Signals elements. The beret was worn with the

Royal Australian Regiment The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1948 as a t ...

Badge by Infantrymen at the battalion, and individual Corps badges for other Corps members as appropriate. 2nd Commando Regiment now effectively perform the parachuting function formerly held by 3 RAR; they wear a Green Beret with a Commando Badge. Qualified parachutists posted to Parachute Training School (PTS) wore the beret (or their Special Air Service or Commando Regt beret as appropriate) with individual Corps / Regimental Badges until a few years ago. The beret is worn by any

parachute rigger A parachute rigger is a person who is trained or licensed to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. A rigger is required to understand fabrics, hardware, webbing, regulations, sewing, packing, and other aspects related to the building, packing, repai ...

of RAAOC in a parachute rigger posting. The beret was previously also worn by the Airborne Platoon Royal Australian Regiment 1951–1974, then the Australian Special Air Service Company (with the Royal Australian Infantry Corps Badge). When the

Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957 as a company, it was modelled on the British SAS with which it shares the motto, ...

was formed this was replaced by the tan beret (sometimes referred to as the sandy beret) with SASR Badge.

Azerbaijan Army

The

Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russi ...

special forces wear a maroon beret. Members of the Azerbaijani Special Forces during a military parade in Baku 2011

Bangladesh Army

All members of the

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army () is the land warfare branch, and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to defend the land of Bangladesh from any external attack. Control of personnel and operations is ad ...

special forces 1st Para Commando Brigade Special Forces' battalions wear Maroon Berets with para commando cap badge. Besides all members of the

Bangladesh Army Aviation Group The Army Aviation Group is the army aviation unit of the Bangladesh Army. The AAG conducts military air operations and is responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation resources in the Army. History Origin The unit starte ...

Army Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of med ...

Army Dental Corps The Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) was a specialist corps in the British Army that provided dental health services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. The corps was awarded the "royal" prefix to become the Royal ...

and

Armed Forces Nursing Services Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...

wear Maroon Berets with respective cap badges. Besides, cadets of Mirzapur Cadet College, a military boarding school, are also entitled to wear maroon berets.

Belgian Army

The Paracommando Brigade wear the maroon beret with various types of cap badges.

Brazilian Army

In the

Brazilian Army The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...

, the use of maroon berets and brown boots is restricted to the members of the Parachute Infantry Brigade ( Brigada de Infantaria Paraquedista) one of the elite brigades of the Brazilian Armed Forces.

British Army

Regiments wear distinctive headdress and

cap badge A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as ...

s which often reflect regimental history. Members of the Parachute Regiment and other arms serving in

16th Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999–2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readines ...

wear the maroon beret. A maroon beret does not mean the wearer is qualified as a military parachutist. Personnel qualified as military parachutists wear the Parachutist Badge. The beret is often called (within the Army) the "maroon machine".

Brunei Armed Forces

The Special Forces Regiment (, "''RPK''") wear a maroon beret.

Burkina Faso Armed Forces

Members of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces wear a maroon beret.

Canadian Army

Jump-qualified personnel in parachute units of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

wear the maroon, provided they are in a designated parachute position. These are as follows: * "Z" Battery, 1st Regiment,

Royal Canadian Horse Artillery The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. Organization The Regular Force has three RCHA regiments: ; 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery: this is the descendant of ...

* "E" and "Y" Batteries, 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery * 4 Troop, 12 Field Squadron,

1 Combat Engineer Regiment 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER, ) is a Regular Force regiment of the Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) commanded by a lieutenant-colonel. Its headquarters is in the Patton Building at CFB Edmonton (Steele Barracks), Alberta, and it is assign ...

* 5 Troop, 24 Field Squadron,

2 Combat Engineer Regiment 2 Combat Engineer Regiment is a regiment of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers; a subdivision of the Canadian Military Engineers. It is located at Garrison Petawawa, and is part of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. 2 CER was redesignated ...

* 5 Troop, 53 Field Squadron,

5 Combat Engineer Regiment 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (French: ''5e Régiment du genie de combat'') is a regular combat engineer unit of the Canadian Forces stationed at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec. 5 CER is the only Canadian combat engineer regiment operat ...

* "M" Company, 3rd Battalion,

The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canad ...

* "A" Company, 3rd Battalion,

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

* "A" Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment * Instructors, packer/riggers and jump-slotted members of the

Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre The Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre (CAAWC, ), formerly Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre (CFLAWC), Canadian Parachute Centre (CPC), and Canadian Airborne Centre (CABC), is a Canadian Forces training facility at CFB Trenton, Ont ...

CFB Trenton Canadian Forces Base Trenton (also CFB Trenton), formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the hub ...

* Parachute Company,

The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, based in Toronto. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only reserve regiment in Canada to currently have ...

Chilean Army

Since the creation of the Armored Cavalry in the Army, all personnel who serve in the Armored Cavalry unit wear maroon berets, using the same badges regardless of each member's speciality. Specialists in Armored Cavalry are trained in the Escuela de Caballería Blindada del Ejército (Armored Cavalry School of Army), and currently it is the only branch of service whose members all wear berets; the other berets used in the Chilean Army distinguished only specialists (mountain troops, paratroopers, or special forces) and, in the last years, the combined branch of service regiment, called Regimientos Reforzados.

Czech Army

A maroon beret is worn by the

601st Special Forces Group The General Moravec's 601st Special Forces Group or 601 SFG (' or ''601. SkSS'') is a special forces unit of the Czech Armed Forces. It was officially created in 2003, the product of reorganizations in the Military of the Czech Republic in that ye ...

, the 43rd Airborne Regiment and other soldiers with airborne specialization. Was formerly worn also by the soldiers of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade due to their original airborne capability before switching to entirely mechanized infantry role and therefore adopting the common Ground forces' khaki beret in 2023.

Danish Army Special Forces

Danish Army Special Forces,

Jægerkorpset The Jaeger Corps also known as the Huntsmen Corps () is an elite special operations force of the Danish Armed Forces part of Special Operations Command, formerly of the Royal Danish Army, based at Aalborg Air Base. History The Jaeger Corps tr ...

wears the Maroon Beret with a brass emblem depicting a hunter's bugle on a black felt liner. The beret is issued after completion of 16 weeks of SF training. However, not before 1 year of additional satisfactory service in JGK is the wearer issued the shoulder patch "JÆGER" and may call himself by this name.

French Army

The maroon beret is not worn by any active French military unit, however. Since 1957, nearly all French Army paratroopers wear a red beret; the sole exception among the conventional airborne forces being the

2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment () is the only airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of the four infantry regiments of the 11th Parachute Brigade and part of the spearhead of the French rapid reaction force. Si ...

, which retains the traditional

green beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos, a special-forces unit active during World War II. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Roy ...

of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

. Among the French

special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

, the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

1er RPIMa The 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment () or 1er RPIMa is a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command, therefore part of the Special Operations Command. Heirs to the Free French paratroopers of the 3rd and 4th squadrons of the Specia ...

and

13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment The 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes () or 13e RDP is a special reconnaissance unit of the French Army. It belongs to the French Army Special Forces Command, and therefore to the Special Operations Command (France), Special Operations Comm ...

operators respectively wear an

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual plant, annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some names include "prostrate pigweed" an ...

beret and the standard red beret; the

Commandos Marine The Commandos Marine, nicknamed ''Bérets Verts'' (Green Berets), are the special operation forces (SOF) of the French Navy, headquartered in Lorient, Brittany in western France. They operate under the Special Operations Command (COS), FOR ...

of the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

retain their legacy

; while the Air Parachute Commando n° 10 (CPA 10) of the

French Air and Space Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the French Air F ...

wear a dark blue beret. The latter is also worn by the elite paratroopers of the ''Air Parachute Commando n° 20'' (CPA 20) and ''Air Parachute Commando n° 30'' (CPA 30), although unlike the CPA 10, they're not part of the special forces.

Finnish Army

The Special Jäger Battalion (Finnish: Erikoisjääkäripataljoona) trains personnel in the

Utti Jaeger Regiment The Utti Jaeger Regiment (, () Special jaegers) is the Finnish Army training and development centre for special forces and helicopter operations in charge of the Army Special Forces Unit and the Special Forces Qualification Course. Function Re ...

Utti Utti is a village in Valkeala, since 2009 a part of Kouvola, Finland. In 1918 General Carl Gustaf Mannerheim set up the first Finnish Air Force base in the village. Today, Utti is best known for the Utti Jaeger Regiment, a helicopter base and ...

, Finland. Jump-qualified personnel are allowed to wear the maroon beret.

German Army

A maroon beret is worn by the German

Kommando Spezialkräfte The Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) (, alternatively Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM)) is a unified combatant command and a large brigade-level unit of the German Army (Heer) designated to perform Covert operation, covert operations, ca ...

(KSK, Special Forces), all members of the Division Schnelle Kräfte (DSK, containing the

Fallschirmjäger The () were the airborne forces branch of the Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They were commanded by Kurt Student, the Luftwaffe's second-in-comman ...

) and the

German Army Aviation Corps The German Army Aviation Corps () is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (''Heer''), containing all its helicopter units. The German Air Force and the German Na ...

(Heeresfliegertruppe).

Greek Army

Maroon berets are worn by members of the 1st Army Aviation Brigade.

Guatemalan Army

Maroon berets are worn by

Kaibiles The Kaibiles are a special operations wing of the Armed Forces of Guatemala. They specialize in jungle warfare tactics and counter-insurgency operations. Since 1974, more than 1,250 soldiers have graduated from the international training pro ...

, Guatemala's special forces.

India

A Garud Commando being awarded on Air Force day 2019

Army

The

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

's Parachute Regiment, including the

Para (Special Forces) The Para (Special Forces), informally referred to as Para SF, is a group of special forces battalions of the Parachute Regiment (India), Parachute Regiment in the Indian Army. These units specialise in various roles including counter-insurgen ...

, wears the maroon beret.

President's Bodyguard The President's Bodyguard (PBG) is an elite household cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the senior-most regiment in the order of precedence of the units of the Indian Army. The primary role of the President's Bodyguard is to escort an ...

, a ceremonial guard unit with their operational role as the

pathfinder Pathfinder, Path Finder or Pathfinders may refer to: Aerospace * ''Mars Pathfinder'', a NASA Mars Lander * NASA Pathfinder, a high-altitude, solar-powered uncrewed aircraft * Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder'', a Space Shuttle test simulator Arts and ...

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 ...

of the parachute brigade, also wears the maroon beret. All para qualified personnel in an airborne formation (eg. 50th Parachute Brigade) wear the maroon beret.

Navy

The

MARCOS Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) * Marcos family Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Né ...

(Marine Commandos) of the Indian Navy are all para qualified and wear the maroon beret. They are the only Indian unit qualified to para drop into water with a full combat load.

Air Force

The

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

's special operations force,

Garud Commando Force The Garud Commando Force is the special forces of the Indian Air Force. It was formed on 6 February 2004 and with a plan to have around 2,000-personnel strength. The unit derives its name from ''Garuda'', a Hindu deity. Garud forces are tasked ...

, also wears the maroon beret and are parachute trained, with some personnel even free fall qualified.

Indonesia

Because Indonesian Airborne Paratrooper Battalions () are part of the

Kostrad The Army Strategic Reserve Command (; abbreviated Kostrad) is a combined-arms formation of the Indonesian Army. Kostrad is a Corps level command which has up to 35,000 troops. It also supervises operational readiness among all commands and con ...

infantry division, they do not wear maroon berets as an independent regiment or corps, but instead wear green berets (Kostrad berets), identifying an army infantry group which is in the internal scope of the Kostrad division command.

Army

Maroon berets are the official headgear of Army Aviation Center. This beret is worn by all its personnel. Established on 23 March 2007, the beret replaced all the berets previously used by the personnel.

Navy

In the

Indonesian Navy The Indonesian Navy (, TNI-AL) is the Navy, naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol Indonesia's lengthy coastline, to enforce and patrol the territorial waters and Exclus ...

naval special forces unit,

KOPASKA The Kopaska () is the premier frogman and underwater demolition unit of the Indonesian Navy. The unit's motto is (Sanskrit for "There is no obstacle that cannot be defeated"). The unit's main duties are underwater demolition (raiding enemy s ...

, tactical divers wear maroon berets.

Israeli Army

In the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

, maroon beret is worn by the Tzanhanim Paratrooper Brigade and some elite special forces units (

Sayeret Matkal Sayeret Matkal () (formerly Unit 269 or Unit 262) (English: General Staff Reconnaissance Unit), is the special reconnaissance unit (''sayeret'') of Israel's General Staff (''matkal''). It is considered one of the premier special forces units of ...

Oketz The Oketz Unit, also designated as ''Unit 7142'', is the independent canine special forces (sayeret) unit of the Israel Defense Forces. History It was founded in 1939 as part of Haganah, and later dismantled in 1954. In 1974, a new unit was e ...

Maglan Maglan (, also known as Unit 212 or Sayeret Maglan) is a sayeret (''reconnaissance'') unit of the Israeli Defense Forces, which specializes in operating behind enemy lines and deep in enemy territory using advanced technologies and weaponry. M ...

, Duvdevan, Egoz and others).

Italian Army

In the

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces (, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth Military branch, branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's Gendarmerie, military police an ...

, maroon berets are worn only by paratroopers: the army units

Folgore Parachute Brigade Folgore is the Italian word for ''lightning''. It may refer to: Military * Macchi C.202 ''Folgore'', an Italian fighter of World War II * Breda Folgore, an Italian anti-armor weapon * Traditional name for paratroopers units of the Italian Army * ...

, Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania" and Gruppo di intervento speciale, and the police elite unit

Nucleo operativo centrale di sicurezza The ''Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza'' (NOCS) () is the police tactical unit of the Polizia di Stato, one of Italy's national police forces. It operates under the command of the ''Direzione Centrale della Polizia di Prevenzione'' (). H ...

Lithuanian Armed Forces

In the

Lithuanian Armed Forces The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Li ...

, maroon berets are worn only by Volunteer Forces that took it from their initial Rapid Reaction Squad guarding the Parliament in 1991 that intended to become a paratrooper unit in the future. However, SKAT staff officers really liked it and started to wear and the other units followed them later replacing their traditional caps.

Malaysia

Army

The

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army (; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysi ...

's elite 10th Parachute Brigade has worn the maroon beret since its establishment in 1994.

Police

The

Royal Malaysia Police The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation, and its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman, Kuala ...

has a two units wearing the maroon berets. The unit is: * The

Pasukan Gerakan Khas ''Pasukan Gerakan Khas'' (Abbreviation: PGK; 'Special Operations Command — Police SOCOM', Jawi script, Jawi: ڤاسوكن ڬرقن خاص) is a special operations Command (military formation), command of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The ...

A-Detachment, also known as the Special Actions Unit, has worn the maroon beret with black hackle since its formation on 1 January 1975. * The

Senoi Praaq The Senoi Praaq (''War People'', ) is a unit of the Royal Malaysia Police made up almost entirely of the tribal people of Peninsular Malaysia known as the Orang Asli (aborigines). The name Senoi Praaq means ''war people'' or ''those who fight'' ...

of the

General Operations Force The General Operations Force (GOF; ; PGA, Jawi: ) serves as the light infantry arm of the Royal Malaysia Police. It was originally established in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by the British colonial administration. At that time, the poli ...

wears the maroon beret with yellow hackle. Both of the units had their maroon berets bestowed by the

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...

Lebanese Army

The maroon berets are worn by the Army Rangers Regiment known as Maghaweer and by the Navy Seals known as Maghaweer El Bahr (Naval Commando). The current commander in chief General Joseph Aoun, himself having been in Maghaweer, allowed military personnel who have a Ranger badge to keep wearing their maroon berets even when serving in other non special forces units. The current military council (6 members) includes two Maghaweer General Joseph Aoun and Major General Georges Chreim.

Mexican Army

The maroon berets are worn by Mexico's Parachute Rifle Brigade called the

Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas The Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas (Parachute Riflemen Brigade), also known as Chutes, is the Mexican Army premier airborne light infantry unit similar to the 75th Ranger Regiment and the British SFSG. The unit acts as support for combat op ...

created in 1969 as a rapid response team.

Namibian Army

The maroon beret is worn by

Namibian Special Forces The Namibian Special Forces is a special operations command of the Namibian Defence Force responsible for special forces component commands army and marines. The command consists of Namibian Army Commando and Paratrooper, and the Namibian Marine ...

specifically the Commandos and Paratroopers.

Netherlands Army

The

Dutch Army The Royal Netherlands Army (, KL) is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised making the Dutch standing army one of the ...

's Air Mobile Force/Light infantry, ''

11 Luchtmobiele Brigade The 11th Airmobile Brigade () is the rapid light infantry brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, focused on conducting air assault operations. Troops of the brigade are qualified to wear the maroon beret upon completion of the demanding training ...

'', which translates to 11 Air Mobile Brigade, wear "The Maroon Berets" (aka the Red Beret) as a sign of their status upon completion of their training.

Norwegian Army

The Norwegian Special Operations Commando has worn the maroon beret since its forerunner Army Parachute Ranger School establishment in 1965.

Pakistan Armed Forces

Army

The

Special Service Group The Special Service Group (SSG) are the special forces of the Pakistan Army. They are also known by their nickname of "Maroon Berets" due to their headgear. The SSG is responsible to deploy and execute five doctrinal missions: foreign inte ...

(SSG) wears a maroon beret with a silver SSG badge on a sky blue flash. Line infantry regiments which were parachute trained wore their own regiments' berets till airborne role was taken away from infantry and assigned to SSG which became the army's only airborne outfit from 1964 onwards. In addition to SSG, Army Aviation and Air Defence, Army medical corps wear maroon berets

Navy

Navy's Special Service Group, SSG(N) wear maroon berets

Air Force

PAF's elite Special Service Wing (SSW) wears maroon berets

Polish Army

The maroon beret is worn by paratroopers in the

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, ...

, called the ''Bordowe Berety'' in Polish, and also members of the air cavalry. The beret is always decorated with an embroidered White Eagle (Polish coat of arms) and rank insignia. It is worn with the ceremonial uniform as well as the field uniform.

Portuguese Armed Forces

In the

Portuguese Armed Forces The Portuguese Armed Forces () are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air Force. The Presi ...

, the maroon beret was worn by the members of the GEP Battalion, from 1971 to 1974. The GEP was an elite paramilitary paratrooper unit, consisting of native volunteers, that were employed in

counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...

operations, during the

Mozambican War of Independence The Mozambican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and Portuguese Armed Forces, Portugal. The war officially started on 25 September 1964, and ended with a ceas ...

Russian Armed Forces

The maroon beret is worn by members of elite

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...

(MVD)

Spetsnaz SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...

units, although it is referred to as meaning crimson. In a contrast to the Western style, Russian troops wear the badge on the beret over the right eye.

Serbian Armed Forces

The maroon beret is worn by members of elite

63rd Parachute Brigade The 63rd Parachute Brigade () is an airborne and special reconnaissance unit, one of two special forces brigades (other being 72nd Brigade for Special Operations) of the Serbian Armed Forces. It is under the command of the General Staff and is ...

, the only parachute unit of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Singapore Armed Forces Commandos

The crimson beret is worn by the

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

formation of the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A component of the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), Ministry of D ...

(SAF) depicting their status as an elite airborne and

unit.

Slovak Armed Forces

A maroon beret is worn by members of the 5th Special Operations Regiment and by the qualified Slovak Air Force Search and Rescue service members.

Somali Armed Forces

The maroon beret is the standard issue beret of the

Somali Army The Somali National Army () are the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces. Since Somali independence in 1960, the Army fought to expand and increase Somalia's sphere of influence throughout the Horn of Africa counter to Ethiopia' ...

South Africa

The maroon beret is worn by both the

Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

and 44 Parachute Regiment. (Parachute qualified members of

7 Medical Battalion Group 7 Medical Battalion Group is the specialist Airborne Medical Unit of the South African Military Health Service. The Battalion's main task is to render medical support to the South African Airborne and Special Forces. The unit falls under the c ...

wear the standard crimson beret of the

South African Military Health Service The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national mili ...

Soviet Union

In the Soviet Union, paratroopers wore a maroon beret until the late 1960s when General Vasily Filipovich Margelov decided that a maroon beret for paratroopers was a Western idea and introduced a

cornflower blue Cornflower blue is a shade of medium-to-light blue containing relatively little green. This hue was one of the favorites of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The most valuable blue sapphires are called cornflower blue, having a medium-da ...

beret. This may have been influenced by the cornflower blue of the

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

and the cornflower blue helmets worn by Soviet paratroopers during the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

Spanish Army

The

1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

, the oldest military unit in the world, wears the maroon beret. The Regimiento de Inteligencia 1 (Intelligence Regiment 1) based in Valencia wears the maroon beret, as do all units belonging to the Cuartel General Terrestre de Alta disponibilidad (GTAD). Spanish airborne forces have traditionally worn a black beret.

Sri Lanka Army

The Commando Regiment of the

Sri Lanka Army The Sri Lanka Army (; ) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; ...

wears the maroon beret, and is one of the two special forces in

along with the Special Forces Regiment .

Swedish Army

A maroon beret is worn by ''

Fallskärmsjägarna The 323rd Parachute Ranger Squadron () or ''Fallskärmsjägarna'' (English: "Parachute Rangers" or "Airborne Rangers") is a Swedish military special operations capable airborne ranger unit specialising in long-range reconnaissance. The unit is b ...

'', a jump qualified Swedish Army special operations unit. This is an airborne commando unit focused on intelligence gathering and squad level combat deep behind enemy lines.

Royal Thai Army

The

Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA (; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 187 ...

Special Operations Force Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

and paratroopers in the 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard wear the maroon beret.

Turkey

The

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; , TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The TAF consist of the Turkish Army, Land Forces, the Turkish Navy, Naval Forces and the Turkish Air Force, Air Forces. The Chief of ...

, aka ''Bordo Bereliler'', which translates as "The Maroon Berets", is named for their distinctive headgear.

Ukraine

On 21 November 2017 (Ukraine's Paratroopers' Day) the color of the Ukrainian paratroopers was changed to maroon, replacing soviet-style blue, as a part of new army uniform. The Air Assault Forces also received its new insignia (the dome of a parachute "as a symbol of airborne units around the world" and the wings of

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

and "the flaming sword with which he hits the enemies").Poroshenko: 469 Ukrainian paratroopers killed in Donbas amid war

UNIAN The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News () is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian news agency. It produces and provides political, business and financial information, and a photo reporting service. As of October 2022, it was the most v ...

(21 November 2017)

United States

United States Air Force

Maroon berets are worn by

United States Air Force Pararescue Pararescuemen (also known as Pararescue Jumpers or PJs) are United States Air Force Special operations, special operators who conduct personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations as well as other missions for the U.S. military and ...

personnel and

United States Air Force Combat Rescue Officer Combat Rescue Officer (CRO) is a Special Warfare Officer career field in the United States Air Force. Its Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) is 19ZXC and it was created to strengthen USAF Special Warfare personnel recovery capabilities by providin ...

s. Pararescuemen (PJs) are among the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the U.S. military and the only ones in the Department of Defense specifically trained and equipped to conduct conventional and unconventional rescue processes, making them the ideal force to handle personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations. In early 1966, General John P. McConnell, then Air Force Chief of Staff, approved the wearing of the maroon beret.

United States Army

In 1943, during the

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 normall ...

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Frederick Browning Sir Frederick Arthur Montague Browning (20 December 1896 – 14 March 1965) was a senior officer of the British Army who has been called the "father of the British airborne forces". He was also an Olympic bobsleigh competitor, and the hu ...

, commander of the British I 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.Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the U.S. Army
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. However, due to the variety to headgear utilized at unit level, such as the

Stetson Stetson is an American brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company. "Stetson" is also used as a generic trademark to refer to any campaign hat, particularly in Scouting. John B. Stetson gained inspiration for his most famous ...

being used in cavalry units, this permission was rescinded in 1979 when the army introduced a policy of standardized headgear. Exceptions were allowed for the continued wearing of the

(changed to tan in 2001) for 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 ...

Ranger Training Brigade The Ranger School is a 62-day United States Army small unit tactics and leadership course that develops functional skills directly related to units whose mission is to engage the enemy in close combat and direct fire battles. Ranger training w ...

,DA Approves Ranger's New Headgear
and the

for

. On 28 November 1980, permission was given for airborne organizations to resume wearing the maroon beret.

Venezuelan National Guard

All personnel of the

Venezuelan National Guard The Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela ( - GNB), is a gendarmerie component of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela, National Armed Forces of Venezuela. The national guard can serve as gendarmerie, perform civil defense roles, or ...

wear maroon berets.

Footnotes

References

Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the US Army
on the US Army website. {{Hats Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) Berets Military hats Color symbols

Origins

Afghan Armed Forces

Austrian Armed Forces

Argentinean Armed Forces

Australian Army

Azerbaijan Army

Bangladesh Army

Belgian Army

Brazilian Army

British Army

Brunei Armed Forces

Burkina Faso Armed Forces

Canadian Army

Chilean Army

Czech Army

Danish Army Special Forces

French Army

Finnish Army

German Army

Greek Army

Guatemalan Army

India

Army

Navy

Air Force

Indonesia

Army

Navy

Israeli Army

Italian Army

Lithuanian Armed Forces

Malaysia

Army

Police

Lebanese Army

Mexican Army

Namibian Army

Netherlands Army

Norwegian Army

Pakistan Armed Forces

Army

Navy

Air Force

Polish Army

Portuguese Armed Forces

Russian Armed Forces

Serbian Armed Forces

Singapore Armed Forces Commandos

Slovak Armed Forces

Somali Armed Forces

South Africa

Soviet Union

Spanish Army

Sri Lanka Army

Swedish Army

Royal Thai Army

Turkey

Ukraine

United States

United States Air Force

United States Army

Venezuelan National Guard

Footnotes

See also

References