Berets have been a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world since the mid-20th century. Military berets are usually pushed to the right to free the shoulder that bears the rifle on most soldiers, but the armies of some European countries (including France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

) have influenced the push to the left.

Berets are in some countries particularly associated with elite units, who often wear berets in more unusual colours. Examples include the maroon

Maroon beret

The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...

 of Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

 parachute

Airborne forces

Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...

 troops and the Danish Jægerkorpset

Jægerkorpset

The Jaeger Corps is the special forces unit of the Royal Danish Army stationed at Aalborg Air Base.-Insignia and status :Jægerkorpset 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 an 16 week selection...

, the green

Green beret

The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...

 of the Royal Marines Commandos, Finnish Marine Commandos

Finnish Marine Commandos

The Finnish Coastal Jaegers are the only marine infantry arm of the Finnish Navy. The unit consist of conscripts and is located at Nylands Brigade, in Dragsvik, near Ekenäs. Privates, NCOs and officers can all apply to the Marine Commando....

 (Coastal Jaegers), French Commandos

Naval commandos (France)

The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...

 (Bérets verts), Irish Army Ranger Wing, Rhodesian Light Infantry

Rhodesian Light Infantry

The 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, commonly the Rhodesian Light Infantry , was a regiment formed in 1961 at Brady Barracks, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia as a light infantry unit within the army of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland...

 and United States Army's

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 Special Forces (Green Berets); the scarlet of the elite Soviet Internal Troops (Spetsnaz

Spetsnaz

Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...

); the beige or tan

Tan beret

The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...

 of Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

 special forces units (SAS

Special Air Service

Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...

) and United States Army Rangers

United States Army Rangers

United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...

; the grey of the new Polish GROM

GROM

GROM is one of five special forces units of the Polish Armed Forces. It was officially activated on July 8, 1990...

; or the wide black

Black beret

The black beret is a type of headgear commonly worn by armoured forces around the world including the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment , The Canadian Forces's Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , and The Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps among others...

 of French Chasseurs alpins, the first military unit to have worn berets.

History

Given its practicality, the informal use of berets by the military of Europe dates back millennia, one example being the Blue Bonnet, that became a defacto symbol of Scottish forces in the 16th and 17th centuries. As an officially required military headdress, its use dates back to the Carlist Wars

Carlist Wars

The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...

 of Succession for the Spanish Crown in the 1830s by order of General Tomás de Zumalacárregui

Tomás de Zumalacárregui

- From Peninsula War to Ferdinand VII:Zumalacárregui was born at Ormaiztegi in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, on 29 December 1788. His father, Francisco Antonio de Zumalacárregui, was a lawyer who possessed some property, and the son was articled to a solicitor....

 who wanted a local and non-costly way to make headgear that was resistant to the mountain weather and easy to care for and be used on formal occasions. Other countries followed suit after the creation of the French Chasseurs alpins in the early 1880s. These mountain troops were issued with a uniform which included several features which were innovative for the time, notably the large and floppy blue beret which they still retain. This was so unfamiliar a fashion outside France that it had to be described in the Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911 as "a soft cap or tam o'shanter

Tam o'shanter (hat)

A Tam o' Shanter is a Scottish style hat originally worn by men. The hat is named after a character in a poem written by Robert Burns in 1790...

."

Berets have features that make them very attractive to the military: they are cheap, easy to make in large numbers, can be manufactured in a wide range of colors, can be rolled up and stuffed into a pocket or beneath the shirt epaulette without damage, and can be worn with headphones (this is one of the reasons why tank crews adopted the beret). The beret is not so useful in field conditions for the modern infantryman, who requires protective helmets, and is usually not seen worn by infantry on operations.

The beret was found particularly useful as a uniform for armored-vehicle crews, and the British Tank Corps

Royal Tank Regiment

The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...

 (later Royal Tank Corps) adopted the headdress as early as 1918, despite complaints that the beret was "too foreign and feminine".
German AFV crews in the late 1930s also adopted a beret with the addition of a padded crash helmet inside. The color black became popular as a tank-crew headdress, since it did not show oil stains picked up inside the interior of a vehicle. Black berets continue to be worn by armoured regiments throughout the Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

.

Berets have become the default military headdress of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, just as the morion

Morion (helmet)

A morion is a type of open helmet used during the 16th and early 17th centuries, usually having a flat brim and a crest from front to back. The morion, though generally identified with Spanish conquistadors, was common among foot soldiers of European nationalities, including the English; the first...

, tricorne

Tricorne

The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by 1800. At the peak of its popularity, the tricorne was worn as civilian dress and as part of military and naval uniforms...

, shako

Shako

A shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...

, kepi

Kepi

The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a visor or peak . Etymologically, the word is a borrowing of the French képi, itself a respelling of the Alemannic Käppi: a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap"....

, and peaked cap were each common headgear in their own respective eras. The beret is now worn by many military personnel of the majority of nations across the world.

Afghanistan

Most berets are used by senior enlisted personnel and officers.

• Forest green — Afghan National Army
  Afghan National Army
  The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
  
  
• Maroon
  Maroon (color)
  Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
  
   — Commandos (Trained by JTF-2 and US Army Rangers)
• Cerulean
  Cerulean
  Cerulean, also spelled caerulean, may be applied to a range of colors from deep blue, sky-blue, bright blue or azure color through greenish blue colors.The first recorded use of cerulean as a color name in English was in 1590...
  
   — Afghan National Police
  Afghan National Police
  The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
  
  
• Tan
  Tan (color)
  Tan is a pale whiteish, tawny shade of white. The name is derived from tannum used in the tanning of leather.The first recorded use of tan as a shade name in English was in the year 1590....
  
   — Special Forces
  Special forces
  Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
  
  

Angola

In the Angola Armed Forces, the following berets are in use:

• Green
  Green
  Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
  
   — Paratroopers.
• Maroon
  Maroon (color)
  Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
  
   — Commandos.
• Brown
  Brown
  Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
  
   — General use
• Sky blue — Air Force.
• Black
  Black
  Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
  
   — Navy and Marines.

Argentina

Berets are worn by some units in the Argentine Armed Forces, with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colours are as follows:

• Dark green — 601 Commando Company
  601 Commando Company
  The 601 Commando Company is a special operations unit of the Argentine Army, created January 5, 1982. It was based on the original "Equipo Especial Halcón 8" created by Lt. Colonel Mohamed Alí Seineldín in 1978....
  
  , 602 Commando Company
  602 Commando Company
  The 602 Commando Company is a special operations unit of the Argentine Army, created May 21, 1982.The company is based on Córdoba Province. The members of the unit wear green berets with unit badges. The company is divided in 3 assault sections....
  
  , Amphibious Commandos Group
  Amphibious Commandos Group
  The Amphibious Commandos Group is a special operations force of the Argentine Marine Corps, trained to perform quick and objective amphibious reconnaissance, assault raids, and direct action operations. It was created in 1952 by the Vigilance and Security Company of Submarine Bases...
  
  , Argentine National Gendarmerie
  Argentine National Gendarmerie
  The Argentine National Gendarmerie is the gendarmerie and corps of border guards of Argentina.The Argentine National Gendarmerie has a strength of 12,000....
  
  
• Black — Armoured
  Armoured warfare
  Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
  
   Troops, Mechanized Infantry
  Mechanized infantry
  Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
  
  , Argentine Marines in the southern regions, where strong winds forbide the use of other headgear.
• Red — Paratroopers
• Claret — 601 Air Assault Regiment
  601 Air Assault Regiment
  The 601 Air Assault Regiment is a special operations unit of the Argentine Army, created in January of 2003. The regiment is divided in three assault companies: A, B and C. Its motto is "Sapientia et Labore". The regiment is based on Campo de Mayo, Buenos Aires. The members of this unit wear red...
  
  
• Tan — Mountain Troops (Cazadores de Montaña)
• Camouflage
  Military camouflage
  Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
  
   — Jungle Troops (Cazadores del Monte)
• Dark blue — Argentine Army Aviation, Special Operations Group
  Special Operations Group (Argentina)
  The Special Operations Group is a special operations force of the Argentine Air Force. This strategic division, headquartered at Morón Air Base in the Buenos Aires province, is mainly responsible for resolving aircraft hijacking issues....
  
   (GOE)
• Brown — Navy Tactical Divers Group
  Tactical Divers Group
  The Tactical Divers Group is the premier special operations force of the Argentine Navy. The Buzos Tácticos are based at Base Naval Mar del Plata on the Atlantic coast of Argentina. Its men are highly qualified combat divers, EOD/demolition technicians, and parachutists.The APBT was the first...
  
  , Army Tactical Divers.
• Olive Green and camouflage — All other Army units
• Orange — Instituto Antártico Argentino
  Instituto Antartico Argentino
  The Instituto Antártico Argentino is the Argentine federal agency in charge of orientating, controlling, addressing and performing scientific and technical research and studies in the Antarctic....
  
  
• UN blue — Personnel serving with the United Nations
  United Nations
  The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
  
   Forces

Australia

Berets were worn by all corps in the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

, with distinctive colors for some units:.
From September 2010 all berets were banned for wear by the army for daily wear, except for Special Forces. However some units will be permitted to retain them for ceremonial occasions

• Black
  Black
  Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
  
   — Royal Australian Armoured Corps
• Sand — Special Air Service Regiment
  Australian Special Air Service Regiment
  The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...
  
  
• Light blue — Australian Army Aviation
  Australian Army Aviation
  Australian Army Aviation is a corps of the Australian Army, and was formed on 1 July 1968 with a strength of 106 officer pilots, although it has a history dating back to 1911, when the Minister of Defence at the time, Senator George Pearce, decided there should be a flying school in the Defence...
  
  
• Scarlet
  Scarlet (color)
  Scarlet is a bright red color with a hue that is somewhat toward the orange. It is redder than vermilion. It is a pure chroma on the color wheel one-fourth of the way between red and orange. Scarlet is sometimes used as the color of flame...
  
   — Royal Australian Corps of Military Police
  Royal Australian Corps of Military Police
  The Royal Australian Corps of Military Police is a corps within the Australian Army. Previously known as the Australian Army Provost Corps, it was formed on 3 April 1916 as the ANZAC Provost Corps...
  
  
• Dull cherry — 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
  3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
  3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Sydney. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq...
  
  
• Rifle green — Royal Australian Regiment
  Royal Australian Regiment
  The Royal Australian Regiment is the parent regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps...
  
  
• Sherwood green — 1st Commando Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment
  2nd Commando Regiment (Australia)
  The 2nd Commando Regiment is an Australian Army Special Forces unit, it is one of three combat-capable units within the Australian Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when it was renamed from the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment...
  
  
• Slate grey — Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
  Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
  The Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps is a Corps of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1951 from the Royal Australian Army Nursing Service. A Corps Badge was introduced in 1951 with the motto Pro Humanitate . It embraces the values of compassion and service to others, reflecting the...
  
  
• Dark blue — other personnel

Navy Blue Berets are issued head-dress in the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

; however, they are most commonly worn by Clearance Divers

Clearance Diving Team (RAN)

The Clearance Diving Teams of the Royal Australian Navy also act as commando frogmen: they consist of naval personnel who are qualified in diving, demolitions, underwater repairs, and reconnaissance...

 and qualified Submariners - that said, they are still a regulation uniform item for any naval personnel. Blue berets in the Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

, but only by qualified Airfield Defence Guards

Airfield Defence Guards

The Airfield Defence Guard mustering of the Royal Australian Air Force performs specialist ground defence tasks to protect air power assets from hostile ground action. The mustering is composed of non-commissioned members, commonly called 'ADGies,' most of whom are employed within an Airfield...

 and Ground Defence Officers. Terracotta berets are worn by Multinational Force and Observers

Multinational Force and Observers

The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.-Background:...

 contingents. In all cases, the beret is pushed over to the right, and a badge (a.k.a. "flash" insignia) worn above the left eye.

Austria

Berets are common in most parts of the Army, and are usually worn for special occasions, but also regularly by certain forces.

• Grass green — Infantry, all troops that do not wear another color
• Olive green — Jagdkommando
  Jagdkommando
  The Jagdkommando is the Austrian Armed Forces' Special Operations group. The duties of this elite unit match those of its foreign counterparts, such as the United States Army Special Forces, being amongst others Counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency...
  
  s
• Black — Mechanized troops, anti-tank troops, artillery, reconnaissance, combat engineers
• Wine red — Jägerbataillon 25 (paratroopers)
• Scarlet red — Guard of Honour
• Coral red — Military Police
• Yellow green — Sports Center of the Army
• Pike grey — NBC Defence School
• Rust brown — Signal School
• Navy blue
  Navy blue
  Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
  
   — Logistics School, Mission Support Command (Kdo Einsatzunterstützung)
• Blue — UN

Bahrain

• Black - Royal Bahraini Army and Royal Bahraini Naval Force
• Blue - Royal Bahraini Air Force
• Maroon - Military Police
• Tan - Special Forces
• Green - Royal Guard

Bangladesh

• Black — Armoured corps-Black
• Bangladesh Green — Infantry
• Dull Cherry — Army Medical corps
• Scarlet — Military police
• Maroon — Commandos
• Royal Blue
  Royal blue
  Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
  
   — Engineers
• Royal Blue
  Royal blue
  Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
  
   — Service corps
• Dark Blue — Education corps
• Dark Blue — Electrical and mechanical engineers
• Dark Blue — Ordnance
• Dark Blue — Artillery
• Dark Blue — Signals
• Dark Blue — Army Dental corps

Belgium

Berets have been worn by Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 military

Military of Belgium

The Belgian Army is the national military of Belgium. The Belgian Army was established after Belgium became independent in October 1830...

 personnel since World War II. Berets vary in colour according to the regiment, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) which is of gold colour for officers, silver for noncommissioned officers and bronze for troops. Members of cavalry units all wear silver crest pins.

• Maroon
  Maroon beret
  The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
  
   — Paracommando Immediate Reaction Cell (HQ)/1 Para/3 Para/Special Forces Group/Parachute Training Centre
• Green — 2 Commando/Paracommando Field Artillery/Commando Training Centre
• Olive Green (bigger size, basque type with folded-in brim, with boar's head pin) — Chasseurs Ardennais regiment (Ardennian Rifles
  Regiment of Ardennian Rifles
  The Regiment of Ardennian Rifles is an infantry regiment in the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. The regiment is a part of the 7th Brigade...
  
  )
• Brown — Infantry, Chasseurs a pieds (rifles)
• Black — Armoured troops, guides (Scouts), Chasseurs à Cheval (Recce), some engineers units
• Dark blue — Artillery and Royal Military Academy
• Cobalt blue
  Cobalt blue
  Cobalt blue is a cool, slightly desaturated blue color, historically made using cobalt salts of alumina. It is used in certain ceramics and painting; the different cobalt pigment smalt, based on silica, is more often used directly in tinted transparent glasses...
  
   — Logistics and administration troops
• Grey — Transmission troops and some engineer units
• Bright red — Military police
  Military police
  Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
  
  
• Grey-blue — Air component
  Belgian Air Force
  The Air Component, formerly the Belgian Air Force, is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces. Originally founded in 1909, it is one of the world's first air forces, and was a pioneer in aerial combat during the First World War...
  
  
• Light blue — former Land component Light Aviation (now part of Air Component)
• Navy blue
  Navy blue
  Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
  
   (no crest pin, but embroidered crest) — Navy component
  Belgian Navy
  The Marine Component of the Belgian Army, formerly the Belgian Naval Force, is the naval service of Belgium.-Early history:The Belgian Navy was created as the Marine Royale in 1831. This force has operated in various forms throughout Belgian history.When after the Belgian Revolution, the country...
  
   (Former Naval infantry with metal badge)
• Dark green — Medical component
• Khaki
  Khaki (color)
  The name of the color khaki coined in British India comes from the Hindustani language , meaning "dusty, dust covered or earth colored." It has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms, including camouflage...
  
   — general service beret with lion badge worn on training by all troops (Obsolete)

Benin

• Black — Armoured corps.
• Maroon — Paratroopers.
• Green — Infantry and other Army units.
• Dark Blue — Gendarmerie.

Bolivia

Berets in Bolivian Army:

• Black
  Black
  Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
  
   — Paratroopers
• Maroon — Armoured Corps
• Green — Special Operations Forces, Commandos
• Camouflage
  Military camouflage
  Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
  
   — Special Forces "Bolivian Condors"
• Blue — Engineer units

Brazil

• Tan — Air Assault Units
• Dark Blue — Students of Military Formation Schools (Cadets, Officer Candidates, Sargeant Candidates)
• Black — Armoured troops, Mechanized Infantry, Military Police (Gendarmerie)
• Camouflage — Jungle Troops
• Dark brown — Special Operations Group
• Grey — Mountain Infantry
• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Royal blue — Army aviation
• Scarlet red — Students of Colégio Militar
  Colégio Militar
  Colégio Militar is a military school in Lisbon, Portugal. It was founded by General António Teixeira Rebelo in 1803. Its initial location was S. Julião da Barra Fort, in Oeiras...
  
   (middle and high school).
• Green — All other Army
  Brazilian Army
  The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence , Argentina-Brazil War , War of the Farrapos , Platine War , Uruguayan War ...
  
   units

Bulgaria

Berets have been worn by Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

n military personnel since 1991. Berets vary in colour according to the military branch, and carry a crest pin (sometimes on a coloured background patch) resembling the unit's insignia.

• Red — Army
• Light blue — Air Force
  Bulgarian Air Force
  The Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war. The Bulgarian Air...
  
   (including Airborne Forces)
• Black or white — Navy
  Bulgarian Navy
  The Bulgarian Navy is the navy of Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. It has been largely overlooked in the reforms that Bulgaria had to go through in order to comply with NATO standards, mostly because of the great expense involved and the fact that naval assaults...
  
   (including Marines) (white berret is part of the so called "Parade Form 3", and is worn only during August)
• Black — Gendarmerie
  Bulgarian Gendarmerie
  The Bulgarian Gendarmerie is a part of the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs or "MIA". In Bulgaria the initials "MBP" are used in a fashion similar to “FBI” in America when describing the national police forces.Bulgarian “MBP" is divided into five...
  
  
• Dark navy blue — Naval Specialized Research and Analysis Division

Canada

Main article Uniforms of the Canadian Forces#Berets

The colour of the beret is determined by the wearer's environment, branch, or mission. The beret colours listed below are the current standard:

Colour		Wearer
	Air Force blue	Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
	black Black beret The black beret is a type of headgear commonly worn by armoured forces around the world including the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment , The Canadian Forces's Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , and The Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps among others...	Armoured Royal Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps is the armoured branch of service of the Canadian Army, including regular force and reserve regiments.-History:...
	black Black beret The black beret is a type of headgear commonly worn by armoured forces around the world including the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment , The Canadian Forces's Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , and The Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps among others...	Royal Canadian Navy Royal Canadian Navy The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
	CF green	all other Army Army An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...  units
	UN blue	personnel serving with the United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...  on peacekeeping Peacekeeping Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....  missions
	scarlet Scarlet (color) Scarlet is a bright red color with a hue that is somewhat toward the orange. It is redder than vermilion. It is a pure chroma on the color wheel one-fourth of the way between red and orange. Scarlet is sometimes used as the color of flame...	Military Police Canadian Forces Military Police The Canadian Forces Military Police provide military police services to the Canadian Forces.Canadian Military Police are unusual in that they are classified as Peace Officers in the Criminal Code of Canada, which gives them the same powers as civilian law enforcement personnel to enforce Acts of...
	maroon Maroon beret The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...	Airborne The Canadian Airborne Regiment The Canadian Airborne Regiment was a Canadian Forces formation created on April 8, 1968. It was not an administrative regiment in the commonly accepted British Commonwealth sense, but rather a tactical formation manned from other regiments and branches...  paratroopers
	blaze orange	Search-and-rescue technicians
	terracotta	personnel serving with the Multinational Force and Observers Multinational Force and Observers The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.-Background:...
	tan Tan beret The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...	Special Forces

Chile

Berets in Chilean Army:

• Black — Special Operations Forces, Commandos and Paratroopers
• Red/Maroon — Armoured Corps
• Green — Mountain troops

Berets in Chilean Navy:

• Black — Missile Craft, Submarines and SSK's crew
• Green — Combat Diver (Navy) and commandos (Marines Corp)

Berets in Chilean Air Force:

• Dark blue — Ground troops
• Black — Commandos and Paratroopers

China, People's Republic of

Since May 5, 2000, the People's Liberation Army

People's Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

 has adopted woolen berets for all its personnel, along with the traditional peaked cap

Peaked cap

A peaked cap, forage cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations and also by many uniformed civilian organizations such as law enforcement agencies...

s.
Type 99 beret

• Olive green — Ground Force and Second artillery force
• Dark blue — Navy
• Black - Marine corps
• Blue-grey — Air Force (including Airborne troops)

Berets were not officially adopted by the CAPF, but some of the forces issued their own types
NOT OFFICIAL:

• Red—CAPF Provincial Women Special Police Corps
• Dark blue—Public Security Police SWAT

During the 80s, camo berets were issued to some of the recon forces of PLA. It has no badge on it.

Type 07 uniform is being issued to both PLA and CAPF on August 1, 2007.
Colours of 07 berets are changed to the same colours with the service uniform. And several changes in designs were made from type 99 beret. The berets were not being issued until summer of 2009 to most of the troops.

Other than colours of the berets, the most significant difference between type 99 and type 07 is the type 99 beret badge is cloth, while type 07 is plastic.

Colombia

Berets are worn by all personnel of the Colombian Army

Colombian Army

The National Army of Colombia is the land military force of the government of Colombia and the largest service of the Colombian Armed Forces...

 (Ejército) and certain members of the Navy (Armada), with distinctive colors for some units or functions. The beret colors are:

• Black — Lancero Instructors; Airborne Navy Marines (Infantería de Marina)
• Green — Members of Counterguerrilla Units
• Maroon — Special Forces (Commandos)
• Sky Blue — Airborne School Instructors
• Pewter Blue — Members of the BRECNA (Brigada Especial Contra el Narcotráfico, Special Brigade Against Narcotrafficking)

Croatia

In the Croatian Army

Military of Croatia

Croatian military is officially called Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia and it consists of three branches:* Croatian Army * Croatian Navy...

 berets are used in special forces and guard brigades.

During Croatian War of Independence

Croatian War of Independence

The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...

, Croatian Army consisted of seven professional brigades—guard brigades, each having its beret colour. During the army reforms number of guard brigades was cut to two, but the battalions kept the names and insignia (colour of beret also) of ex brigades.

Joint staff:

• Green with golden cap badge — Joint staff
• Red — presidential guard on their battledress
  Battledress
  Battledress, or fatigues in the general sense, is the type of uniform used as combat uniforms, as opposed to 'display' dress or formal uniform worn at parades and functions. It may be either monochrome or in a camouflage pattern...
  
   uniforms
• Green (badge on the right) — Special Operations Battalion
  Special Operations Battalion (Croatia)
  The Special Operations Battalion , or popularly BSD was founded on 8 September 2000 with merging of the Special Combat Skills Center from Šepurine and personnel from the 1st Croatian Guard Corps...
  
  
• Black — Military police

Guard brigades:

• Armored Mechanized Guard Brigade
  • Black — 1st Mechanized Battalion "Sokolovi"
  • Brown — 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Pume"
  • Black — Tank Battalion "Kune"

• Motorized Guard Brigade
  • Black — 1st Mechanized Battalion "Tigrovi"
  • Green — 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Gromovi"
  • Black — 1st Motorized Battalion "Vukovi"
  • Red — 2nd Motorized Battalion "Pauci"

Also dark blue beret is used in Croatian Navy.

Czech Republic

The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

Military of the Czech Republic

The Army of the Czech Republic comprise the land forces, the Czech Air Force and support units. From the late 1940s to 1989, the extensive Czechoslovak Armed Forces formed one of the pillars of the Warsaw Pact military alliance...

 use berets for both battledress

Battledress

Battledress, or fatigues in the general sense, is the type of uniform used as combat uniforms, as opposed to 'display' dress or formal uniform worn at parades and functions. It may be either monochrome or in a camouflage pattern...

 and display uniform. The colour of the beret is defined by the branch of the armed forces. The beret displays the small state coat of arms and the badge of rank of the individual.

• Orange — Civil defence troops
• Maroon
  Maroon beret
  The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
  
   — 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade (Airborne), 601st Special Forces Group
• Dark green — Reconnaissance troops
• Light green — Other ground forces (mechanised infantry, armour, artillery, NBC protection, Engineering Brigades, etc.)
• Dark blue — Air Force
  Czech Air Force
  The Czech Air Force is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The Air Force, with the Land Forces, comprises the Joint Forces, the main combat power of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic...
  
  
• Grey — Logistics, Medical troops
• Black — Military Police

Denmark

The Royal Danish Army

Royal Danish Army

The Royal Danish Army is the land warfare branch of the Danish Defence Forces, together with the Danish Home Guard.For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures, equipment and training methods, abandoning its traditional role of anti-invasion...

 uses berets for all its personnel. The Navy and Air Force also use berets.

• Green — Support troops; artillery; signal (EW); engineers; Army Home Guard; Infrastructure Home Guard
• Red — Military police
• Maroon — Jægerkorpset
  Jægerkorpset
  The Jaeger Corps is the special forces unit of the Royal Danish Army stationed at Aalborg Air Base.-Insignia and status :Jægerkorpset 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 an 16 week selection...
  
  ("Hunter Corps", army special forces
  Special forces
  Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
  
  )
• Black — Combat troops (armour, recon and infantry)
• Dark blue — Royal Danish Navy
  Royal Danish Navy
  The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
  
  ; Naval Home Guard
• Light Blue Gray — Royal Danish Air Force
  Royal Danish Air Force
  The Royal Danish Air Force is the air force of Denmark with the capability to undertake homeland defense and homeland security roles as well international operations.-History:...
  
  ; Air Force Home Guard
• Light blue (also called "mouse grey") — Army Aviation (now disbanded)
• Dark brown — Danish Women's Voluntarily Corp (Dansk Lottekorps) Disbanded
• Camouflage
  Military camouflage
  Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
  
   — Naval Infantry, Armoured forces of Bornholm (Bornholms Værn's Marineinfantery) Disbanded
• UN-blue - UN-units

Ecuador

Berets are worn by all personnel of the Ecuadorian Army

Ecuadorian Army

The Ecuadorian Army is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 24,135 soldiers are sensibly deployed in relation to its military doctrine...

 (Ejército) and certain members of the Navy (Armada) and Air Force (Fuerza Aérea), with distinctive colours for some units or functions. The beret colours are:

• Black — Military Police; Navy Marines (Infantería de Marina)
• Red — Paratroopers and Special Operations Forces
• Dark blue — Army Aviation (Aviación del Ejército); Air Force Aerial Infantry (Infantería Aérea)
• Dark green — all other Army units
• Gray — for use with the dress uniform (4-B) for those forces using the dark green beret
• Camouflage — IWIA (indigenous tribal members unit) forces

Egypt

• Maroon
  Maroon (color)
  Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
  
   — Paratroopers
• Forest green — Armour
• Dark blue — Infantry
• Dark blue with red band — Presidential Guard
• Black — Artillery
• Red — Military Police
• Green — Engineers

Eritrea

All personnel of the EDF or Eritrean Defense Forces wear Berets.

• Red — Air Force Units
• Green — Army Units
• Blue — Naval Units
• Purple — Border Guard

Estonia

All personnel in the Estonian Military used to wear Berets in the beginning on 90's. Nowadays there is no Berets in Estonian Defence Forces although, it is taken to consideration to reinstate Berets again.

• Green — Ground Forces
• Black — Armoured Corps, Naval Units
• Maroon — Special Trained Forces
• Light Blue — Air Force

Finland

The Finnish Defence Force uses berets with cap badges for the Army

Finnish Army

The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...

, Navy

Finnish Navy

The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...

 and the Air Force

Finnish Air Force

The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...

. The berets are worn in "clean" garrison duties such as roll calls and with the walking-out uniform, but not with the battle dress. Until the mid-1990s, the beret was reserved for troops with special status, such as the armoured troops, coastal jägers

Finnish Marine Commandos

The Finnish Coastal Jaegers are the only marine infantry arm of the Finnish Navy. The unit consist of conscripts and is located at Nylands Brigade, in Dragsvik, near Ekenäs. Privates, NCOs and officers can all apply to the Marine Commando....

 and the parachute jägers, but is nowadays used by all units. In the winter, berets are replaced by winter headgear.

Berets are also used by the Finnish Frontier Guard, which is a military organization under the aegis of Ministry of Interior during peacetime.

• Olive-green (Badge: silver lion's head) — Army
• Olive-green (Badge: golden lion's head with a crown) — Finnish Rapid Deployment Force
  Finnish Rapid Deployment Force
  The Finnish Rapid Deployment Force is the spearhead international force of the Finnish Defence Forces . It can also be used for national defence....
  
   and units abroad
• Blue (Badge: Air Force insignia) — Air Force
• Blue (Badge: silver griffin
  Griffin
  The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
  
  ) — Army aviation
• Blue (Badge: Harp and sword) — Military bands
• Dark blue (Badge: Anchor and Lion) — Navy (including coastal troops, but with the exception of coastal jägers)
• Black (Badge: Armored head) — Armoured Brigade
• Green (Badge: Golden sea eagle's head) — Coastal jägers
  Finnish Marine Commandos
  The Finnish Coastal Jaegers are the only marine infantry arm of the Finnish Navy. The unit consist of conscripts and is located at Nylands Brigade, in Dragsvik, near Ekenäs. Privates, NCOs and officers can all apply to the Marine Commando....
  
  
• Maroon (Badge: Arrow and parachute) — Parachute jägers or special jägers (Utti Jäger Regiment)
• Olive-green (Badge: Golden bear's head, sword and fir tree twig) — Frontier jägers
• Brown (Badge: Golden bear's head, sword and fir tree twig) — Special Frontier jägers

France

The military beret originated in the French Army

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

, in the form of the wide and floppy headdress worn by the Chasseurs alpins (mountain light infantry) from their foundation in the early 1880s. A tight-fitting version was subsequently adopted by French armoured troops towards the end of World War I. Between the wars, special fortress units raised to garrison the Maginot Line

Maginot Line

The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...

 wore khaki berets as did the 13th DBLE of the French Foreign Legion

French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...

 when it was created in 1940. The Vichy Milice

Milice

The Milice française , generally called simply Milice, was a paramilitary force created on January 30, 1943 by the Vichy Regime, with German aid, to help fight the French Resistance. The Milice's formal leader was Prime Minister Pierre Laval, though its chief of operations, and actual leader, was...

 of the War period wore a blue beret.

The beret in red, blue or green was a distinction of the Metropolitan, Colonial and Foreign Legion

French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...

 paratroop regiments during the Indochina

First Indochina War

The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...

 and Algerian

Algerian War of Independence

The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...

 wars. After 1962 the beret in either khaki or the colours specified above became the standard French Army headdress for ordinary use.

With the exception of the Naval Commandos

Naval commandos (France)

The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...

 whose beret emulates the British Commando beret and is worn pulled to the right with the badge worn over the left ear and the Naval Fusiliers commandos also part of the French Navy, all other French berets (Army, airforce and gendarmerie GIGN) are pulled to the left with the badge worn on the right side over the eye or the temple.

• Wide Navy blue — Chasseurs alpins and other mountain troops (the wide beret's nickname is the tarte (tart)) also worn with a white cover.
• Green (badge on the left) — Commandos Marine, Naval commandos "Special forces"
• Light Green (badge on the right) French Foreign Legion (infantry, airborne, engineers, armoured)
• Dark blue — Air Fusiliers Commandos
  French Air Force
  The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
  
  ; Troupes de Marine
  Troupes de marine
  The or Infanterie de marine, formerly Troupes coloniales, are an arm of the French Army with a colonial heritage. The Troupes de marine have a dedicated overseas service role. Despite their title they have been a part of the Army since 1958...
  
  : all other army troops
• Dark blue — ( badge on the left) Fusiliers marins Commandos
• Red — Paratroopers "metropolitan" and "de marine" ex colonial" (except the Foreign Legion) (this colour is called amarante)
• Electric "royal" blue — Army Light Aviation
  French Army Light Aviation
  The French Army Light Aviation is the aviation service of the French Army.-History:The French Army Light Aviation was established on 22 November 1954 for observation, reconnaissance, assault and supply duties.-Composition:...
  
   ALAT aviation legere de l'armee de terre
• Black — Gendarmerie special forces GIGN (anti-terrorist units) and EPIGN (paras) now obsolete and "Tradition" RCC Regiment de Chars de Combat (Tank / Armoured)
• Brown — "Tradition" 2nd Reg hussards with embroidered badge.

Gabon

Berets in Gabonese Army:

• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Light grey — Armoured troops
• Green — Republican Guard.to also symbolise boggers
• Green — Commandos Marine
• Dark red — Army Medical Corps
• Dark blue — other Army units

Germany

The German Heer

German Army

The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...

uses berets with cap badges for every branch of service. The Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

and the Marine issue navy blue berets only to their ground or land combat units (called Luftwaffensicherungstruppe and Marineschutzkräfte). Berets are usually worn at special ceremonies and roll calls, although units with a special esprit de corps, especially armoured and mechanized infantry (Panzergrenadiere) battalions, wear their berets all the time. German berets are always pulled to the right, with the badge visible over the left temple.

• Black — armoured units, including armoured reconnaissance
• Maroon — special units, including airborne troops, army aviation
  German Army Aviators Corps
  The German Army Aviation Corps is a special unit within the German Armed Forces . The German Army Aviation Corps is part of the German Army , containing all its helicopter units...
  
  , Airmobile Operations Division
  Airmobile Operations Division
  Airmobile Operations Division is a division of the German Army. Its staff is based at Veitshöchheim near Würzburg. The division was founded on July 1, 2002 and reported for duty October 8, 2002 . It incorporates units from various branches of the German Army. These units are stationed all over...
  
   (DLO; Division Luftbewegliche Operationen), and Division Special Operations (DSO; Division Spezielle Operationen), including the KSK
  Kommando Spezialkräfte
  The KSK Kommando Spezialkräfte is an elite military unit composed of Special Operations soldiers from the ranks of Germany’s Bundeswehr and organized as such under the Division Spezielle Operationen . The unit has received many decorations and awards from both NATO and its affiliates...
  
   (Kommando Spezialkräfte)
• Red — support units, including artillery, engineers, intelligence, psychological operations (Operative Information), anti-aircraft, supply, NBC protection, signals, electronic warfare, transport, topography, and military police (Feldjäger
  Feldjäger
  For the German Military Police in WWII see: Feldjaegerkorps and FeldgendarmerieIn presence Feldjäger is the name of military police of the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. The term Feldjäger, literally meaning field huntsmen or field Jäger, has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th...
  
  ), 'Instandssetzung' Vehicle Maintenance
• Moss green — infantry units, including Jägertruppe, Panzergrenadier
  Panzergrenadier
  is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
  
  e (armoured infantry), and ceremonial guards (Wachbataillon des Heeres) and the now disbanded Panzerjäger
  Panzerjäger
  Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
  
  (anti-tank);
• Blue — medical units
• Navy blue — Luftwaffe
  Luftwaffe
  Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
  
  (Air Force) and Deutsche Marine (Navy) infantry and ceremonial guards; Offizieranwärterbataillon (Officer Candidate Battalions of the Army) multinational units (e.g. Eurocorps
  Eurocorps
  Eurocorps is a multinational standing army corps available for the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the force was created in May 1992, activated in October 1993 and declared operational in 1995....
  
  )
• Light Blue — Troops in UN units

military bands wear the beret colour of their respective division (e.g. black in the 1. Panzerdivision)

Note: The Panzerjäger started off with black berets but were moved into the Panzergrenadier branch. The last Panzerjägers wore green berets.

Ghana

The beret colours worn by the Ghana Army are as follows:

• Black — Armoured Corps
• Green — Paratroopers.
• Red — Military police.
• Dark Blue — All other Arms and Corps

Greece

The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Army

Hellenic Army

The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...

 are as follows:

• Light blue — Presidential Guard
• Black — Armoured Corps
• Green — Special Forces (including Commandos, Marines and Parachute despatchers/riggers)
• Dark red/maroon — Army Aviation
• Bright red/scarlet — Airborne troops
• Dark Blue — All other Arms and Corps when in number 8a 8b and 8c Service Dress.

When in fatigue tigerstripes the camouflaged cap is worn instead of the dark blue beret.
The beret colours worn by the Hellenic Air Force are:

• Blue-grey (same colours as RAF) — Air Force Underwater Operations Squadron
• Dark red/Maroon — Air Force Special Operations Squadron

Hungary

Berets currently in Hungarian military:

• Black — Armoured Units
• Crimson
  Crimson
  Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
  
   — Military Police
• Green — Paratroopers
• Scarlet
  Scarlet (color)
  Scarlet is a bright red color with a hue that is somewhat toward the orange. It is redder than vermilion. It is a pure chroma on the color wheel one-fourth of the way between red and orange. Scarlet is sometimes used as the color of flame...
  
   — Artillery

Iceland

Icelandic armed services commonly use berets.

• Blue — Icelandic Crisis Response Unit
• Black — Icelandic Coast Guard
  Icelandic Coast Guard
  The Icelandic Coast Guard is the service responsible for Iceland's coastal defense and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue. Origins of the Icelandic Coast Guard can be traced to 1859, when the corvette Ørnen started patrolling Icelandic waters...
  
  

India

The beret is the standard headgear for the Indian Army

Indian Army

The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...

. Berets are worn by officers and other ranks

Other Ranks

Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...

, apart from Sikhs, who wear turban

Turban

In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...

s. The beret colours worn by the Indian Army are as follows:

• Green — Infantry regiments and Military Intelligence
• Dark (rifle) green — rifle regiments and some light infantry regiments
• Maroon — The Parachute Regiment
  Parachute Regiment (India)
  -History:The first Indian airborne formation was the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade raised on 29 October 1941 with 151 British, 152 Indian, and 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalions and other support units....
  
   and Special Forces
  Special forces
  Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
  
  
• Black — Armoured Corps and the National Security Guards
• Grey — Army Aviation Corps
  Army Aviation Corps (India)
  The Army Aviation Corps is a component of the Indian Army formed on 2 November 1987. The Army aviation has 365+ helicopter and UAV flights operated by 10 squadrons...
  
   and the Indian Air Force
• Scarlet — Corps of Military Police
• Navy blue — The Regt of Artillery, Arms and services, Indian Navy
• Sand — Marine Commandos
• Light Blue — All personnel serving with the United Nations forces irrespective of unit, arm or service

Indonesia

The beret is the headgear of ground forces and military police in the Indonesian Armed Forces. In Military Services (Army, Navy and Air Force), the berets are dragged to the right (the insignia are worn on the left side), while in National Police Service and Military Police units, the berets are dragged to the left (the insignia are worn on the right side).

Military Services:

• Army
  • Red - Special Forces
    Kopassus
    Kopassus is an Indonesian Army special forces group that conducts special operations missions for the Indonesian government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sabotage, counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, and intelligence gathering.Kopassus was founded on April 16, 1952...
    
    .
  • Dark Green - Infantry Corps (including Airborne and Raider units).
  • Black - Cavalry Corps.
  • Light Brown - Artillery Corps (Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery).
  • Steel Gray - Combat Engineers Corps (currently changed to green).
  • Maroon - Army Aviation Corps.
  • Khaki - Signal Corps.
  • Dark Blue - Supply and Transportation Corps.
  • Light Blue - Military Police
  • Light Green - Army Headquarters.
• Navy
  • Navy Blue - Standard berets for the Navy, worn by all personnel in duty such as ships' company, or on the Naval Stations.
  • Reddish Purple (Magenta) - Marine Corps
    Korps Marinir
    The Indonesian Marine Corps is the Indonesian National Navy's ground troops. It was created on 15 November 1945, and is the country's main amphibious warfare force and quick reaction force against enemy invasion.-History:...
    
    .
  • Burning Red - Special Forces
    KOPASKA
    Kopaska or Komando Pasukan Katak is the premier frogman and underwater demolition unit of the Indonesian Navy. The Unit's motto is 'Tan Hana Wighna Tan Sirna', which means 'There is no obstacle that can not be defeated'. It was officially established on March 31, 1962 by President Sukarno to help...
    
    .
• Air Force
  • Blue - Standard berets for the Air Force, with Air Force insignia.
  • Orange - Air Force Special Operation Corps (Korps Pasukan Khas).
  • Dark Blue - Air Force Military Police.
• Inter-services
  • Light Blue - All personnel attached in United Nations' Peace Keeping Force, and the Presidential Security Force.
  • Dark Brown - Military Cadets.

National Police Corps

• • Red - Detective Corps (Reserse).
  • Dark Blue - Mobile Brigade Corps (Brigade Mobil).
  • Dark Brown - Police Samapta Bhayangkara Corps.

Ireland

The beret colours worn by Óglaigh na hÉireann (The Irish Defence Forces) are as follows:

• Black with red patch behind capbadge — Permanent Defence Forces
• Black - Naval Service / Naval Service Reserve
• Light green with bottle green patch — Army Reserve
• Bottle green — Army Ranger Wing (Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm)
  Irish Army Rangers
  The Army Ranger Wing is the special forces unit of the Irish Defence Forces.The ARW trains and operates with many international special operations units worldwide, including the US Army Rangers, Delta Force, French GIGN, German GSG 9, Polish GROM, Swedish SSG, Italian COMSUBIN, Australian SAS,...
  
  
• Red — An Cor Póilíní Airm
  Póilíní Airm
  The Póilíní Airm is the corps of the Irish Army responsible for the provision of policing service personnel and providing a military police presence to forces while on exercise and deployment. Its tasks increase during wartime to include traffic control organisation and POW and refugee control...
  
  (Military Police)

All personnel (except navy) wear a common capbadge, a sunburst insignia with the letters "FF" inscribed above the left eye of the beret; this is the ancient symbol of the Fianna

Fianna

Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....

, the Irish special forces.

Israel

Israeli Defense Forces soldiers wear berets only on formal occasions, such as ceremonies and roll calls, and in disciplinary situations such as courts martial and imprisonments. The beret is placed beneath the left epaulette

Epaulette

Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the...

. The beret colors are as follows:

• Olive green — General Corps
  Israeli General Corps
  The Israeli General Corps is the Israel Defense Forces authority responsible for those soldiers which do not belong to any corps.It is headed by the head of the Manpower Directorate's Staff Department, current Colonel Michal Ben-Muvhar....
  
  , recruits, units with no other unique beret
• Black — Armored Corps
• Turquoise — Artillery Corps
• Red — Paratroopers Brigade, Special Forces
  Sayeret
  Sayeret , literally means "reconnaissance unit" in the Israel Defense Forces . In practice, these units specialize in commando and other special forces roles, in addition to reconnaissance...
  
   units (Sayeret Matkal
  Sayeret Matkal
  Sayeret Matkal is a special forces unit of the Israel Defence Forces , which is subordinated to the intelligence directorate Aman. First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also...
  
   and others)
• Light green (lime) — Nahal Brigade, Caracal Battalion
  Caracal Battalion
  The Caracal Battalion is an infantry combat battalion of the Israel Defense Forces, composed of both male and female soldiers, of both Jewish and Arab descent. It is named after the Caracal, a small cat whose sexes appear the same. As of 2009, approximately 70% of the battalion was female...
  
  , various educational positions
• Purple — Givati Brigade
  Givati Brigade
  The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
  
  
• Brown — Golani Brigade
  Golani Brigade
  The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
  
  
• Camouflage — Kfir Brigade
• Deep green — Intelligence Directorate
  Aman (IDF)
  The Directorate of Military Intelligence is Israel's central, overarching military intelligence, of the Israel Defense Forces. Aman was created in 1950, when the Intelligence Department was spun off from the IDF's General Staff ; the Intelligence Department itself was composed largely of former...
  
  , Field Intelligence Corps, Border Police
  Israel Border Police
  The Israel Border Police is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav , meaning border guard, whilst its members are colloquially known as Magavnikim . Border Guard is often used as the official name of the...
  
  
• Orange — Home Front Command
• Silver — Combat Engineering Corps
• Blue — Military Police
  Israeli Military Police
  The Military Police Corps of the Israel Defense Forces is the Israeli military police and provost. The military police serves the Manpower Directorate during peace time, and the Technological and Logistics Directorate during war....
  
  
• Deep blue — Navy
• Gray — Air Force
  Israeli Air Force
  The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
  
  

Italy

Italian Army

Italian Army

The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...

 personnel used to wear a garrison cap

Garrison cap

A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...

 alongside the combination cap, until the early 1970s when the garrison cap was replaced by the beret. Until the early 1980s the general Army colour for the beret was khaki, the black being reserved to armoured units. The colours presently used are:

• Maroon — Paratroopers, including Army Incursori
  9th Parachute Assault Regiment
  The 9º Reggimento d'Assalto Paracadutisti ' is the or proudest Special Forces unit of the current Italian Army — in part due to its distinguished history, but also due to the arduous training which members must undertake...
  
  , Carabinieri Tuscania Regiment and Police Parachute units (Display Team and NOCS
  Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza
  The Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza is a special operations division of the Italian state police.-History:In 1974 the Chief of the Polizia di Stato Anti-Terrorism Bureau, Emilio Santillo, announced the necessity to establish a tactical unit with the capability to arrest known terrorists and...
  
  )
• Light Blue — Army Aviation, Airmobile Infantry and Prison Police
  Polizia Penitenziaria
  The Polizia Penitenziaria is a law enforcement agency in Italy.Subordinate to the Italian Ministry of Justice, the Polizia Penitenziaria operate the Italian prison system as corrections officers. It ensures the security of Italian prisons, keeping unauthorized people out and preventing escape by...
  
  
• Black — all Army units, except the above-mentioned ones, and including Navy San Marco Regiment
  San Marco Regiment
  The San Marco Regiment , located in Brindisi, are the marines of the Italian Navy. Until the middle of the 1990s the unit was known as the “San Marco Battalion” , until it was expanded beyond battalion size because of the new geopolitical situation after the end of the Cold War and an increasing...
  
  
• Green — Navy (COMSUBIN GOI Incursori), Guardia di Finanza (GICO and ATPI) and "Reggimento Lagunari Serenissima", amphibious troops of Italian Army
• Medium Blue - Navy (COMSUBIN GOS Divers)
• Teal blue — Air Force guards
• Tan — Air Force Incursori (RIAM
  17º Stormo Incursori
  The 17º Stormo Incursori is the Italian Air Force Special Forces unit. It is the younger special force created in Italy. It is based in Furbara, near Rome and part of the Comando interforze per le Operazioni delle Forze Speciali...
  
  )
• Red — Carabinieri
  Carabinieri
  The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
  
   Hunters
• Grey — Guardia di Finanza and Corpo Forestale dello Stato
  Corpo Forestale dello Stato
  The State Forestry Corps is a national police agency in Italy.It was established on 15 October 1822 by Charles Felix of Sardinia as "Amministrazione forestale per la custodia e la vigilanza dei boschi".An agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the CFS acts...
  
  
• Blue — Polizia di Stato
  Polizia di Stato
  The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
  
  
• Dark Blue (Turchino) - Carabinieri
  Carabinieri
  The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
  
  

Japan

All members in the Ground Self-Defense Force are authorized to wear wool rifle green berets - referred to as the "ベレー帽" (ベレーボウ　or bereebou) - as an optional head covering for dress, working and camouflage uniforms since 1992. However, it is normally considered a special dress item, worn for public relations events or parades. An embroidered goldwork cap badge representing the JGSDF logo identical to the one used on the service dress peaked cap

Peaked cap

A peaked cap, forage cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations and also by many uniformed civilian organizations such as law enforcement agencies...

 is required by regulation to be affixed to the beret.

Jordan

The beret colours worn by the Jordanian Army are as follows:

• Chocolate brown - Infantry
• Maroon — Special Forces
• Black — Armoured Corps
• Green — Royal Guards
• Dark Blue - Artillery
• Mid-blue - Engineers
• Red — Military police
• Grey Blue - Air Force

Kenya

The beret colours worn by the Kenya Army are as follows;

• Black — Armoured Corps
• Green — Paratroopers.
• Red — Military police.
• Dark Blue - All other Arms and Corps

Latvia

The beret colours worn by the Latvian Army are as follows:

• Olive-green — Parliament and President's Security Service Unit
• Red — Military police
• Black - All other Arms and Corps

Lebanon

All units, in the Lebanese Armed Forces wear berets when not in combat mode (Helmet), training camp (cap) or formal uniform (formal hat).

The Lebanese Army, unlike most militaries, wears the beret slanted (pulled down) on the left side as the Army embelm is positioned to the right alligned with the right eye brow.

• Pigment Green - The Fast Intervention Bettalions (SF)(5)
• Brown
  Brown
  Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
  
   Airborn Bettalion (SF)(1).
• Red
  Red
  Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
  
   - Military Police.
• Black
  Black
  Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
  
   - Republican Gaurd Bregade (Presidential Gaurd).
• Bordeaux red/Maroon - Rangers Bettalion (SF), Navy Rangers Bettalion (SF)(Seals).
• Black
  Black
  Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
  
   - Anti-terrorism Unit (SF)(Military Intellegence pronounced in Arabic 'MOKAFAHA' and Strike Force).
• Dark Blue — The 11 Bregades, Cadets and the rest of the Army.

Lithuania

• Maroon — National Defence Volunteer Forces
• Scarlet — Military Police
• Green — Military Land Force
• Green — Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade
  Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade
  Motorised Infantry Brigade "Iron Wolf" is the core unit of the Lithuanian Army and forms the country's contribution to NATO collective defence...
  
  

Malaysia

Berets are worn by some units of the Malaysian Armed Forces. The colours presently used are:

• Maroon — Malaysian Army
  Malaysian Army
  The Malaysian Army 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 Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Navy...
  
   10 Paratrooper Brigade
• Sherwood Green — Army Special Forces (Grup Gerak Khas
  Grup Gerak Khas
  The Grup Gerak Khas is a special forces regiment of the Malaysian Army which conducts special operations missions for the Malaysian government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sabotage, counter-terrorism, and intelligence gathering...
  
  )
• Dark green — Infantry and Intelligent
• Blue - All Corps except Infantry and Intelligent
• Light blue - Army Aviation
• Sky blue — Air Force elite PASKAU
  Paskau
  Paskau may refer to:* PASKAU, a special forces unit of the Royal Malaysian Air Force* the town of Paskov in the Czech Republic...
  
  (Special Air Service) and regular aviation
• Dark blue — Royal Malaysian Navy
  Royal Malaysian Navy
  The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
  
  
• Purple — Naval
  Royal Malaysian Navy
  The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
  
   elite PASKAL troops
• Black - Royal Armor Corps

Maldives

The beret colours worn by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) are as follows:

• Maroon — Special Forces.
• Red — Military Police.
• Green — Marines and other support units.
• Black — Parade Beret.

Mali

The beret colours worn by the Malian Armed Forces are as follows:

• Maroon — Paratroopers.
• Brown — Republican Guard.
• Green — Infantry and other army units.
• Dark blue — Air Force

Mexico

In the Mexican Army

Mexican Army

The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...

, the beret is worn by:

• Green - High Command GAFE (Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando
  Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando
  The Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando is a special operations unit of the Mexican Army. It's a group with no more than 100 members, carefully selected from the Mexican Army Special Forces Corps and specially trained in counter-terrorist tactics...
  
  )
• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Black — Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
  Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
  The Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales or more commonly known as Fuerzas Especiales/Special Forces is a special forces unit of the Mexican Army's Special Forces Corps, trained by the world's special forces. There are a total of nine battalions, one High Command GAFE unit and one other group...
  
   (GAFE)

In the Mexican Navy

Mexican Navy

The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...

:

• Black — Paratroopers

Mongolia

In 2002, new army uniforms were introduced to the Mongolian armed forces and along with new uniform design, dark green berets were issued to all personnel. According to the rules, all military berets are pushed to the right and displays "Soyombo" symbol in middle of golden oak leafs in the right side. Berets are worn by Mongolian Police since 1994. Police berets are deferent from the army beret in color and in shape, while it is pushed to the left while army berets are pushed to the right.

• Dark green - All branches of Armed forces
• Red - Internal troops.
• Dark blue - National emergency troops (rescuers)
• Black - Police unit (pushed to the left)

Netherlands

When the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces

Military of the Netherlands

The Armed forces of the Netherlands consist of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.The service branches consist of:* Koninklijke Landmacht , Royal Netherlands Army....

 acquired new modernised uniforms (designed by the Dutch couturier Frans Molenaar

Frans Molenaar

Frans Molenaar is a Dutch fashion designer.He studied to become a tailor in Amsterdam from 1955–1958. After his studies he did an internship with Charles Montaigne in Paris from 1959–1960 and worked for Gerard Pipart at Nina Ricci also in Paris from 1961–1964.In 1967 he started his own business...

) in 2000, the berets changed as well. Since 2004, soldiers of the Royal Netherlands Army

Royal Netherlands Army

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...

 have worn a petrol (blue-green) beret, whereas previously they wore brown.

The following colours are also used (before and after the modernisation):
Navy:

• Dark blue (near black) with a gold color/ subdued metal anchor on a red flash — Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
• Dark blue (near black) with a gold color metal anchor on a black flash — Royal Netherlands Navy
  Royal Netherlands Navy
  The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
  
  
• Dark blue (near black) with a silver color metal anchor on a Blue flash — (Security Royal Netherlands Marine)

Army:

• Green (The Green Beret) — Commandos of the Korps Commandotroepen
  Korps Commandotroepen
  The Korps Commandotroepen are the elite special forces of the Royal Netherlands Army. It is one of the two principal units tasked with special operations in the Netherlands , and it is deployable anywhere in the world under any circumstance, conducting all conceivable missions from...
  
  
• Maroon (The Red Beret) — Airmobile troops of the 11 Air Manoeuvre Brigade"11 Luchtmobiele Brigade(Air Assault)"
• Black — Armour and Cavalry
• Petrol (blue-green)— Royal Netherlands Army
  Royal Netherlands Army
  The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...
  
  

Note: The only Dutch military unit that do not wear a beret are the Gele Rijders (Horse Artillery), who wear a blue garrison cap with yellow trimming.

Air Force:

• Grey-blue — Royal Netherlands Air Force
  Royal Netherlands Air Force
  The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
  
  

Military Police:

• Bright blue — with emblemKoninklijke Marechaussee
  Koninklijke Marechaussee
  The Koninklijke Marechaussee, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, abbreviated to KMar, is one of the four Services of the armed forces of the Netherlands...
  
  (Royal Gendarmerie)

Other:

• UN blue — All military members of the United Nations
  United Nations
  The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
  
  
• Brickred — All military members of the Multinational Force and Observers
  Multinational Force and Observers
  The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.-Background:...
  
  
• Dark blue — 1(GE/NL)Corps (Eerste Duits-Nederlandse Legerkorps)

All regiments and services have their own distinctive colours. There are quite a lot, but the number of colours in the logistic services was reduced in 2001. This colour is shown in a patch of cloth behind the beret flash. The intendance (maroon), transport troops (blue), — ' military administration (pink; hence the nickname 'Pink Mafia'), technical service (black), and medical troops and service (green) lost their colours and all now wear yellow patches.
(In 2010, the components recovered their color. except the administration they got the crimson color)

• Infantry — Red, except:
  • Grenadier Guards — Red with blue border
  • Rifle Guards — Green with yellow border
  • Fusilier Guards — Orange with blue border
  • Regiment van Heutsz — Black with orange border
  • Limburg Rifles Regiment — Green with maroon border
• Korps Commandotroepen — Black with dark green border
• Cavalry (Armour) — Blue with white, red or orange border
• Cavalry (Reconnaissance) — Blue with black border
• Artillery — Black with red border
• Engineers — Brown
• Signals — Blue with white border
• Logistics — Yellow
• Legal Affairs — Black with white border
• Psychological and Sociological Service — Red
• Protestant Chaplains — Black
• Catholic Chaplains — Blue
• Jewish Chaplains — Black
• Humanist Society Chaplains — Bright green
• Hindu Chaplains — Bright blue
• Troops in Initial Training — Red
• Royal Military Academy Cadets — Red with yellow border
• Physical Training Instructors — Blue
• Technical Staff — Maroon

New Zealand

All Battalions in the New Zealand Army

New Zealand Army

The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...

 wear rifle green berets, except for the Special Air Service

Special Air Service of New Zealand

The New Zealand Special Air Service was formed on 7 July 1955 and is a special forces unit of the New Zealand Army modelled on the British Special Air Service . The New Zealand Government states that NZ SAS is the "premier combat unit of the New Zealand Defence Force". Its key roles are to...

, who wear a sand colour. Personnel of the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

 wear black. Royal New Zealand Air Force

Royal New Zealand Air Force

The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

  personnel do not wear berets.

Norway

The Norwegian armed forces use the beret as a garrison cap, but some units (mostly armored vehicle personnel) also use it in the field. The Norwegian beret and all other headwear except those of the Navy

Royal Norwegian Navy

The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...

 and His Majesty The King's Guard

Hans Majestet Kongens Garde

Hans Majestet Kongens Garde is a battalion of the Norwegian Army. The battalion has two main roles; it serves as the Norwegian King's bodyguards, guarding the royal residences and Akershus Fortress in Oslo, and is also the main infantry unit responsible for the defence of...

 always have the current king's cipher as a badge in gold (most of the army) or silver (the air force); currently this is a numeral 5 inside an H, for "Harald V"

Harald V of Norway

Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...

. The navy has a crowned gold anchor for their enlisted personnel, a crowned gold anchor surrounded by a circle of rope for their petty officers, and a crowned golden anchor surrounded by leaved branches for officers. The colours used are:

• Royal blue — Brigade Nord
  Brigade Nord
  Brigade Nord is the only brigade in the Norwegian Army. It is mostly based in mid-Troms north of the Arctic Circle. Until 2009, the brigade was part of the 6th Division.-Units:...
  
   (except cavalry troops, intelligence troops and military police)
• Umbra green — Intelligence Battalion and Border Guards
• Black — Cavalry
• Khaki — Norwegian Army 2nd Battalion
  Norwegian Army 2nd Battalion
  2nd Battalion is an infantry unit of the Norwegian Army, based at camp Skjold in Troms county in Northern Norway. It serves in the mechanized infantry role as part of Brigade Nord; the battalion is one of three that Norwegian battalions performing this role, along with being Telemark Battalion and...
  
  
• Emerald green — Telemark Battalion
  Telemark Battalion
  The Telemark Bataljon is a mechanised infantry unit of the Norwegian Army. It was established in 1993, and is a part of Brigade Nord and stationed at Rena, Hedmark...
  
  
• Maroon — Army Ranger Command
  Hærens Jegerkommando
  Hærens Jegerkommando is a special forces unit of the Norwegian military. It is the armed forces competence center for commando, airborne and counter terrorist duty in the Norwegian Army. Its headquarters are located 30 km...
  
  
• Red — Military police
• Olive green — other army units & Home Guard
• Olive green with silver badge — recruits in His Majesty's The Kings Guards
  Hans Majestet Kongens Garde
  Hans Majestet Kongens Garde is a battalion of the Norwegian Army. The battalion has two main roles; it serves as the Norwegian King's bodyguards, guarding the royal residences and Akershus Fortress in Oslo, and is also the main infantry unit responsible for the defence of...
  
  ; Krigsskolen
• Dark blue — Royal Norwegian Navy
  Royal Norwegian Navy
  The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
  
  
• Air force blue — Royal Norwegian Air Force
  Royal Norwegian Air Force
  The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
  
   Base Defence Units
• Air force light blue — Royal Norwegian Air Force
  Royal Norwegian Air Force
  The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
  
   Air Defence Artillery Units

The special operations units of the Navy wear the same berets as the rest of the navy. However they have a coloured patch behind the cap badge, the colour of which determines the unit:

• Green — Marinejegerkommandoen
  Marinejegerkommandoen
  Marinejegerkommandoen is a Norwegian maritime special forces unit. It was formally established in 1951. It is located in Ramsund in the northern part of Norway and at Haakonsvern Naval Base in Bergen...
  
  
• Blue — Minedykkerkommandoen
  Minedykkerkommandoen
  Minedykkerkommandoen is Norway's clearance diver group. It is a branch of the Norwegian naval defenses specializing in explosive ordnance disposal. MDK is subordinate to Minekrigsflotiljen , which is a division of the Norwegian Navy...
  
  
• Maroon — Kystjegerkommandoen
  Kystjegerkommandoen
  Kystjegerkommandoen is a Norwegian amphibious unit trained to operate in littoral combat theatres, filling the role of a marine corps and coastal artillery....
  
  
• Red - Military Police
  Military police
  Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
  
  

Pakistan

• Rifle green — Frontier Force Regiment
  Frontier Force Regiment
  For Pakistan's Border Guard see: Frontier CorpsThe Frontier Force Regiment is one of six Infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. At present, the regiment consists of 67 battalions and has its regimental depot at Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. For that reason Abbottabad is also known as Home of...
  
  , Defence Services Guards
• Rifle green with cherry color patch behind the badge - Baloch Regiment
  Baloch Regiment
  The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
  
  
• Green with Green Plume — Punjab Regiment
  Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
  The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
  
  
• Cherry Pink with a red feather hackle — Sindh Regiment
  Sindh Regiment
  The Sind Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army established on 1 July 1980. Prior to this date there had been no regiment in the Pakistan Army specifically intended to recruit primarily from the Sindhi population. It was created by the transfer of eleven battalions of The Punjab...
  
  
• Green with red patch behind badge — Azad Kashmir Regiment
  Azad Kashmir Regiment
  The Azad Kashmir Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of Pakistan Army. Its Regimental Centre is located at Mansar, Attock District, Punjab.The Azad Kashmir Regular Forces, established in 1947, were armed and supported by Pakistani government...
  
  
• Chitrali Style with White Feather — Northern Light Infantry
  Northern Light Infantry
  The Northern Light Infantry is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Pakistan Army. Headquartered in Gilgit, the capital of Northern Areas, Pakistan, it is the main force protecting the strategically important northern areas of Pakistan. The majority of this regiment's personnel come from native...
  
  
• Black — Regiments of Armored Corps
• Dark Blue — Regiment of Artillery
  Regiment of Artillery
  The Regiment of Artillery is an operational arm of the Indian Army. Formerly part of Royal Indian Artillery of British Indian Army which itself traces its origins to the formation of Bombay Artillery in 1827...
  
  , Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Corps of Signals
• Maroon — Army Air Defence, Army Aviation Corps
• Light Blue — Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers
  Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers
  The Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, , is an active military administrative staff corps, and a major science and technology command of the Pakistan Army...
  
  , Army Services Corps
• Red — Pakistan Army Medical Corps
  Pakistan Army Medical Corps
  The Pakistan Army Medical Corps, Urdu: ﺁرمى مڈيكل كور; Army medical Core, abbreviated as the AMC, is a military administrative non-combatant staff corps, and a primary military medical command of the Pakistan Army. Initially part of the Indian Army Medical Corps, it was born in 1947 and served...
  
  , Military Police
  Military police
  Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
  
  
• Dark Maroon - Special Service Group (SSG)
• Green with Red Plume - Pakistan Military Academy Cadets

• Dark Blue - Worn by the General Staff officers (rank of Colonel
  Colonel
  Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
  
   and above) irrespective of their Regimental association.

Philippines

Philippine Army

• Army green with PA flash - Philippine Army Units
• Army green with SOCOM flash - Philippine Army Special Operations Command
• Olive drab with FSFR flash - Philippine Army Special Forces
• Olive green with LRB flash - Philippine Army Light Reaction Battalion
• Black with FSRR flash - First Scout Ranger Regiment
• Black with LAD flash - Philippine Army Light Armor Division
• Black with PSG flash - Philippine Army units assigned to the Presidential Security Group

Philippine Air Force

• Dark blue with PAF seal - Philippine Air Force base security personnel
• Camouflage with PAF seal- Philippine Air Force pararescue
• Black with SPOW flash - Philippine Air Force 710th Special Operations Wing
• Black with PSG flash - Philippine Air Force units assigned to the Presidential Security Group

• UN blue - AFP personnel assigned to UN Peacekeeping

Poland

Black berets were introduced before World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 for tank and armoured car crews. During World War II, berets were widely adopted in the Polish Army on the Western Front

Western Front (World War II)

The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...

, armored troops - black, airborne - grey, commando - green. After the war in the communist era, berets were worn only by armoured units (black), navy for field and work uniform (black), paratroopers (maroon), and marines (light blue). After 1990, the beret became the standard headgear in the Armed Forces of Republic of Poland. Around the year 2000 the design of the Polish Army Beret changed, the beret sewn together from three pieces of material with four air holes, two at each side was changed to a smaller beret molded

Molding (process)

Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....

 from one piece of material with no air holes.
The following colours are in use:

• Light Blue — Marines
• Black — Armored and artillery troops, Navy
  Polish Navy
  The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
  
   (for field and work uniform), Special Forces Command
• Brown — Territorial Defense
• Green — Army general use
• Dark Green - 1st Special Commando Regiment
  1st Special Commando Regiment
  The 1 Pułk Specjalny Komandosów, 1 PSK is one of the three special operations forces currently operating within the Polish military's structure, Special Forces of Poland....
  
   (1PSK)
• Maroon — Airborne troops
• Scarlet — Military Police (Gendarmerie)
• Steel grey — Air force
  Polish Air Force
  The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
  
  
• Grey — Operational Mobile Reaction Group (GROM)
  GROM
  GROM is one of five special forces units of the Polish Armed Forces. It was officially activated on July 8, 1990...
  
  

Berets in other units

• Light Green — Border Guards
• Navy Blue — Police anti terrorist units
• Green — Strzelec paramilitary units
• Sapphire Blue
  Sapphire (color)
  Sapphire is a saturated shade of blue, referring to the gem of the same name. Sapphire gems are most commonly found in a range of blue shades...
  
    — Government Protection Bureau
  Biuro Ochrony Rzadu
  The Government Protection Bureau is Poland's equivalent of the United States Secret Service, providing antiterrorism and VIP security services for the Polish government.-Subjects of protection:* President of the Republic of Poland...
  
   and disbanded Vistula Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

The black beret is also the distinctive headgear of World War II veterans, particularly Armia Krajowa

Armia Krajowa

The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...

 veterans.

The dress code of the Polish armed forces states than when not worn on the head or kept in a locker the beret should be placed under the left shoulder loop.

Portugal

In the Portuguese Armed Forces

Portuguese Armed Forces

The armed forces of Portugal, commonly known as the Portuguese Armed Forces encompasses a Navy , an Army and an Air Force...

, the following berets are in use:

• Emerald green — Paratroopers
  Parachute Troops School
  The ETP - Escola de Tropas Páraquedistas , based in Tancos, Portugal, is a unit of the Portuguese Army and serves as the instruction center for recruitment and training of the Portuguese paratroopers...
  
  
• Brown — Army
  Portuguese Army
  The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
  
   general use
• Black — Cavalry (except Cavalry Paratroopers), including Military Police
  Portuguese Army Police
  The Army Police , usually called the Lanceiros, is the provost of the Portuguese Army — being the speciality designated as Polícia Militar between 1953 and 1976...
  
  
• Red — Commandos
  Commandos
  Commandos is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game series, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game is set in the Second World War and follows the escapades of a fictional British Commandos section. It leans heavily on historical events during WWII to carry the plot...
  
  
• Grass green — Special Operations Forces
• Blue — Navy
  Portuguese Navy
  The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
  
   general use
• Navy blue — Marines
  Portuguese Marine Corps
  The Portuguese Marine Corps are a special operations force unit in the Portuguese Navy. The corps is specialised in amphibious warfare, coastal reconnaissance, maritime interdiction and boarding operations...
  
  
• Sky blue — Air Force Police
  Polícia Aérea
  The Polícia Aérea are a Special Forces unit, a Police unit from Portuguese Air Force. The primary mission of the Air Police is to guarantee the security and immediate defense of the Air Force units in the Portuguese territory. Outside the national territory, it exerts its mission of supporting...
  
  
• Navy blue with a green strip on the lower half — Republican National Guard
  Portuguese Republican National Guard
  The term Republican National Guard may refer to:*Italian National Republican Guard*Portuguese National Republican Guard...
  
   (GNR) Infantry Regiment Operational Battalion (public order and special operations units)

Until 1975, the following berets were also in use:

• Yellow — Special Groups
  Special Groups (Portugal)
  The Special Groups were small military units, set up from 1966 to 1974 by the Portuguese Armed Forces in Angola and in Mozambique. Later Paratrooper Special Groups were formed, units able to conduct airborne operations...
  
  
• Maroon — Paratrooper Special Groups
  Special Groups (Portugal)
  The Special Groups were small military units, set up from 1966 to 1974 by the Portuguese Armed Forces in Angola and in Mozambique. Later Paratrooper Special Groups were formed, units able to conduct airborne operations...
  
  
• Camouflage — "Flechas
  Flechas
  Flechas were a Portuguese special forces unit created during the Portuguese Colonial War. Flechas were platoon-sized units consisting of local tribesmen and rebel defectors who specialised in tracking, reconnaissance and pseudo-terrorist operations...
  
  " and Guinea 3rd Commando Company
• White — Volunteer Aerial Formations

Rhodesia

Until majority rule ended its existence in 1980, the Rhodesian Security Forces wore the beret as the primary working dress and service dress headgear. Berets were colored according to unit or service branch, with a distinctive regimental cap badge pinned above the left eye.

• Dark Green — Rhodesia Rgt, Rhodesian African Rifles
• Tartan Green — Rhodesian Light Infantry (Commando)
• Sand — Rhodesian SAS (Special Air Services)
• Brown — Selous Scouts
• Gray — Grey's Scouts
• Black — Rhodesian Armored Car Rgt
• Dark Blue — those units without a distinctive beret
• Blue-gray — Rhodesian Air Force
• Brown — Rhodesian Guard Force
• Cherry Red
  Cerise (color)
  -Etymology:According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of cerise as a color name in English was in The Times of November 30, 1858. However, it was used at least as early as 1845 in a book of crochet patterns....
  
    — Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Bright Blue — Psychological Operations
• Maroon — Medical Corps

Romania

• Red — Infantry
• Black — Anti-air Artillery and Missiles, Artillery, Military Automobile Troops (automobilişti militari), Tanks, Communication and Informatics structures, Engineers, Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) Defense and Naval Forces
• Green — Mountain Troops (or Mountain Hunters, Vânători de Munte)
• Maroon — Paratroopers
• Light blue — Air Force and Radar Troops (radiolocaţie)
• Gray — Military Police
• Violet — Military Logistics, or administration (intendenţă)
• Dark red (bordeaux red) — Military Medicine
• Red — Military Music
• Dark blue — Military Justice

Serbia

The Serbian Armed Forces

Military of Serbia

The Serbian Armed Forces are the armed services of Serbia. They consist of the Serbian Army and the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence...

 wear berets in the following colours:

• Green — Army
• Black — Military Police
• Maroon — Special Forces
• Steel blue — Air Force
  Serbian Air Force
  The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence is the air force of Serbia and service branch of the Serbian Armed Forces. Established in 1912, it is one of the oldest air forces in the world.-History:...
  
  
• Navy blue — Navy
  River Flotilla of Serbian Armed Forces
  The Serbian River flotilla is the specific unit of the Serbian Land Forces with the task of keeping and optimum operational regime of sailing and of protection of Serbian interests in interior sailing corridors, which consists of rivers and canals with a total length of 1,626 km...
  
  

Singapore

The Singapore Armed and Police Forces adopts the beret as their standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:

• Green — Infantry
  Singapore Infantry Regiment
  The Singapore Infantry Regiment is the main formation of the Singapore Army. It consists of eight full-time battalions and a number of National Service , or Reservist battalions.-History:...
  
  
• Black — Armour
• Khaki — Guards
  Singapore Guards
  In the Singapore Armed Forces, the Guards are an elite infantry formation specializing in rapid deployment. Guards are known as elite heliborne troopers. They are well trained in heliborne operations and specialist combat skills that give them an added combat edge...
  
  , Gurkha Contingent
  Gurkha Contingent
  The Gurkha Contingent is a line department of the Singapore Police Force. Members of the GC are trained to be highly-skilled and are selected for their display of strong discipline and dedication in their tasks...
  
  
• Red — Commandos
  Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation
  The Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation is an elite branch of the Singapore Armed Forces . An offensive unit, it specialises in pre-emptive operations involving small groups of specially trained soldiers in enemy territory...
  
  , PTU
  Police Tactical Unit (Singapore)
  The Police Tactical Unit is a paramilitary specialist unit of the Singapore Police Force and comes under the direct command of the Special Operations Command. Based in Queenstown, it is the main anti-rioting and disaster-management unit of the police force. They are also called upon to handle...
  
  
• Dark Blue — Combat Support (such as Signals
  Singapore Signals
  The Signals Formation of the Singapore Armed Forces is a combat support arm tasked with providing communication on multiple platforms and local networking within the battlefield, as well as with supporting the SAF's third generation transformation efforts by developing the capacity for...
  
  , Artillery
  Singapore Artillery
  The Singapore Artillery is a formation of the Singapore Army. It consists of four regular battalions and a number of National Service and Reservist battalions. The primary role of the Artillery is to deliver timely, accurate and effective fire in support of the manoeuvre force to accomplish its...
  
  , Combat Engineers
  Singapore Combat Engineers
  The Singapore Combat Engineers is one of the combat arms of the Singapore Army. Combat Engineers provide mobility by bridging gaps and clearing minefields to facilitate speedy advance of troops into enemy territory, and counter-mobility by constructing obstacles such as anti-tank ditches to impede...
  
  , Medical Corps
  SAF Medical Training Institute
  The SAF Medical Training Institute has been the home and the cradle of the Singapore Armed Forces medic since its early days as the Medical Orderlies Training School and the School of Military Medicine .SMTI's primary role is to provide...
  
  , Transport and Logistics), Navy
  Republic of Singapore Navy
  The Republic of Singapore Navy is the naval component of the Singapore Armed Forces , responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communications. Operating within the crowded littoral waters of the Singapore Strait, the RSN is regarded as...
  
   & Police
• Air Force Blue — Republic of Singapore Air Force (contrary to its name, the beret is closer to green in color)
• Light Grey — TransCom

The berets are all adorned with the Singapore Armed Forces coat of arms, with the exception of the Air Force beret, Military Police beret, navy beret and police

Singapore Police Force

The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...

 beret which are adorned with their respective cap-badge. Officers in the navy have a different cap-badge from the enlisted men. Officers of the rank of colonel and above have a different cap-badge.

• National Cadet Corps (Land)- Green
• National Cadet Corps (Air)- Blue
• National Cadet Corps (Sea)- Black
• National Police Cadet Corps- Dark Blue

All berets have the National Cadet Corps

National Cadet Corps (Singapore)

The National Cadet Corps is a youth organisation in Singapore. As of December 2010, it had a total strength of 19877 members. This consists of 823 Officers, 726 Cadet Officers and 17157 cadets, amongst others.The NCC is represented in 144 Secondary Schools and there are a total 176 School...

 or National Police Cadet Corps

National Police Cadet Corps

The National Police Cadet Corps is the largest uniformed group for youths in Singapore in terms of membership. As of 31 March 2004, the organisation has 596 teacher officers and 20,146 student members in 155 secondary schools, 2 polytechnics open units and 2 University Open Units.With the support...

 crest on the front.

Slovakia

• Black - tank forces, army air defense
• Dark green - units of high readiness, immediately reaction battalion
• Maroon - paratrooper units,5.regiment of special assignment(airborne)
• Dark blue - military police
• Light blue - united nation peace keeping forces, training unit for peace keeping mission

Slovenia

• Black — armour
• Rifle Green - Special forces
• Green — Military Police
• Black - Armour units
• Maroon - motorised infantry/Paratroopers
• Dark blue — Navy units
• Light blue — Air force
• Grey - Mountain units
• Sand - NBC units
• Red - Guard unit

South Africa

The South African Army

South African Army

The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...

 wears the beret as its standard headgear. The different color divisions are as follows:

• Dark Green — infantry
  South African Infantry Corps
  The South African Infantry Corps is the largest combat corps within the South African Army.The unit originated as the Infantry Branch of the Union Defence Forces in 1913....
  
  
• Black — Armour, Intelligence, Technical Services Corps
• Orange — Military Police
• Dark Maroon (Plum) — 44 Parachute Regiment
  South African 44 Parachute Regiment
  44 Parachute Regiment is the South African Army's chief airborne infantry unit. It was created in 2000 by redesignating 44 Parachute Brigade, and is based at the Tempe military base near Bloemfontein.-History:...
  
  , Special Forces Regiment
• Dark blue — Artillery
  South African Army Artillery Formation
  The South African Army Artillery Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army artillery units.-Regular units:* Artillery Formation Headquarters* School of Artillery* 4 Artillery Regiment...
  
  , Engineers
• Light blue — Logistical Corps
• Light Orange — Personnel, Legal Service
• Beige - SA Corps of Signals

The berets are all adorned with the unit's insignia. Some of the traditional units wear other headgear - for example, the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment

Cape Town Highlanders Regiment

The Cape Town Highlanders Regiment is a mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit.-History:...

 and the band of the South African Military Health Service

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...

.

Outside of Army, the South African Military Health Service

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...

 wear red berets. The South African Special Forces Brigade

South African Special Forces Brigade

The South African Special Forces Brigade is the only Special Forces unit of the South African National Defence Force ....

 which is a separate entity, not part of the army, also wear the Maroon beret

Maroon beret

The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...

 which is traditional for elite units in the western world.

South Korea

Berets are mostly limited to the elite units of the South Korean Military

Military of South Korea

The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...

, including:

• Black — Army
  Republic of Korea Army
  The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
  
   Special Warfare Command (adorned with the Airborne badge), Reserve Officer Training Corps, KATUSA
  KATUSA
  KATUSA stands for Korean Augmentation To the United States Army. Qualified Korean draftees who demonstrate a high level of English fluency and aptitude via a standardized written exam may apply for a KATUSA slot...
  
   (Korean Augmentation to the United States Army)
• Red — Air Force
  Republic of Korea Air Force
  The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
  
   Combat Control Team (CCT)
• Maroon — Air Force Special Air Rescue Team (SART)
• Green — Marine Corps
  Republic of Korea Marine Corps
  The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
  
   Force Reconnaissance
• Camouflage — Navy UDT/SEAL Team and Army and Marine Corps
  Republic of Korea Marine Corps
  The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
  
   armoured units

Other than these units, several secret commando units (mostly disbanded in the mid-1990s, among them the "Unit 684

Unit 684

209th Detachment, 2325th Group, commonly known as Unit 684, was a black operation team of Republic of Korea Air Force whose only given task was to assassinate North Korea's premier Kim Il-sung.-Formation:...

" which became infamous for its mutiny) formed to infiltrate North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 days wore black berets and adorned them with the badges of individual units. Korean liaison soldiers serving in the U.S. Eighth Army

U.S. Eighth Army

The Eighth United States Army – often unofficially abbreviated EUSA – is the commanding formation of all US Army troops in South Korea.-World War II:...

 (KATUSA) have also been wearing black berets along with American uniforms since that beret became a standard headgear of the U.S. Army in 2001.

As of 2006, there have been several proposals within the Korean Ministry of Defense to replace the current field cap with a dark-coloured beret as the standard army headgear.

South Vietnam (defunct)

American advisers assigned to these units wore the berets.

• Red — paratroopers,
• Green — marines, LLDB
  Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces
  The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces were the elite military units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam . Following the establishment of the Republic of Vietnam in October 1955, the Special Forces were formed at Nha Trang in February 1956...
  
  
• Maroon — rangers
• Black — Navy Junk Force
• Black — palace guards
• Tan
  Tan beret
  The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
  
   — political officers

Spain

• Maroon - 1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ
  1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ
  The King's Own Immemorial 1st Infantry Regiment of the Spanish Army is considered to be the oldest armed unit in the world. There is certain proof of this and according to what the chronicles mention, King Ferdinand III, "The Saint," in 1248, during the conquest of Seville, with some of his...
  
  
• Black - Airborne Brigade (BRIPAC), Mechanized Division "Brunete", Air Force Police
• Green - special operations units (MOE
  Special Operations Command (Spain)
  The Special Operations Command is the command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Groups of the Spanish Army.-Organization:The three Special Operations Groups are subordinated:...
  
  , UOE, EZAPAC)
• Mustard - Military Emergencies Unit (UME)
• Dark Green - Mountain Brigade
• Royal Blue - royal Guard, Army Helicopters (FAMET)
• Grey - BRILAT
• Red - General Military Academy
• White - Mountain brigade and NCO's Academy
• Khaki - Infantry

Sri Lanka

• Maroon — Army Commando Regiment
  Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment
  The Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment is an elite special operations unit which is a Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. Within one of the four Army Commando Regiments there is a 140-man counter-terrorist unit that provides the primary Counter-terrorism response for Sri Lanka...
  
  
• Black — Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
  Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
  The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps is currently a collection of six regular regiments and a volunteer regiment. It has an independent Armoured Brigade and provides the armour capability of the Sri Lankan Army, with vehicles such as the T-55, T-55AM2, and Type 69 main battle tanks, the BMP infantry...
  
  , Army Special Forces Regiment
  Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
  The Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment is the elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This Regiment is specialized in hard-hitting shock action. The Special Forces Regiment has the distinction of taking part in almost all major offensives conducted by the Army since 1986. Their motto...
  
  , Navy Special Boat Squadron, Air Force Regiment Special Force
  Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment Special Force
  Regiment Special Force is an elite Special Forces unit of the Sri Lanka Air Force, part of the SLAF Regiment. This was formerly Air Base Defence Rescue Squadron established on 7 July 2003...
  
  
• Green and Purple - By other regiments in the Sri Lanka Army.

Sweden

The beret is used in the various armed forces

Swedish Armed Forces

The Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...

 of Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. The colours used are:

• Black — armoured/mechanised units, Life Guard regiment infantry.
• Maroon — Parachute Ranger School (FJS)
• Scarlet — Army - and Navy musicians
• Rifle green — Cavalry, which includes the Army Ranger Battalion, the ISTAR Battalion, Airmobile Battalion, military police and the ceremonial guard. Also worn by the Airforce Ranger School.
• Commando green
  Green beret
  The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...
  
   - Amphibious Corps
• Dark blue — All army units, apart from armoured, cavalry, FJS, musicians and Homeguard. Also worn by all Airforce personnel, except the airforce rangers and aviators.
• Bright blue — Helicopter Flotillia (helicopters)
• Khaki — Home Guard
  Swedish Home Guard
  The Swedish Home Guard is a part of the Swedish Armed Forces. The Home Guard consists of local defence units under the leadership of the armed forces, as well as 23 national auxiliary defence organizations.-History:...
  
  
• Olive green - Special Operations Group (SOG. Special Forces)

Switzerland

Since 1995, when it replaced the grey side cap, the beret is worn with the dress uniform and with the personally issued battle dress uniform by all Swiss soldiers

Military of Switzerland

The Swiss Armed Forces perform the roles of Switzerland's militia and regular army. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of military personnel; the rest are male citizen conscripts 19 to 34 years old...

. In training, a camouflage-colored field cap is worn instead.

The colours used are:

• Black — armoured and mechanised units; signals and headquarters troops; NBC specialists; intelligence, military justice and general staff personnel
• Green — infantry, musicians
• Red — artillery
• Deep blue — Air Force
  Swiss Air Force
  The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
  
   (including paratroopers)
• Blue — medical personnel
• Dark red — logistics troops
• Grey — military police
• Light blue — troops on UN missions

Thailand

The beret is used in the various armed forces of Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. The colours used are:

• Maroon — Paratroops, Special Forces
• Khaki green — Army Reserve Force Students
  Army Reserve Force Students
  Army Reserve Force Students are a military youth organization in Thailand under control of the Royal Thai Army.-History:Prior to World War II the Yuwachon Thahan were established in 1934 by Field Marshal Luang Pibulsonggram...
  
  
• Black — all other Army units, Air Force
  Royal Thai Air Force
  The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...
  
  , Thahan Phran
  Thahan Phran
  The Thahan Phran is a paramilitary light infantry force which patrols the borders of Thailand and is part of the Royal Thai Army...
  
  , Paratroop Police, Border Patrol Police
• Camouflage — Royal Thai Marine Corps

The black beret is also worn by ordinary police in certain situations.

Togo

The beret colours worn by the Togolese Army are as follows:

• Black — Armoured Corps.
• Maroon — Para-Commando Regiment.
• Green — Presidential Guard Commando Regiment.
• Dark Blue - All other Arms and Corps

Turkey

• Black — Armoured vehicle personnel
• Light blue — Commandos
• Green — Gendarmerie
• Maroon — Maroon Berets
  Maroon Berets
  Special Forces Command also known as the Maroon Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the Turkish Armed Forces....
  
  

United Kingdom

The British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 beret dates back to 1918 when the French

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

 70th Chasseurs alpins were training with the British Tank Corps

Royal Tank Regiment

The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...

. The Chasseurs alpins wore a distinctive large beret (see above) and Major-General Sir Hugh Elles

Hugh Elles

Lieutenant General Sir Hugh Jamieson Elles KCB KCMG KCVO DSO was a British General and the first commander of the newly formed Tank Corps in the First World War.-Early life:...

, the TC's Colonel, realised this style of headdress would be a practical option for his tank

Tank

A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...

 crews, forced to work in a reduced space. He thought, however, that the Chasseur beret was "too sloppy" and the Basque

Basque people

The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...

-style beret of the French tank crews was "too skimpy", so a compromise based on the Scottish tam o'shanter

Tam o'shanter (hat)

A Tam o' Shanter is a Scottish style hat originally worn by men. The hat is named after a character in a poem written by Robert Burns in 1790...

 was designed and submitted for the approval of George V

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....

 in November 1923. It was adopted in March 1924.

During the Second World War the beret was also adopted by the Commandos

British Commandos

The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...

 and Parachute Regiment. Later in the war, a rather baggier beret-like hat, called a General Service Cap, was issued to all ranks of the British Army (with RAC, parachute, commando, Scottish and Irish units excepted), to replace the earlier Field Service Cap. The GS Cap was not popular, and after the war was replaced with a true beret.

Today, every British military unit wears a beret, with the exception of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and Royal Irish Regiment, who wear the tam o'shanter

Tam o'shanter (hat)

A Tam o' Shanter is a Scottish style hat originally worn by men. The hat is named after a character in a poem written by Robert Burns in 1790...

 and the caubeen

Caubeen

The caubeen is an Irish beret. It was formerly worn by peasants; however, it has since been adopted as the headdress of the Irish regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies, where its formal name is the "Bonnet, Irish, Green".-Name:...

 respectively (the Scots Guards

Scots Guards

The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...

 and Irish Guards

Irish Guards

The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...

, however, wear berets, as frequently do the Royal Irish Regiment on operations). Many of these berets are in distinctive colours and all are worn with the cap badge

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 well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...

 of the service, regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

 or corps

Corps

A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...

. The cap badge for all services in the UK is usually worn directly over the left eye however no regulation about the shape or wearing of the head dress exists.

Beret Colours

The colours are as follows:

• Khaki — Foot Guards
  Foot Guards
  -British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
  
  , Honourable Artillery Company
  Honourable Artillery Company
  The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
  
  , Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
  Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
  "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
  
  , Royal Anglian Regiment
  Royal Anglian Regiment
  The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
  
  , Royal Gibraltar Regiment
  Royal Gibraltar Regiment
  The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
  
  , Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, Royal Welsh
  Royal Welsh
  The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...
  
  , Yorkshire Regiment
  Yorkshire Regiment
  The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
  
  , Mercian Regiment
  Mercian Regiment
  The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
  
  , 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery Royal Artillery
  5th Regiment Royal Artillery
  5th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role equipped with various weapon locating equipment using radars and acoustic sound ranging, it also provides Special Observation Post...
  
  
• Light grey — Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
  Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
  The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. It was formed on 2 July 1971 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, by the amalgamation of the 3rd Carabiniers The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is a cavalry regiment of...
  
  
• Dark grey — Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps is the nursing branch of the British Army and part of the Army Medical Services....
  
  
• Brown — King's Royal Hussars
  King's Royal Hussars
  The King's Royal Hussars is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and was formed on 4 December 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
  
  , Royal Wessex Yeomanry
  Royal Wessex Yeomanry
  The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army consisting of four squadrons, each of which bears the cap badge of an old yeomanry regiment:*B Squadron*A Squadron...
  
  
• Black — Royal Tank Regiment
  Royal Tank Regiment
  The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
  
  , W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron
  Westminster Dragoons
  The Westminster Dragoons are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. One of the Royal Yeomanry's five squadrons, their current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment on operations by providing...
  
  , Royal Yeomanry
  Royal Yeomanry
  The Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron...
  
  
• Rifle green — The Rifles
  The Rifles
  The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
  
  , Royal Gurkha Rifles
  Royal Gurkha Rifles
  The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
  
  , Small Arms School Corps
  Small Arms School Corps
  The Small Arms School Corps is a small corps of the British Army responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms, support weapons and range management.-History:...
  
  , Essex Yeomanry
  Essex Yeomanry
  The Essex Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army raised in 1797. The regiment recruited volunteers from the county of Essex in the East of England.-Origins:...
  
  
• Maroon
  Maroon beret
  The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
  
   — Parachute Regiment, All ranks serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade other than the non Parachute Regiment Infantry Battalion (note that the beret is not restricted to Parachute qualified personnel).
• Beige
  Tan beret
  The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
  
   — Special Air Service
  Special Air Service
  Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
  
   including attached troops who are not SAS-qualified
• Emerald grey - Special Reconnaissance Regiment
  Special Reconnaissance Regiment
  The Special Reconnaissance Regiment or SRR is a Special Forces regiment of the British Armed Forces. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces under command Director Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service , Special Boat Service and the Special...
  
  
• Cambridge blue — Army Air Corps
• Cypress green — Intelligence Corps
• Scarlet — Royal Military Police
  Royal Military Police
  The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
  
  
• Green — Adjutant General's Corps
  Adjutant General's Corps
  The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 people...
  
   (except Royal Military Police, who wear scarlet; Army Legal Services Branch
  Army Legal Services Branch
  The Army Legal Services Branch is a branch of the Adjutant-General's Corps in the British Army. Before 1992, the branch existed as the independent Army Legal Corps ....
  
  , who wear black; and Military Provost Staff, who wear navy blue), Military Provost Guard Service
  Military Provost Guard Service
  The Military Provost Guard Service is a service responsible for maintaining security at British Armed Forces sites in the United Kingdom. It is one of three parts of the Adjutant General's Corps Provost Branch...
  
  
• Dark blue — Generic: worn by all other Army
  British Army
  The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
  
   units (except Scottish and Irish line infantry regiments), Royal Navy
  Royal Navy
  The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
  
  , Royal Marines
  Royal Marines
  The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
  
   who are not commando-qualified (and who wear the Royal Marines capbadge with red backing)
• Commando green
  Green beret
  The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...
  
   — commando
  British Commandos
  The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
  
  -qualified Royal Marines
  Royal Marines
  The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
  
  , Commando qualified personnel of all services serving in Commando
  Commando
  In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
  
   units, Special Boat Service
  Special Boat Service
  The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
  
  
• RAF blue grey — Royal Air Force
  Royal Air Force
  The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
  
   (including RAF Regiment
  RAF Regiment
  The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
  
  ) and Air Cadets (Combined Cadet Force
  Combined Cadet Force
  The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
  
   and Air Training Corps
  Air Training Corps
  The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
  
   )
• UN Blue - personnel serving with the United Nations on peacekeeping missions (with UN Cap Badge)
• White - When the Special Air Service was initially created white berets where authorised but were soon replaced by beige ones. In 2004 the Royal Air Force Police
  Royal Air Force Police
  The Royal Air Force Police is the Service Police branch of the Royal Air Force. It was formed on 1 April 1918, when the RAF was formed by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service . It is responsible for the policing of all service personnel much like there RN or Army...
  
   were denied permission to wear a white beret.

Other Adornments

Some Regiments and Corps wear a coloured backing behind the capbadge. These include:

• Foot Guards
  Foot Guards
  -British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
  
   - Blue Red Blue patch (less the officers of the Scots Guards, who wear a patch of Royal Stewart tartan)
• Honourable Artillery Company
  Honourable Artillery Company
  The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
  
   - Black Circle
• Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
  Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
  "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
  
   - Primrose and Blue Patch
• Royal Anglian Regiment
  Royal Anglian Regiment
  The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
  
   - Small Black 'Tombstone'
• Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps is the nursing branch of the British Army and part of the Army Medical Services....
  
   — Red Patch
• Royal Army Medical Corps
  Royal Army Medical Corps
  The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
  
   - Dull Cherry Oval Patch
• Army Air Corps - Black Patch
• Army Physical Training Corps
  Army Physical Training Corps
  The Royal Army Physical Training Corps is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructors ....
  
   - Patch in Corps Colours
• Royal Marines
  Royal Marines
  The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
  
   'Red Tombstone' (only on dark blue beret worn by those who are not commando-qualified)
• Royal Welsh Regiment
  Royal Welsh Regiment
  The Royal Welsh Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1999 as part of the restructuring of the TA by the amalgamation of the two Welsh TA battalions:*3rd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers...
  
   and Mercian Regiment
  Mercian Regiment
  The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
  
   - Green badge outline and square respectively
• Queen's Royal Lancers - red Patch
• Blues and Royals
  Blues and Royals
  The Blues and Royals is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. The Colonel-in-Chief is Her Majesty The Queen and the Colonel is HRH The Princess Royal...
  
   - Blue and Red striped flash
• Yorkshire Regiment
  Yorkshire Regiment
  The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
  
   - Brunswick (British Racing) Green.
• Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
  Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
  The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. It was formed on 2 July 1971 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, by the amalgamation of the 3rd Carabiniers The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is a cavalry regiment of...
  
   - Black patch (Worn in mourning for Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, who was their Colonel-in-Chief at the time of his murder)

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...

, the only remaining independent fusilier regiment, wears a feather hackle

Hackle

The hackle is a clipped feather plume that is attached to a military headdress.In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries the hackle is worn by some infantry regiments, especially those designated as fusilier regiments and those with Scottish and Northern Irish origins. The...

 on the beret. Other ranks of the Royal Welsh

Royal Welsh

The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...

 also wear hackles.

Members of the Royal Tank Regiment, 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery Royal Artillery

5th Regiment Royal Artillery

5th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role equipped with various weapon locating equipment using radars and acoustic sound ranging, it also provides Special Observation Post...

, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment, SAS and Intelligence Corps wear berets in Nos 1, 2, 3 and 6, Dress

British Army Uniform

British Army uniform currently exists in several grades, which are worn depending on the requirements of a unit or individual, ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress.-History:...

. Other English and Welsh Regiments and Corps wear peaked caps in these orders of dress. Troops from other services, regiments or corps on attachment to units with distinctive coloured berets often wear those berets (with their own cap badge). Colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

s, brigadier

Brigadier

Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

s and general

General

A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

s usually continue to wear the beret of the regiment or corps to which they used to belong with the cap badge distinctive to their rank.

Old Units

Former regiments and corps, now amalgamated, that did not wear navy blue berets included:

• Khaki
  Khaki
  This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
  
   — Green Howards, King's Own Royal Border Regiment, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
  Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
  The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was created in 1958 by the amalgamation of The West Yorkshire Regiment and The East Yorkshire Regiment...
  
  , Duke of Wellington's Regiment
  Duke of Wellington's Regiment
  The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
  
  , Reconnaissance Corps
  Reconnaissance Corps
  The Reconnaissance Corps or simply Recce Corps was a short-lived elite corps of the British Army whose units provided the mobile spearhead of infantry divisions from the Far East to Europe during the Second World War. It was formed from Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance Groups on 14 January 1941...
  
  , infantry motor battalions in World War II
• Dark (Rifle) green — Light Infantry
  Light infantry
  Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
  
  , Royal Green Jackets
  Royal Green Jackets
  The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
  
  , Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, Rifle Brigade, King's Royal Rifle Corps
  King's Royal Rifle Corps
  The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
  
  , 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
  2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
  The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles , where it exists to this day...
  
  , 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles
  6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles
  The 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British East India Company, the regiment has been known by a number of names...
  
  , 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles
  7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles
  The 7th Gurkha Rifles started as a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence.-Formation:...
  
  , 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles
  10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles
  The 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles, , was originally an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment was first formed in 1890, taking its lineage from a police unit and over the course of its existence it had a number of changes in designation and composition...
  
  
• Black
  Black
  Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
  
   — all Royal Armoured Corps
  Royal Armoured Corps
  The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
  
   regiments in World War II, Westminster Dragoons
  Westminster Dragoons
  The Westminster Dragoons are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. One of the Royal Yeomanry's five squadrons, their current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment on operations by providing...
  
  , Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons
• Maroon — Glider Pilot Regiment
  Glider Pilot Regiment
  The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European Theatre of World War II in support of Allied airborne operations...
  
   and glider-borne units
• Green
  Green
  Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
  
   — Women's Royal Army Corps
  Women's Royal Army Corps
  The Women's Royal Army Corps was the corps to which all women in the British Army except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chaplains and nurses belonged from 1949 to 1992.-History:The...
  
  , women in Officers Training Corps
  Officers Training Corps
  The Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
  
   (now wear dark blue)
• Brown
  Brown
  Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
  
   with a broad crimson headband and NO hat badge - 11th Hussars (PAO)

Vatican State

The Pontifical Swiss Guard

Swiss Guard

Swiss Guards or Schweizergarde is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. They have had a high reputation for discipline, as well as loyalty to their employers...

 wears large black berets.

US Army

Berets were originally worn by select forces in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

. The first were worn during World War II, when a battalion of the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment were presented maroon berets by their British counterparts. Though unofficial at first, the green beret of the US Army Special Forces was formally adopted in 1961. Maroon airborne and black US Army Ranger berets were formally authorized in the 1970s.

"D" Troop 17th Cavalry

17th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

The 17th Cavalry is a historical organization within the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry after the Pancho Villa Expedition. The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas and originally inactivated 26 September 1921 at the...

 were authorised a maroon beret in Vietnam.

In 1975 all female soldiers of the Women's Army Corps

Women's Army Corps

The Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the US Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 15 May 1942 by Public Law 554, and converted to full status as the WAC in 1943...

 were authorized to wear a black beret variant as standard headgear for the service uniform.

In 2001, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki ordered the black beret worn as standard headgear army-wide, a controversial decision because it was previously reserved for the Rangers. In June 2011, Army Secretary

United States Secretary of the Army

The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...

 John McHugh

John M. McHugh

John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to...

, acting on the recommendations made by Chief of Staff Martin Dempsey and Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler

Raymond F. Chandler

Raymond F. Chandler III is the current Sergeant Major of the Army in the United States. He was sworn in as the 14th Sergeant Major of the Army on March 1, 2011. Chandler has served in all tank crewman positions and has had multiple tours as a troop, squadron and regimental master gunner...

 from feedback they received from soldiers, restored the patrol cap

Patrol cap

A patrol cap, also known as a field cap is a soft cap with a stiff, rounded visor, and flat top, worn by the military personnel of some countries in the field when a combat helmet is not required.-M1951 Field Cap and Ridgeway Cap:...

 as the official headgear for the Army Combat Uniform

Army Combat Uniform

The Army Combat Uniform is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army. It is the successor to the Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniform worn during the 1980s and 1990s. It features a number of design changes, as well as a different camouflage pattern from its...

, but also gave local commanders the option of ordering wear of the beret with the ACU when they see fit (e.g. ceremonial events. The beret remains standard with the Army Service Uniform.

United States Army berets now use the following distinctive colors:

• Rifle green
  Green beret
  The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...
  
   — Special Forces Groups, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School
• Tan
  Tan beret
  The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
  
   — 75th Ranger Regiment, Ranger Training Brigade
  Ranger School
  The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
  
  
• Maroon
  Maroon beret
  The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
  
   — Airborne-designated units (the maroon beret is an organizational item, so it is worn by all assigned soldiers whether airborne-qualified
  Parachutist Badge (United States)
  The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy...
  
   or not)
• Black
  Black beret
  The black beret is a type of headgear commonly worn by armoured forces around the world including the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment , The Canadian Forces's Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , and The Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps among others...
  
   — All other Army units

Special Forces, Ranger, and Airborne unit berets sport distinctive organizational flashes

US military beret flash

-References:*...

. All other units use a standard pale blue flash bordered with 13 white stars. Officers wear their rank insignia within the flash, while enlisted ranks wear their distinctive unit insignia.

US Navy

In the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, female servicemembers may wear a black beret (of a different style than most military berets) instead of a combination hat or garrison cap

Garrison cap

A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...

 while in service uniforms.

During the Vietnam War, the US Navy created special boat teams, unofficially dubbed the brown-water navy

Brown-water navy

Brown-water navy is a term that originated in the United States Navy, referring to the small gunboats and patrol boats used in rivers, along with some of the larger ships that supported them as "mother ships," from which they operated...

, to patrol coastlines and rivers. Naval personnel assigned to these teams wore distinctive black berets as part of their uniform, which was memorialized in the movie "Apocalypse Now".

US Air Force

• Black
  Black beret
  The black beret is a type of headgear commonly worn by armoured forces around the world including the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment , The Canadian Forces's Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , and The Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps among others...
  
   - Tactical Air Control Party
  Tactical Air Control Party
  The Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, is a small team of Army, Marine or Air Force personnel who provide airspace deconfliction and terminal control of Close Air Support at battle group level or below...
  
   (TACP), Air Liaison Officers (ALO), and Air Mobility Liaison Officers (AMLO)
  Forward air control
  Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...
  
  
• Maroon
  Maroon beret
  The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
  
   - Pararescue
• Red (scarlet)
  Red beret
  The red beret is a military beret worn by many military police, paramilitary, commando and police forces around the world. The maroon beret has become a symbol of airborne forces, though this is often known as a "red beret", particularly when referring to the British Parachute...
  
   - Combat Controllers
• Midnight blue
  Midnight Blue
  Midnight blue is a dark shade of blue, close to black, that was named for its darkness. Midnight blue is the color of a vat full of Indigo dye; therefore, midnight blue may also be considered a dark shade of indigo...
  
   - Security Forces
• Grey - Combat Weathermen
• Sage (green) - SERE Specialists

Venezuela

• Black — Venezuelan Army general issue berets, Venezuelan Marine Corps
  Venezuelan Marine Corps
  The Venezuelan Bolivarian Marine Corps are known as the Bolivarian Marine Infantry or formally as the Marine Division "General Simon Bolivar" and is part of the Venezuelan Navy...
  
  (since 2009).
• Blue - Venezuelan Air Force.
• Green — Jungle troops, Counter-insurgency troops (caribes), Special Forces units (Army).
• Maroon — Venezuelan National Guard
  Venezuelan National Guard
  The Venezuelan National Guard , also called the Armed Forces of Cooperation , is one of the four components of the National Armed Forces of Venezuela. The National Guard can serve as gendarmerie, perform civil defense roles, or serve as a reserve light infantry force...
  
   general use.
• Navy Blue — Armed Force Headquarters (Minister Of Defence troops, armed force joint unit), Army Headquarters.
• Red — Presidential Guard Regiment (armed force joint unit), 420th Airborne Brigade (Army).

Vietnam

Berets used by Vietnam Marine Police, Blue Berets are the troops used in military uniform field. Black Berets was the commanding officer to use the military uniform.

Zimbabwe

• Green — Infantry
• Black — Armoured Regiment
• Maroon — Parachute Regiment
• Yellow — Presidential Guard
• Cherry Red
  Cerise (color)
  -Etymology:According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of cerise as a color name in English was in The Times of November 30, 1858. However, it was used at least as early as 1845 in a book of crochet patterns....
  
   — Military Police
• Blue-gray — Zimbabwe Air Force
• Dark Blue — All other units

International forces

United Nations:

• Light Blue – All United Nations Peacekeeping forces wear a light blue beret or helmet in lieu of their normal headgear.

Multinational Force and Observers:

• Terracotta - All military members of the Multinational Force and Observers
  Multinational Force and Observers
  The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.-Background:...
  
   wear a terracotta-colored beret or bush hat in lieu of their normal headgear.

African Union:

• Lime or Light Green – African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces wear a lime or light green beret. AU troops were recently seen wearing the green berets in Sudan but only for a short while. The AU peacekeeping forces were later turned over to UN administration and swapped out their green berets for UN light blue ones.

See also

• Uniform beret
  Uniform beret
  This article describes the use of the beret as part of the uniform of various organizations. The use of the beret as military headgear is covered in a dedicated article, Military beret.-Hong Kong:...
  
  , for the use of berets as uniform headgear outside the military
• Military berets by color: Black beret
  Black beret
  The black beret is a type of headgear commonly worn by armoured forces around the world including the British Army's Royal Tank Regiment , The Canadian Forces's Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , and The Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps among others...
  
  , green beret
  Green beret
  The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...
  
  , maroon beret
  Maroon beret
  The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
  
  , tan beret
  Tan beret
  The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...