Beret Hat

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Most of us know that the beret hat was worn as a military headgear. However, the origin of the beret was traced to the Basques centuries ago. These people resided on both the French and Spanish parts of the Pyrenees Mountains. Known to be great fishermen and sailors, the Basques were hardy people similar to the people of Scotland who had quite similar shaped hats. The original color of the Basques’ Beret was navy blue or red. However, in this modern age; it is now presented in a wider collection of colors. But the main cause for its popularity and why it has come to be adopted by so many people was its being worn in WW1 by French Alpine Troops.

Army Headgear and Individual Color

According to United States Army, the distinctive emblem of many units is based on beret’s color. It has been worn for over 50 years by Army formations such as the Airborne, Cavalry, Armor, Ranger, Infantry and Special Forces. Here is some history behind the colors that they represent:  

• Green Beret- This color was chosen in memory of those who wore the hat in World War 2. On Oct. 24, 1942, Commandos adopted British Commando-type berets. The 77th Special Forces Group wore the color green even in public at Fort Bragg with the Army class “A” uniform without official approval. Because of the perceived disrespect, wearing of berets was banned by the Fort Bragg post commander in 1957. However, it was reversed by DA Message 578636 in 1961. The message authorized the Special Forces to wear a green beret as their official Army headgear. 

• Black Beret- Armored Units were the first to wear the traditional black beret. The adaptation of this color began in 1924 by the British Royal Tank Regiment. The concept was based on the Scottish highland bonnet and French Breton Beret. The reason behind the selection of the headgear is the brimless usage with armored vehicle fire control sights and the color black was caused by the tanks grease stains.

• Maroon Beret- It is the international symbol of Airborne Forces. Its selection was made by the British Parachute Regiment in 1942. Novelist Daphne Du Maurier was the one who selected the color. She is the wife of MG Frederick Browning who is a British Airborne Commander.

• Brown Beret- The olive or brown beret hat was chosen by the 172d Infantry Brigade in Alaska. Members used this color with a light blue flash insignia. Though, it was disregarded when the Army regularized headgear policy in 1979 limiting the usage of beret to Special Forces, Rangers and Airborne.

Headgear of other Paramilitary Organizations

• Hong Kong- Police Tactical Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force wears the standard navy blue Airport Security Unit.

• Iceland- Black beret is worn by members of the Special Operations Unit of the National Commissioner of Iceland. Police Cadets and Riot Unit also wears the same color. While, orange beret was bestowed to high ranking members of Reykjavik Air Rescue Unit.

• Malaysia- Royal Malaysian Police including Suksis uses dark blue berets with black hackle. The anti-riot Federal Reserve Units wear red with black hackle. Light Blue beret was chosen by Marine Operations Force. Other security organizations such as Civil Defense personnel wear orange beret while RELA personnel uses yellow.

• Portugal- Guarda Prisional also known as Prison Guard wears black beret. Purple Beret is for Rescue Corps of the Portuguese Red Cross.

• South Africa- Camouflage Beret was selected by Special Task Force of the South African Police Service.

The Correct Way to Wear the Army Headgear

1. Uniforms such as A Class, B Class and C Class are worn with headgear.
2. See to it that the brim of the beret hat is binding 1 inch above eyebrows and straight across the forehead. The flash ad should be in the center and should also be firm above the left eye.
3. Make sure that there is no hair visible at the front bottom edge of the beret.

Although beret hats are also widely used by the fashion industry, the significance of this hat lies mainly with its history in the military. Many people around the world still use this as an accessory to accent their style but for the military it is a way for them to signify their authority.