DA PAM 670-1: 20-4. Berets

20-4. Berets

a. Beret, black. The black beret is a clothing bag issue items.

b. Beret, tan, green, maroon, or brown. The tan, green, maroon, and brown berets are organizational issue items.

Soldiers are authorized wear of organizational beret as follows:

(1) Ranger tan beret. Soldiers currently assigned to the following units are authorized to wear the Ranger tan beret

(personnel will wear the approved flash of the unit to which they are assigned):

(a) 75th Ranger Regiment.

(b) Ranger Training Brigade.

(c) Ranger-qualified Soldiers in the following units or positions, if they previously served in the 75th Ranger Reg-

iment and departed on honorable terms: headquarters elements of combatant commands; The Joint Staff, Department

of the Army Headquarters; U.S. Special Operations Command; U.S. Army Special Operations Command; U.S. Spe-

cial Operations Command Joint Task Force; Joint Special Operations Command; and Theater Special Operations

Command. Soldiers authorized to wear the tan beret who are assigned to an organization without an approved flash

will wear the Headquarters, 75th Ranger Regiment flash. The 75th Ranger Regiment is the sole authority for validation

of prior service on honorable terms.

(2) Green beret. All Special Forces-qualified personnel carrying CMF 18 MOSs, to include 18A or 180A and

CSMs reclassified from 18Z to 00Z, are authorized to wear the green beret. This includes Senior and Junior Reserve

Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) instructors and those attending training in a student status (for example, Command

and General Staff College, Defense Language Institute, or the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy). Special Forces

personnel who reclassify to another CMF continue to wear the green beret until a new MOS or branch is awarded.

Those in CMF 18 who are filling a drill sergeant position will wear the drill sergeant hat while assigned to a valid drill

sergeant position and actively training Soldiers. Soldiers awarded the Special Forces tab, but not branched Special

Forces, will only wear the green beret while assigned to a Special Forces unit or position. Special Forces personnel

will wear the approved flash of the unit to which they are assigned. Special Forces personnel who are assigned to an

organization without an approved flash will wear the generic Special Forces flash (the flash approved for personnel

assigned to Special Forces positions, but not assigned to Special Forces units).

(3) Maroon beret. All personnel assigned to Airborne units whose primary missions are Airborne operations wear

the maroon beret. The Airborne designation for a unit is found in the unit modification table of organization and

equipment. Other Soldiers are authorized to wear the maroon beret as follows (personnel will wear the approved flash

of the unit to which they are assigned):

(a) Regular Army advisors to reserve Airborne units on jump status.

(b) All personnel assigned to the Airborne departments of the U.S. Army Infantry School and the U.S. Army Quar-

termaster School.

(c) All personnel assigned to long-range surveillance detachments designated as Airborne.

(d) All personnel assigned to the Airborne/Airlift action office.

(e) Recruiters of the Special Operations Recruiting Company, U.S. Army Recruiting Command. Personnel will

wear the U.S. Army Special Operations Command flash.

(f) All personnel assigned to the Airborne procurement team.

(g) All personnel assigned to 55th Signal Company Airborne Combat Camera Documentation Team.

(h) All personnel assigned to 982d Combat Signal Company Airborne platoons.

(i) All personnel assigned to 722d Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)).

(j) All personnel assigned to 767th Ordnance Company (EOD).

(k) All personnel assigned to rigger detachments.

(l) All personnel assigned to Army element of U.S. Special Operations Command.

(m) All personnel assigned to 4th Quartermaster Company.

(4) Brown beret. All personnel assigned to Security Force Assistance Command and Security Force Assistance

Brigades will wear brown berets. The Security Force Assistance Command’s core mission is to conduct training,

advising, assisting, enabling, and accompanying operations with allied and partner nations. Security Force Assistance

Brigade personnel will wear the approved flash of the unit to which they are assigned.

c. Description. The beret has a wool-knit outershell lined with silesia interlining and a sweatband. A rayon adjust-

ing ribbon is threaded through the binding. The beret is equipped with a stiffener on the left front and has two eyelets

with an eyelet protector on the right side. Except for color, all classes of berets are the same.

d. How worn. The beret is worn so that the headband (edge binding) is straight across the forehead, 1 inch above

the eyebrows. The flash is positioned over the left eye and the excess materials is draped over to the right ear, extending

to at least the top of the ear and no lower than the middle of the ear. Personnel will cut off the ends of the adjusting

ribbon and secure the ribbon knot inside the edge binding at the back of the beret. When worn properly, the beret is

formed to the shape of the head; therefore, Soldiers may not wear hairstyles that cause distortion of the intended shape

of the beret (see para 21–3d for information on wearing headgear insignia and fig 20–3 for wear of the beret). The

beret is equipped with a stiffener on the left front for attaching organizational flashes and insignia.