Green Berets
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The United States Army Special Forces —also known as the Green Berets or simply Special Forces (capitalized)— is a Special Operations Force of the U.S. Army trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. They were founded by Aaron Bank.
Their official motto is De opresso liber ("To liberate the oppressed").
The #1 hit song Ballad of the Green Berets and the book The Green Berets is in reference to this elite force.
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The green beret is worn by both British Commandos and American Special Forces because of a shared tradition which goes back to World War II. Although it is unusual for American units to wear distinctive head gear, it is the norm in the British Army where most regiments wear hats or cap badges which reflect regimental battle honours and traditions.
The green beret is the official headgear of the U.S Army Special Forces. It may only be worn by personnel awarded the Special Forces tab, signifying that they have been qualified as Special Forces (SF) soldiers.
The U.S. Army Special Forces wear the green beret because of their links to the British Commandos of World War II. The First Ranger Battalion, commonly known as Darby's Rangers, were formed in Northern Ireland during the summer of 1942. On completion of training at the Commando Training Depot at Achnacarry Castle in Scotland, those Rangers had the right to wear the British Commando green beret, but the U.S. Army disallowed this and Rangers never officially wore their berets.
When visiting the Sepecial Forces at Fort Bragg on October 12, 1961, President Kennedy asked Brigadier General William P. Yarborough to make sure that the men under his command wore green berets for the visit. Later that day Kennedy sent a memorandam which included the line: "I am sure that the green beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead". On April 11, 1962 in a White House memorandum to the United States Army, Kennedy reiterated his view "[the green beret is] a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom."
Once a Royal Marine has passed the Commando Course, he is entitled to wear the Green Beret and the 'Royal Marines Commando' flash on his uniform.
Headgear: the green beret
United States Army Special Forces
(British) Royal Marines
External links
References