Does the Beret really mean anything anymore??

[29aholic]

At one time earning the right to wear a Beret meant you were part of an Elite Group (ie SF, Rangers, SAS, etc.). I believe in fact it was JFK who mandated the right of SF to officially adopt the green beanie as their official headgear.

Nowadays every fucking unit wears a beret of some kind. I am as against that as I am the fact rangers in training get to wear the beret before they make it through with the exception it does not have the flash on it (at least it was that way in the mid-80's).

I never earned one, but have several friends that did, but personally I think it needs to be earned and keep its symbolism.
Am I wrong??

 

[Mr_Happyface]

You're about 12 years late.

 

[proneshooter]

The "elite" status of wearing a beret is uniquely American thing.

Berets do not have that elite status in most armed forces around the world, particularly in Europe. In most European armies (including the British Army) berets are the standard headwear with service uniforms and the color (and often the badge) denote the wearer's branch.

So no, I don't care if everyone in the US Army gets to wear a beret. The special guys get them in special colors and every one else just gets plain black. BFD

 

[pmclaine]

I dont know why the Rangers adopted a beret. I thought they had a uniform that created esprit and showed their elite status with the OD "Ranger" patrol cap and slant pocket OD jungle fatigues.

 

[29aholic]

You're about 12 years late.

The rant has been building that long

proneshooter, you are right and I stand corrected.

I guess I romanticized the Green Beret several decades ago when I read Robin Moore's book "The Green Beret" as a kid. It was something I always wanted to accomplish, but no fucking way I could ever do it and to me those who can I put on a pedestal (as I do with any of those who can make it through any training of the kind).

 

[XRanger08]

The "Elite" units wear a
Colored Baret. Green for Green Berets, Maron for Airborne. 90% of the berets are for your "standard" soldiers in the color black. It is somewhat of a mental thing for soldiers to aspire to achieve a "colored" beret. Plus, the beret became a big part of garrison wear for the Army. Mainly to be worn in your Class A's and Class B's but also in garrison. The Army, two years ago now if I remember correctly, lightened up on the use of the Berets. We no longer wear them in Garrison but remain exclusive wear for the new ASU in formal settings.

 

[jrassy]

Until you've Had a piss cutter on your gourd, you haven't lived. Bwahahaha.

 

[Foul Mike]

When I was in we had a cunt cap. Does that count? When did the CC go out? FM

 

[proneshooter]

Until you've Had a piss cutter on your gourd, you haven't lived. Bwahahaha.

+1

Garrison cap FTW

 

[pmclaine]

Until you've Had a piss cutter on your gourd, you haven't lived. Bwahahaha.

Ha, Ha! Most useless piece of textile ever sewn together. Always felt like it was falling off. I wish I knew how the WWII guys actually made them look halfway cool. I think theirs were built differently with material at the top that allowed them to open and actually fit your grape (difference between pisscutter and cunt cap?). They gave it some cocky attitude and made the most out of a useless hat design.

I wore the barracks cover as MSG and was happy that by the time of my last flight home the forest green cover was coming back into style and the pisscutter could be kept in the bottom of the seabag.

Bring back herringbone, boondockers, leggings and the common sense attitude of those that wore them, Ill drag my 46 year old ass back to PI tomorrow. Maybe skip the leggings I suppose they could have been a PITA.

 

[MarinePMI]

It'd be nice to see the "horse blanket" brought back as well. The London Fog trench coats looked nice, but were no where near as warm as the old wool over coats...

 

[pmclaine]

It'd be nice to see the "horse blanket" brought back as well. The London Fog trench coats looked nice, but were no where near as warm as the old wool over coats...

I remember looking with envy at 3rd phase recruits wearing their trench coats as I stood there, more wet on the inside than the outside, in my poncho.

While we are talking "bring backs" lets hit the exclusivity of he campaign cover (sorry PMI). Check out the old pics of the guys in the field with their campaign covers worn with the brim in any variety of style except pressed and blocked. Lots of water and sun protection if not jungle trail friendly. Too much individuality for todays martinets.

 

[proneshooter]

It'd be nice to see the "horse blanket" brought back as well. The London Fog trench coats looked nice, but were no where near as warm as the old wool over coats...

I hear you. I got both a wool peacoat and overcoat (below) issued as part of the midshipman's seabag and wore both through four winters at Annapolis and as often as I could on the fleet. I even broke out the overcoat and a wool scarf for some cold-ass bridge watches off the coast of Alaska a few times.

 

[hesco]

Until you've Had a piss cutter on your gourd, you haven't lived. Bwahahaha.

Am well aware of cunt caps and navy cum caps, have never heard of a piss cutter.

 

[Doc68]

And to think we all had to wear the beret because some general somewhere didn't think he looked good enough without one.....

 

[hiddenmongoose]

beret would be the standard headgear in europe, colour other than black normally denotes SF along with the fact they never wear headgear anyway

 

[huntinggamo]

while there are some points here there are also some facts that many don't know, and as an airborne guy from an SF unit it kinda pises me off. For example as soon as you go to an airborne unit you get a maroon beret. does not matter if your a leg or not? SMH

 

[J Max]

Nowadays its really about the color of the beret. When I was in pathfinders we had the maroon beret which in the 101st meant something special but at other bases I noticed non-combat MOS's were able to wear that same beret, kinda sucked because we had to really earn that beret and then we notice that it was just an issued item elsewhere. But the US Army is like that though, lots of badges and tabs and different berets so that certain soldiers stand out above others. I personally like that way the Marines thought of it, everyone is a Marine and that's all there is to it.

 

[R Moran]

Nowadays its really about the color of the beret. When I was in pathfinders we had the maroon beret which in the 101st meant something special but at other bases I noticed non-combat MOS's were able to wear that same beret, kinda sucked because we had to really earn that beret and then we notice that it was just an issued item elsewhere. But the US Army is like that though, lots of badges and tabs and different berets so that certain soldiers stand out above others. I personally like that way the Marines thought of it, everyone is a Marine and that's all there is to it.

I'm confused...you liked a maroon beret when it made you stand out, but when it doesn't you want it to be like the marines?..
To me, it would seem to be just what you are complaining about. Everyone is a Marine, but then you got pogues talking shit about being a Marine, when others troops are doing more specialized jobs.
Making the Army more like the Marines is not the answer.


If you're at a post like Bragg, almost everyone is Airborne qualified, on status in an Airborne unit, which is what the maroon beret denoted. I was a grunt, and the cooks and pac clerks wore maroon berets, same as me...didn't bother me, as it denoted the organization. They worked just as hard to earn a maroon beret as you did....they went to jump school and were assigned to an Airborne unit.

I also recall the days a Bragg when the support troops in Groups started to wear Green Berets. I started to see a lot of "tabbed" guys wearing leg hats in BDU's...when I asked one..he said since they let anyone wear them, he didn't care about it anymore...I got the sense it was a sort of protest. Up until then, only tabbed guys had earned the Green Beret. From what I understand, it has returned to that.

 

[J Max]

Lol big difference between being a division pathfinder with a maroon beret and just being on jump status in some airborne unit with a maroon beret. To say some PAC clerk worked just as hard to get his maroon beret as a pathfinder would is just a joke. Any case I didn't need to have a special badge, tab or beret as I did. To me it was all about making the most out of my enlistment in my chosen MOS. In the end I would have been just as satisfied with my service without any berets or badges and tabs as I know what I gave to my country.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Petrichor Actual]

Always remember that you are special, just like everyone else.

 

[29aholic]

When I was at Benning back in the 80's the guys that were accepted into Ranger school got to wear the black beret before they ever even started the school. Only difference was the lack of the flash. We fondly (sarcasm) referred to them as "Rangers in Waiting". That black beanie made some of them think they were tougher than what they were, a good friend of mine in our unit had quite a collection of RIW head gear he took off those guys.

 

[R Moran]

29aholic,
Do you mean RIP..Ranger Indoctrination Program, as opposed to Ranger school? I knew some guys that had been to RIP but failed out, they still had their berets in the wall locker, as you described..unaware of an Ranger school attendee receiving a beret.

Jmax,
I'm aware of the differences. A maroon beret denoted being assigned to an Airborne unit, that is all...nothing to do with being a Pathfinder. Everyone in the Div. wore a maroon beret, from cook to LRSD...
There were times when I wore nothing but name and employer on my uniform, and times when I wore my resume(In Div you are required to wear your wings)...I could definitely tell the difference in how people addressed me, and how I perceived others.

What I did notice was, Soldiers that bitched about "scare badges" & "badgefinder" etc. almost always were Soldiers that didn't have any thing to wear, or the motivation to earn them.

A very good friend of mine was a Ranger school instructor, he notes that the Marines that served as RI's were not allowed to sew their tab on their shoulder due to USMC reg's...they would sew it on under their pocket flap. Apparently being able to wear their a badge of distinction was important to them.

Bob

 

[Javelin]

And to think we all had to wear the beret because some general somewhere didn't think he looked good enough without one.....

Yep & that same General became head of the VA system and screwed vets from their compensation, rewarded VA personnel to intentionally misdiagnose veterans with noncompensable illness to avoid paying for their brain injuries/PTSD/etc, and let many vets die all over the nation on secret death waiting lists all the while covering it up from the American people.

 

[0311 Hesco]

I just hope they keep those ridiculously ugly berets out of the Corps. No offense, but If I wanted to look like a gay Frenchman, well, never mind...

 

[hankpac]

When Shinseki changed the head gear for Army to the black beret, we wanted to come up with a name for it, you know, like "Cunt Cap".
Best we could do was "Lewinski".
Same thing actually...

 

[Javelin]

Why isn't Shinseki behind bars again?

 

[Switchblade]

Until you've Had a piss cutter on your gourd, you haven't lived. Bwahahaha.

Hear hear! Many will never have lived so well as so Few
Semper Fi, Semper Superbia!

 

[J.Boyette]

If a hat makes you, then it does matter.

John

 

[MarinePMI]

I just hope they keep those ridiculously ugly berets out of the Corps. No offense, but If I wanted to look like a gay Frenchman, well, never mind...

They tried to, in '89 for SOC qual'ed units. Made it as far as waiting for the MARBUL to come out authorizing it (already had the bronze EGA ready for production etc.), but it was canked. Commandant Gray wanted it. (shrug)<shrug></shrug>

 

[Deadshot2]

If a hat makes you, then it does matter.

John

This is the age of Badges, Hats, and Trophy's. The Military is becoming like the Boy Scouts with all their merit badges. Pretty soon we'll have a military that looks like the old Soviet Army with badges and medals just about equaling the soldier's body weight.

I can remember during the 60's when individuals (usually officers) were getting themselves shipped to Vietnam on TDY assignments just so they could add to their "Fruit Salad". While in country the only risk they faced was falling on their faces from staying too long "at the club".

 

[Victory]

Badges, berets, and tabs are usually dismissed as dumb or meaningless by those who haven't earned any. I earned all of mine, and worked my ass of to do so. Each one represents a goal I set and achieved.

 

[Deadshot2]

Badges, berets, and tabs are usually dismissed as dumb or meaningless by those who haven't earned any. I earned all of mine, and worked my ass of to do so. Each one represents a goal I set and achieved.

I guess I just felt I didn't need any of those to remind myself of my accomplishments. The fact that I served and and excelled along the way was good enough for me. Didn't particularly care about what others thought. To each his own.

FWIW, I finished my career in a Corporate office. Rather than the "I Love Me" wall, I preferred to put up family pictures.

 

[Victory]

I guess I just felt I didn't need any of those to remind myself of my accomplishments. The fact that I served and and excelled along the way was good enough for me. Didn't particularly care about what others thought. To each his own.

FWIW, I finished my career in a Corporate office. Rather than the "I Love Me" wall, I preferred to put up family pictures.

Dude, you have an ordinance corp crest photo as your avatar. Obviously you are proud of your service and the things you have done; not sure why you are trying to down play what others have earned or done.

 

[proneshooter]

I just hope they keep those ridiculously ugly berets out of the Corps. No offense, but If I wanted to look like a gay Frenchman, well, never mind...

The Royal Marines and the Korps Mariniers do not mind. And they seem to be every bit as hard core as the USMC, maybe more so as they are much smaller corps.

Neither of them are French, either.