The red beret is 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 ...

worn by many

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 ...

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 ...

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

commando 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 oppo ...

, and

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

forces and should not be confused with the

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 ...

worn by airborne troops all around the world.

Artillery

Red berets are worn by the artillery units of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Military police

Scarlet berets are worn by the military police of many

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

and

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

militaries. * Military Police (Ukraine) – Ukrainian Military Law-Enforcement Service *

Military Police (Russia) The Military Police of Russia (, VP) is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the Russian Armed Forces, which is known by the official name of Military Police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (), and it is operated by the Ministr ...

- Russian Federation * Royal Military Police – Provost branch of the British Army * Royal Australian Corps of Military Police * 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 – Military Police of the German ''

Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...

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

Kuwait Army The Kuwait Land Forces (), established in 1949, are Land warfare, land forces and the oldest armed branch among the Kuwait Armed Forces, Armed Forces of Kuwait. Its cavalry and infantry predecessors operated in desert and metropolitan areas in ...

* 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 Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Li ...

* Military Police - United Arab Emirates Army * Military Police - Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) * Żandarmeria wojskowa - Military Gendarmerie (Poland)

Commando forces

MMEA STAR with Red Beret during 57th NDP

* Special Forces Command (Cambodia) – The Royal Cambodian Special Commando Force * Angolan Armed Forces 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 * Special Brigade – Serbian Special Forces *

Lebanese Commando Regiment The Commando Regiment () is a special forces unit in the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). History In 1960, General Emile Boustany, then the commander in northern Lebanon, and Mahmud Tay Abou Dargham discussed the creation of a commando unit. After ...

– 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. * 43rd Airborne Regiment – Airborne infantry regiment of the commando type of the Army of the Czech Republic * 601st Special Forces Group – The most elite unit of the Czech army * Commandos - Commando unit of the Singapore Army

Paramilitary forces

* Special units of the Internal Troops of the Russian MVD * JSO (Special Operations Unit) of Serbia * Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs ( Intaf) in the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Rhodesian Civil War, Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Independence, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country U.D.I. ...

* General Service Unit (G.S.U.) of Kenya * Ulster Resistance of Northern Ireland

Other military units

The following military units wear red berets: * Parachute units of the Argentinean Army, including members not qualified as paratroopers. * The Saudi Arabian National Guard. * The Special Services Group of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

. * 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. * United States Army airborne units (including Special Forces units in the Army National Guard). *

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Flying Rifle Drill Team (Senior Drill Master only). * Syrian Republican Guard. * The 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade and 601st Special Forces Group of the

Army of the Czech Republic The Czech Armed Forces (), also known as the Czech Army, are the military responsible for the defence of the Czech Republic as the main part of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (). The Czech Armed Forces led by the Staff (military), Gen ...

. * The Republican Guard in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. * The Swedish 32nd Intelligence Battalion. * All Artillery units of the Swiss Armed Forces. * Military Police, Artillery and Anti Aircraft Artillery of the Hungarian Defence Forces. * The Parachute Riflemen Brigade of Mexico. The following military units formerly wore red berets: * The 1st and 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalions of the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade in West Germany * The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment of Canada, * The Vietnamese Airborne Division (Mũ Đỏ Nhảy Dù) of the

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with it ...

* 40. Fallschirmjägerbataillon Willi Sänger of the former German Democratic Republic's Nationale Volksarmee. * The 4th Guards Brigade (Croatia) (called "The Spiders", 'Pauci')

Police forces

* Ertzaina – the Police force of the Basque Country * Policía Foral – the Police force of

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

* Federal Reserve Unit of the Royal Malaysia Police * Cacciatori of the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

– in English "Hunters", the Italian

Gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or 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" (). In France and so ...

special unit operating in

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

* Special Operations Command of the Singapore Police Force * Dog unit of the

Public Security Police In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

* Berkut (special police force) – was the Ukrainian riot police (1992 – 2014)

Carlists

The red beret was worn as a distinguishing device by

Carlist Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...

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 Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...

, encouraged by their commander

Tomás de Zumalacárregui Tomás de Zumalacárregui e Imaz (Basque language, Basque: Tomas Zumalakarregi Imatz; 29 December 178824 June 1835), known among his troops as "Uncle Tomás", was a Spaniards, Spanish Basques, Basque officer who led the Carlism, Carlist faction ...

. 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.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, 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 Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

* Cadets in the Young Army Cadets National Movement Russia * ORB, a group within Doctor Steel'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 communist and black nationalist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and his allies, on 26 July 20 ...

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

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It 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 ...

led by Bobi Wine

Native American Veteran Organizations

* The

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...

, 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'' (1978) * '' Taps (film)'' (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) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...

as Cadet Captain David Shawn in the film.

Comic books

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

Others

Mirai Sentai Timeranger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series and the 24th series in Toei's Super Sentai metaseries. Footage from this series was used in the American production '' Power Rangers Time Force''. It aired from February 13, 2000, to February 11, ...

(2000–2001) – worn by Naoto Takizawa, played by Shinji Kasahara, as the leader of the City Guardians. * Power Rangers Time Force (2001) – worn by Eric Myers, played by Daniel Southworth, as the leader of the Silver Guardians. * Gundam Build Divers (2018) - the headpiece of the GH-001RB Grimoire Red Beret, piloted by Rommel. *Worn by Cammy, a character from Capcom’s Street Fighter video game franchise.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Beret Military hats Berets Color symbols