The red beret is a

military beret Troops began wearing berets as a part of the headgear of military uniforms in some European countries during the 19th century; since the mid-20th century, they have become a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world. Mil ...

worn by many

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

, and

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

forces and should not be confused with the

maroon beret The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the Second World War. It was first officially introduced by the British Army in 1942, at the direction of Major-General Frederick "Boy" B ...

worn by airborne troops all around the world.

Military police

Red berets are worn by the military police of many

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

and

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

militaries. *

Military Police (Russia) The Military Police of Russia (russian: Военная полиция России, or VP) is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the Russian Armed Forces, which is known by the official name of Main Directorate of the Military Police (), a ...

- Russian Federation *

Royal Military Police The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operation ...

– Provost branch of the British Army *

Royal Australian Corps of Military Police The Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) 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. It is responsible for battlefield traff ...

* Corps of Military Police – India *

Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police The Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP) is the branch of the Sri Lanka Army responsible for the policing of service personnel and providing a military police presence on service property, operations and exercises. It is made up of three re ...

Canadian Forces Military Police The Canadian Forces Military Police (CFMP; french: Groupe de la Police militaire des Forces canadiennes) provide police, security and operational support services to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Department of National Defence (DND) wo ...

* MH Katonai Rendészeti Központ (MH KRK) - Hungarian Defence Forces Military Police Center *

Feldjäger The ''Feldjäger'' () are Germany's military police. The term ''Feldjäger'', literally meaning field huntsmen (military), huntsmen or field Jäger (military), Jäger, has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century. Hi ...

– Military Police of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

'' *

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

Kuwait Army The Kuwait Army, established in 1949, is the oldest armed branch among the military of Kuwait. Its cavalry and infantry predecessors operated in desert and metropolitan areas in 1919, 1920 and 1928 to 1938, tracing their roots directly to the ca ...

* Namibian Defence Force Military Police * Royal Military Police – Jordan Armed Forces * Sõjaväepolitsei - Estonian Defence Forces * Militārā policija -

Latvian National Armed Forces The Latvian National Armed Forces ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālie bruņotie spēki), or NBS, are the armed forces of Latvia. Latvia's defense concept is based on a mobile professional rapid response force and reserve segment that can be called upon re ...

* Karo policija -

Lithuanian Armed Forces The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service ( ...

* Military Police -

United Arab Emirates Army The United Arab Emirates Army is the land force branch of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. History From January 1993 to April 1994, UAE Armed Forces participated in humanitarian operations in Somalia under the United Task Force (UNITAF ...

* Military Police -

Uganda People's Defence Force The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...

(UPDF)

Commando forces

MMEA STAR with Red Beret during 57th NDP

* Special Forces Command (Cambodia) – The Royal Cambodian Special Commando Force *

Angolan Armed Forces The Angolan Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Angolanas) or FAA is the military of Angola. The FAA consist of the Angolan Army (), the Angolan Navy () and the National Air Force of Angola (). Reported total manpower in 2021 was about 107,00 ...

Commandos – guerrilla and counter-guerrilla special operations force *

Kopassus The Kopassus ( id, Komando Pasukan Khusus, Special Forces Command) is an Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) special forces group that conducts special operations missions for the Indonesian government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sa ...

– Indonesian Army Special Forces Commandos * KOPASKA – Indonesian Special Naval

Frogmen A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, comb ...

Command * Mozambique Special Forces (Commandos) – guerrilla and counter-guerrilla special operations force *

Portuguese Army Commandos The Commandos ( pt, Comandos) are a special forces unit in the Portuguese Army. Presently, their parent unit is the Commando Regiment (''Regimento de Comandos''). Their motto is '' Audaces Fortuna Juvat'' (Latin for "Luck Protects the Bold") a ...

– guerrilla and counter-guerrilla special operations force * Commandos Formation,

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed i ...

* Special Brigade – Serbian Special Forces *

Lebanese Commando Regiment The Commando Regiment ( ar, فوج المغاوير, translit=Fawj al-Maghaweer) is an elite light infantry and is considered the first special forces regiment in the Lebanese Armed Forces. The regiment, which was founded in 1966, is also a membe ...

– Lebanese special forces regiment tasked with multiple roles *

Special Task and Rescue The Special Task and Rescue ( ms, Pasukan Tindakan Khas dan Penyelamat APMM – PTK APMM, Jawi: ''ڤاسوكن تيندقن خاص دان ڤڽلامت ماريتيم'') or STAR is the maritime tactical unit of the Malaysian Maritime Enforceme ...

– Malaysian coast guard counter-terrorist special operations force *

Commando Parachute Group The Commando Parachute Group (french: Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes, GCP) is a unit of elite pathfinders within the French Army's 11th Parachute Brigade (France), 11th Parachute Brigade (11e BP). These pathfinders are paratroopers drawn ...

– French Commando Parachute Regiment *

Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment The Commando Regiment ( si, කොමාන්ඩෝ ‍රෙජිමේන්තුව ''komāndo rejimēnthuwa''; ta, இலங்கை இராணுவத்தின் கமாண்டோ படைப்பிரிவ) is the comman ...

– One of two Special Operations Forces of the Sri Lanka Army. * 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade (Czech Republic) – One of two Special Operations Forces of the army of the Czech Republic * 601st Special Forces Group – The most elite unit of the Czech army

Paramilitary forces

* Special units of the

Internal Troops The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...

of the Russian

MVD The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; russian: Министерство внутренних дел (МВД), ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia. The MVD is responsible for law enfor ...

JSO (Special Operations Unit) Unit for Special Operations ( sr, Јединица за специјалне операције, Jedinica za specijalne operacije; abbr. ЈСО or JSO) or Special Operations Unit, also known as Red Berets (by berets; sr, Црвене берет� ...

of Serbia * Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs (

Intaf The Ministry of Internal Affairs, commonly referred to as INTAF (or Intaf), was a cabinet ministry of the Rhodesian government. One of Rhodesia's most important governmental departments, it was responsible for the welfare and development of the ...

) in the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rhodesia). The conflict pitted three for ...

* General Service Unit of Kenya *

Ulster Resistance Ulster Resistance (UR), or the Ulster Resistance Movement (URM), is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist Ulster loyalism#Paramilitary and vigilante groups, paramilitary movement established by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Irela ...

of Northern Ireland

Other military units

The following military units wear red berets: * The

Saudi Arabian National Guard The Saudi Arabian National Guard or SANG ( ar, الحَرَس الوَطنيّ, al-Ḥaras al-Waṭanī), also known as the "White Army", is one of the three major branches of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The national gua ...

* The

Special Services Group , colors = Maroon, sky blue , colors_label = Colours , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , ...

of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

. * Support troops in the German

(light red – called coral red, maroon only for airborne troops) * Special Forces Battalion "Wolves" of North Macedonia * The Austrian Army Guard battalion * Turkish Army's special forces * United States Air Force Combat Controller *

United States Air Force Special Tactics Officer A United States Air Force Special Tactics Officer ( AFSC 19ZXA) is a United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Special Warfare Officer who manages the training and equipping of U.S. Air Force ground special operations. Special Tact ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

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

Army of the Czech Republic The Army of the Czech Republic ( cs, Armáda České republiky, AČR), also known as the Czech Army, is the military service responsible for the defence of the Czech Republic in compliance with international obligations and treaties on collectiv ...

* The

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * The Swedish 32nd Intelligence Battalion * The Artillery Group of the

Swiss Armed Forces The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, re ...

* Military Police, Artillery and Anti Aircraft Artillery of the Hungarian Defence Forces The following military units formerly wore red berets: * The 1st and 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalions of the

27th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade (27CIBG) was an Active Force infantry brigade created on May 4, 1951, for service in West Germany. The brigade sailed to Rotterdam in November and December of that year. It was posted near Hanover and provided co ...

in West Germany *

The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, one of four brigade groups of 4th Canadian Division. The regimental headquarters and one co ...

of Canada, * The

Vietnamese Airborne Division , image = Vietnamese Airborne Division 's Insignia.svg , image_size = 160px , caption = Vietnamese Airborne Division insignia , dates = 1 January 1948 – 30 April 1975 , country = , allegiance = , command_structure = , branch = , ty ...

(Mũ Đỏ Nhảy Dù) of the

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

* 40. Fallschirmjägerbataillon Willi Sänger of the former German Democratic Republic's

Nationale Volksarmee The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) an ...

. * The 4th Guards Brigade (Croatia) (called "The Spiders", 'Pauci')

Police forces

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

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

Federal Reserve Unit The Federal Reserve Unit ( ms, Pasukan Simpanan Persekutuan; PSP), or better known by the abbreviation as FRU, is a riot control force and a paramilitary special response team that can be deployed at any time to engage in any emergency or publ ...

of the Royal Malaysia Police * Cacciatori of the

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

– in English "Hunters", the Italian

Gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...

special unit operating in

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

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

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

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Carlists

The red beret was worn as a distinguishing device by

Carlist Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimists (disambiguation), Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbon dynasty ...

Guías de Navarra The Guías de Navarra (, "Navarre Guides") were a Carlist battalion of the First Carlist War, created by Zumalacárregui in 1834. Their name was a misnomer: they were neither Navarrese nor guides, but captured Liberal troops from La Mancha, Valen ...

(Navarre Guides) soldiers in the

First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...

, encouraged by their commander

Tomás de Zumalacárregui Tomás de Zumalacárregui e Imaz (Basque: Tomas Zumalakarregi Imatz; 29 December 178824 June 1835), known among his troops as "Uncle Tomás", was a Spanish Basque officer who lead the Carlist faction as Captain general of the Army during the Firs ...

. Regular Carlists wore a black beret. The red beret became widespread amongst the Carlists in the

Second Carlist War The Second Carlist War, or the War of the Matiners (Catalan for "early-risers," so-called from the harassing action that took place at the earliest hours of the morning), was a civil war occurring in Spain. Some historians consider it a direct ...

, it later became an emblem of Carlists in general, often with a yellow

pom pom A pom-pom – also spelled pom-pon, pompom or pompon – is a decorative ball or tuft of fibrous material. The term may refer to large tufts used by cheerleaders, or a small, tighter ball attached to the top of a hat, also known as a ...

tassel A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe. History and use In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him to ...

.p.32 MacClancy, Jeremy ''The Decline of Carlism'' University of Nevada Press, 2000 See also the Requetés, (Spanish:Hunting callers) a type of volunteer unit during the Spanish Civil War. The red beret was also worn by the

Chapelgorris Chapelgorris (; eu, txapelgorri, "Red Caps"), also called Peseteros, were a type of volunteer unit during the First Carlist War, raised at the beginning of the war in the province of Guipúzcoa. They fought against the Carlists. A soldier of th ...

(Spanish:Red caps) who fought against the Carlists in the First Carlist War.

Non-military

Guardian Angels A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in ...

, international volunteer organization * Cadets in the

California Cadet Corps The California Cadet Corps (CACC), originally called the California High School Cadets, is a component of the California Youth and Community Programs Task, Task Force Torch. The California Cadet Corps is a paramilitary youth organization in Cali ...

who have completed survival training are authorized to wear a red beret with a flash representing their brigade. *

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

* Cadets in the

Young Army Cadets National Movement Established in October 2015, the All-Russia "Young Army" National Military Patriotic Social Movement Association (''Всероссийское военно-патриотическое общественное движение «Юнармия»' ...

Russia * ORB, a group within

Doctor Steel Rion Vernon, known by his stage name Doctor Steel (full name, Doctor Phineas Waldolf Steel) is an American musician and internet personality from Los Angeles. He performed on rare occasions with a "backup band", claiming that a fictitious robot b ...

's Army of Toy Soldiers fan club * ''Soldier of Fortune'' magazine uses a red beret as their logo. * The

Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African left-wing to far-left pan-Africanist and Marxist–Leninist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema, and hi ...

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

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

led by

Bobi Wine Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan politician, singer, and actor. He is a former Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East constituency in Wakiso District, in Uganda's Central Region. He also leads ...

Native American Veteran Organizations

* The

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is a Native American grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues of poverty, discrimination, and police ...

, Native American Indians whom were former U.S. military veterans, have adopted the use of the red beret as one of their Native warrior society symbols back in 1970. The Red Beret is also in use by Native American warrior societies and tribal government police, Law Enforcement and by members and veterans of Native American organizations such as the TIMB Taino Indian Movement of Boriken (Puerto Rico).

In popular culture

Films

* ''

The Red Beret ''The Red Beret'' (aka ''The Red Devils'', ''The Big Jump'' and retitled ''Paratrooper'' for the US release) is a 1953 British-American war film directed by Terence Young and starring Alan Ladd, Leo Genn and Susan Stephen. ''The Red Beret'' is ...

'' (1953) * '' The Devil's Brigade'' (1968) * '' The Red Berets'' (1968) * ''

The Wild Geese ''The Wild Geese'' is a 1978 war film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Krüger. The screenplay concerns a group of mercenaries in Africa. It was the result of a long-held ambit ...

'' (1978) * ''

Taps (film) ''Taps'' is a 1981 American drama film starring George C. Scott and Timothy Hutton, with Ronny Cox, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, and Evan Handler in supporting roles. Hutton was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1982. The film was directed by Ha ...

'' (1981) – worn by B Company, Valley Forge Military Academy and College treated as B Company of Bunker Hill Military Academy, led by

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...

as Cadet Captain David Shawn in the film.

Comic books

* Mlle. Marie * ''

Fightin' 5 The Fightin' 5 are a Charlton Comics Special Forces paramilitary team, similar to DC Comics' Blackhawks. They debuted in ''Fightin' 5'' #28 (July 1964), and were created by Joe Gill and Bill Montes. Publication history The ''Fightin' 5'' comic ...

'' * Percy Pinkerton

Others

Mirai Sentai Timeranger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series and the 24th series in Toei Company, Toei's Super Sentai metaseries. Footage from this series was used in the American production ''Power Rangers Time Force''. The opening narration of the series a ...

(2000-2001) – worn by Naoto Takizawa, played by Shinji Kasahara, as the leader of the City Guardians. *

Power Rangers Time Force ''Power Rangers Time Force'' is a television series and the ninth season of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, based on the 24th Super Sentai series ''Mirai Sentai Timeranger'', running for 40 half-hour episodes from February to November 2001. I ...

(2001) – worn by Eric Myers, played by Daniel Southworth, as the leader of the Silver Guardians.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Beret Military uniforms Hats Berets