The maroon beret has been the international symbol of elite airborne forces since its selection for use by the 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 1st Airborne Division.^[1]. The maroon colour of the beret reportedly was chosen by his wife, the novelist Daphne du Maurier.^[1] It was first worn by the men of the Parachute Regiment when it went into action in North Africa during November 1942. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Browning as Commander, Airborne Corps. ... The British 1st Airborne Division was a military unit that fought in World War II. It suffered terrible casualties, especially in Operation Market Garden. ... Dame Daphne du Maurier DBE (13 May 1907–19 April 1989) was a famous British novelist best known for her short story The Birds and her classic novel Rebecca, published in 1938. ...

Australian Army

Maroon berets are worn by paratroopers in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and A Field Battery or soldiers employed as Parachute riggers. An American USMC Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... Soldiers from 3 RAR during an exercise in 2004. ... A parachute rigger is a person who is licenced to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. ...

Belgian Army

The Paracommando Brigade (Belgium) wear the Maroon Beret with various types of cap badges. Logo of the Paracommando Brigade/IRC The Paracommando Brigade (Dutch/French: Brigade Paracommando) is an elite fighting force in the Belgian Land Component, consisting of three Paracommando battalions plus supporting units (artillery, logistics, engineering and intelligence). ...

Brazilian Army

In the Brazilian Army, the use of maroon berets and brown boots is restricted to the members of the paratroopers brigade - Pqdt (paraquedistas) - one of the few elite regiments of the Brazilian Armed Forces. The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. ...

British Army

In the British Army, most regiments wear headress or cap badges which reflect regimental traditions. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... British regiment A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - commanded by a colonel. ... A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearers organisation. ...

All personnel serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade wear the maroon beret (with their own cap badge), whether they are jump-qualified or not. The only exception to this are the non parachute regiment trained battalion in the brigade, (as at Oct 2007 this is The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland)), who retain their regimental headdress. Only members of the Parachute Regiment are permitted to wear the maroon beret, (with their Parachute Wings cap badge), no matter where they are posted. The beret is often called the "red beret" or (within the Army) the "cherry beret". The 16 Air Assault Brigade (16 AAB) is a unit of the British Army It was formed as part of the defence reforms implemented by the Strategic Defence Review on 1 September 1999 by the merging of 24th Airmobile Brigade and elements of 5th Airborne Brigade. ... Official name Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louises) Colonel-in-Chief HM Queen Elizabeth II Nicknames Motto Sans Peur Ne Obliviscaris Anniversaries Balaklava (25 October) Marches Quick: The Highland Laddie Quick: The Campbells Are Coming Charge: Monymusk Funerals: Lochaber No More Mascot A Shetland Pony called Cruachan Description Infantry... The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior line infantry regiment and only Scottish regiment of the British Army infantry. ... The Parachute Regiment redirects here, for the Indian regiment, see The Parachute Regiment (India) The Parachute Regiment is the Airborne Infantry element of the British Army. ... The Parachute Regiment redirects here, for the Indian regiment, see The Parachute Regiment (India) The Parachute Regiment is the Airborne Infantry element of the British Army. ...

Canadian Army

Jump-qualified personnel in parachute units are allowed to wear the maroon. These are currently C Company, 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; M Company, 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment; A Company, 3rd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment; Para Company, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) is an infantry regiment in the Canadian Forces (CF), belonging to 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG). ... The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. ... Badge of Le Royal 22e Régiment The Royal 22e Régiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. ... The Queens Own Rifles of Canada are a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. ...

French Army

Since the First Indochina War, the French paratroopers wear a dark red beret. French Foreign Legion paratroopers wear a green beret though. Combatants French Union France State of Vietnam Cambodia Laos Viet Minh Commanders French Expeditionary Corps Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (1945-46) Jean-Étienne Valluy (1946-8) Roger Blaizot (1948-9) Marcel-Maurice Carpentier (1949-50) Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (1950-51) Raoul Salan (1952-3) Henri Navarre (1953-4... The 11th Parachute Brigade (French: ) is a brigade grouping the main parachute units of the French Army. ... “Legionnaire” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Finnish Army

The Finnish parachute ranger corps (Finnish: Laskuvarjojääkärikomppania) trains personnel in the Utti Jaeger Regiment, Utti, Finland. Jump-qualified personnel are allowed to wear the maroon beret. The Utti Jaeger Regiment (Finnish: Utin Jääkärirykmentti) is the Finnish Defence Forces training and development centre for special forces and helicopter operations. ... Utti is a small town in Southern Finland, Finland. ...

German Army

A Maroon beret is worn by the German Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Special Forces) and by all members of the Division Spezielle Operationen (DSO, containing Airborne troops) and the Division Luftbewegliche Operationen (DLO). The Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) (lit. ...

Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force special forces unit, the Garud Commando Force, wears the maroon beret. The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting aerial warfare and securing the Indian airspace. ... The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the Indian Air Force. ...

Indian Army

A number of Indian Army parachute-trained special forces wear the maroon beret, including Para Commandos and Special Frontier Force. This article is about the post-independence Indian Army. ... SasquatchTC 06:40, July 22, 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... The Special Frontier Force are a special forces unit of the Indian military. ...

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy special forces unit, MARCOS, has started wearing the maroon beret. The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. ... Marcos may refer to: // Dayton Marcos, a Negro League baseball team from Dayton, Ohio Marcos Ambrose, Australian racing driver Marcos Armas, Venezuela-born American baseball player Marcos Assunção, Brazilian football player Marcos Baghdatis, Cypriot tennis player and 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Carvajal, Venezuela-born American baseball player Marcos...

Iraqi Army

The elite Iraqi Republican Guards wore maroon berets as well as red boots until their dissolution after the 2003 Iraq War. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein talks with elite Republican Guard officers in Baghdad on March 1, 2003. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

Israeli Army

In the Israel Defense Forces, maroon beret is worn by the Paratroopers Brigade and elite special forces units (Sayeret Matkal, Oketz, Maglan, Duvdevan and others). Emblem of the IDF The Israel Defense Forces are part of the Israeli Security Forces. ... The Paratroopers Brigade (חטיבת הצנחנים, Hativat HaTzanhanim) is a unit of paratroopers within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) its part of central command. ... Sayeret Matkal (Hebrew: סיירת מטכל, translation: General Staff Reconnaissance unit) is the elite special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). ... Unit Oketz is an independent Special Forces (sayeret) unit within the Israeli Defense Forces, specialising in dog handling for military applications. ... Duvdevan (Hebrew: דובדבן. Literally - cherry) is a Special Forces unit within the Israeli Defense Forces. ...

Malaysian Army and Police

The Malaysian Army's elite 10 Paratrooper Brigade has worn the maroon beret since its establishment in 1994. The Malaysian Police Pasukan Gerakan Khas Detachment A or Special Actions Unit has worn the maroon beret since in 1975. Crest of Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army (Malay: Tentera Darat Malaysia) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. ... 10 Parachute Brigade - commonly known as 10 PARA - is a standard infantry brigade-sized unit within the Malaysian Army tasked with being rapidly deployed inside or outside the boundaries of Malaysia. ... Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters The Royal Malaysian Police, or Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) in Malay, is a main branch of security forces in Malaysia. ... Pasukan Gerakan Khas (English: Special Operations Force; PGK) is an elite arm and high profile counter terrorism unit of the Royal Malaysian Police (Malay: Polis Di-Raja Malaysia), and also special operations which includes VAT 69 (Very Able Trooper 69, Komando 69) and Special Actions Unit (Unit Tindakan Khas; UTK). ... VAT 69/UTK (69th Commando Battalion/Unit Tindakan Khas) is the special forces of the Royal Malaysian Police based with the Northern Brigade, Ulu Kinta, Perak. ...

Pakistan Army

The Special Service Group (SSG) is an independent commando brigade of the Pakistan Army. Special Services Group Logo outside their headquarters. ... Pakistan Army Flag The Pakistan Army (Urdu: پاک فوج) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders, the security of administered territories and defending the national interests of Pakistan within the framework of its international obligations. ...

Portuguese Army

The "Comandos" (Commandos) wear a red beret since 1974. For the denomination of commando see commando, for the Argentine special operations unit see Comandos Anfibios, for other special forces with Commando on its name see list of special forces units. ...

Russian Armed Forces

The marron beret is worn by members of elite MVD Spetsnaz units, although it is referred to as 'Krapoviy' meaning crimson. In a contrast to the western style, Russian troops wear the badge over the right eye on the beret. In the Soviet day, paratroopers wore a maroon beret until the early 1960s when General Margelov decided that a maroon beret for paratroopers was a western idea and introduced a cornflower blue beret. This may have been influenced by the cornflower blue of the Soviet Air Force and the cornflower blue helmets worn by Soviet paratroopers during the Great Patriotic War. The acronym MVD can stand for: Mitral valve disease, or Mitral regurgitation. ... Russian special forces training For the Swedish EBM band, see Spetsnaz (band). ... The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the air force of the Soviet Union. ... The Eastern Front1 was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ...

South African Special Forces

The maroon beret is worn by both the Special Forces Operators of the South African Special Forces Regiments (See www.recce.co.za) and the Parabats (See www.airbornesoldier.com).

Swedish Army

The Fallskärmsjägarna (or Fallskärmsjägarkåren: Parachute Ranger Corps), is a Swedish military Special Operations unit. The unit is an airborne commando unit focused on intelligence gathering and forms part of Sweden's Special Forces. Fallskärmsjägarna, also formally named FallskärmsjägarkÃ¥ren in Swedish (the Parachute Ranger Corps) is located in K3 Karlsborg at Fallskärmsjägarskolan (Parachute Ranger School, commonly known as FJS) and is a Swedish military Special Operations unit. ...

Royal Thai Army

The Royal Thai Army Special Operations Force and paratroopers in the 31st Infantry Regiment (Royal Guard) wear the maroon beret. The Royal Thai Army is the army of Thailand. ...

Turkish Army

The Turkish Army's Special Operations Force, Bordo Bereliler, translates as "The Maroon Berets". The Turkish Army (Turkish: Türk Kara Kuvvetleri) is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ...

Dutch Army

The Dutch Army's Special Operations Force, 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade, which translates to Airmobile Brigade, wear the "The Maroon Berets" (aka the Red Beret) as a sign of their status upon completion of their training. The Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land forces element of the Military of the Netherlands. ...

United States Air Force

Air Force Pararescue Parajumpers (known as PJs) perform combat search and rescue duties. Quinten de Vreugth was once wearing the red barret and he started singing, the now called national song This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

United States Army

In 1943 Frederick Browning, commander of the British First Airborne Corps, granted a battalion of the US Army's 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment honorary membership in the British Parachute Regiment and authorized them to wear British maroon berets. US Army advisers to Vietnamese airborne forces wore the Vietnamese maroon beret during the Vietnam War.^[1] The I Airborne Corps was the commanding formation of the airborne forces during Operation Market Garden. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... During World War II, the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (509th PIB) was the first combat paratrooper unit of the United States Army. ...

Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) policy from 1973 through 1979 permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing distinctions and airborne forces chose to wear the maroon international parachute beret as a mark of distinction. This permission was rescinded when in 1979 the army introduced a policy of standardized headgear, but on 28 November 1980 permission was given for airborne organizations to wear the maroon beret.^[1] is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Venezuelan Army

The elite 42nd infantry paratrooper brigade wear red berets that have also been popularized outside of the army by supporters of President Hugo Chavez, a former lieutenant-colonel of the unit. President Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (born July 28, 1954) has been the President of Venezuela since 1999. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the U.S. Army

See also

• Maroon (color)
• Beret
• Black beret
• Green beret
• Tan beret
• Pathfinders

Maroon is a color related to dark red. ... Basque style Beret Black beret with military emblem A beret (pronounced in English, except in North America where it is pronounced ) is a soft round cap, usually of wool felt, with a flat crown, which is worn by both men and women. ... The black beret is the headgear worn by the British Armys Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), The Australian Armys Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) and by all the Russian Naval Infantry (and formerly Soviet) and some Russian Spetsnaz units, and the United States Air Force(USAF) Tactical Air Control... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities. ... One version of the patch worn on the uniforms of American pathfinders who served during World War II. During World War II, the pathfinders were a group of volunteers selected within the Airborne units who were specially trained to operate navigation aids to guide the main airborne body to the...

References

• Army Black Beret: A Short History of the Use of Berets in the U.S. Army on the U.S. Army website.