# Black Berets for everyone in the Army **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2000, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274 "2000-10-25T16:26:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alibey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@alibey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alibey)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/1 "2000-10-25T16:26:47Z")
The big General of the Army just announced that he wants everyone in the Army to wear the Black Beret, except for those who already wear one of another color. Personaly, I feel that this is a bad idea, being a Leg (sniper on the ground) I prefer the BDU cap over the beret. If I wanted to wear a beret I would have gone through the training required to be able to wear one. The berets (of whatever color) was brought into the Army to denot “special” units such as the Airborne, SF and Ranger units. I feel that this will also not go over big with the Rangers, who already wear the black beret. Any other opinions about this ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/2 "2000-10-25T16:49:45Z")
I agree that it is a misguided idea. Will the future of our military readiness be compromised? No. But it seems to me a feel-good rah-rah type of thing. Instead of letting those who achieved a higher or more challenging standard of training and excellence wear their special berets, they are just going to give them out to everyone. I can see it now. “Hey, why do some soldiers get to wear an ‘Expert’ markmanship badge? This is the US Army! We’re _all_ expert marksmen! From now on, everyone wears the ‘Expert’ medal.” Or, to use a civilian example, “It harms the self-esteem of those kids who can’t manage an ‘A’ in the class. From now on, _everyone_ gets an ‘A’!” The standard of excellence becomes lost. I say, let the Rangers and Special Forces continue to distinguish themselves via their headgear. As an Army vet myself (of the BDU/boonie cap variety), I would feel ashamed to be forced to wear a Ranger-type Beret. Well, maybe not _ashamed_ if it was the result of a direct order, but definately uncomfortable. Like I was putting on airs or something. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/3 "2000-10-25T16:53:45Z")
I’m in favour of it, and I also think that the army should include camembert in the MREs. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/4 "2000-10-25T17:14:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*I also think that the army should include camembert in the MREs. \*\* LMAO! I think it’s a bad idea for the same reasons **divemaster** gave. You should earn the priveledge to wear the beret. At least he’s not doing a complete unform change like the Genral of the Air Force did while I was in. The AF uniform wasn’t that much to begin with, and then he trimmed it down even more. Now it’s little more than a bad-lookoing ark blue suit with your insignia and ribbons on it - no nametags anymore even! I almost never wore my blues after the change, unless it was for an Honor Guard function. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/5 "2000-10-25T17:14:01Z")
Alibey, what kind of training do you need to wear a beret? It’s not as if you’re supposed to wear them into combat. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/6 "2000-10-25T17:14:08Z")
If they also provide them all with black or red wool scarves, some clove cigarettes, and dog-eared copies of _L’Etranger_ and _Man and Superman_, the Army will be able to throw a legion of existentialist art snobs at any enemy around and bore them to death. ---
**Author:** ![alibey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@alibey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alibey)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/7 "2000-10-25T17:24:43Z")
to get the maroon beret, you have to go to airborne school and be in an airborne unit to get the green beret you have to go to SF training and be in a SF unit to get the black beret right now you have to go to Ranger training and be in a Ranger unit the SF and Rangers do not wear the berets in the field or in combat, they would wear from no hat to the kevelar helmet depending on the situation. But like I said, let them keep the berets. I find the BDU cap better then the beret. The cap has the brim that helps to keep the sun, rain and snow out of your eyes and the winter caps have the earflaps that can cover one’s ears when it is cold (yes, we can wear the cap with the ear flaps down, at least at FT Drum, NY) Whereas the beret offers none of that. Another case of making something look good and hope that it will also work well. only 8 more days in Saudi Arabia ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/8 "2000-10-25T17:27:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > If they also provide them all with black or red wool scarves, some clove cigarettes, and dog-eared copies of _L’Etranger_ and _Man and Superman_, the Army will be able to throw a legion of existentialist art snobs at any enemy around and bore them to death. A technique, of course, perfected by the French and used to establish a global empire before World War II; unfortunately, such elite forces were no match for the Germans, with their special training in Keirkagaard. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/9 "2000-10-25T21:19:25Z")
Ah, those damn clever Germans using Danish philosophers…a fiendish plan indeed ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/10 "2000-10-25T21:55:55Z")
Was this in response to the many fine men and women in our military actually _wanting_ to wear a beret? I think a better incentive might be that the people who achieve a higher or more challenging level of training be allowed to ditch the beret. Being allowed to get rid of this awful piece of headwear should be a reward for performance excellence. ---
**Author:** ![Sangria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Sangria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangria)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/11 "2000-10-25T22:01:28Z")
Black? I assumed they’d match the outfits and be olive. That would make more sense. The whole US army seems to be based on monotone colors, to suppress individuality. Then a single stripe or star or braid makes people look important. The US has the dullest duds in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/12 "2000-10-25T22:59:30Z")
Hey guys - stop dissing berets. I walked 60 kilometers in full battle gear for mine, and I’m quite fond of it. Hey, why not do like we did and give different color berets to different branches of the Army? For example: Black - Armor (Tanks). Deep Blue - Artillery. Grey - Engineering. Dark Green - Intelligence. And so on. The IDF had four more colors (Red, Brown, Purple and Bright Green) for each of th four infantry brigades; I suppose the U.S. Army is too large for that, but you can improvise. Oh, and REMFs get plain olive green berets. It’s good for morale - the morale of the field units. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/13 "2000-10-26T03:48:42Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Alessan \* \*\*Hey guys - stop dissing berets. I walked 60 kilometers in full battle gear for mine, and I’m quite fond of it. With all sincerity, I have nothing but the highest respect for what your beret symbolizes, and the greatest admiration for what you did to earn it. That being said, the beret itself … as a object … is still dreadful. Once Monica Lewinsky wears something in public, it should be considered an automatic anti-fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/14 "2000-10-26T03:53:53Z")
That reminds me - must get rid of that stained Gap dress… I think the Army should wear the big puffy chef hats. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/15 "2000-10-26T03:55:37Z")
> [@](#): > > That being said, the beret itself … as a object … is still dreadful. Once Monica Lewinsky wears something in public, it should be considered an automatic anti-fashion. Sure, if you wear it _that_ way. The proper way to wear a beret is pulled to the right, with the insignia in the front, left of center. That way, it looks completely different from the one worn by the Presidental Mouthpiece. Besides, a proper beret has been shaved, ironed and molded into shape. ---
**Author:** ![Baglady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Baglady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baglady)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/16 "2000-10-26T04:33:38Z")
\*\*alibey \*\* shared: _“The big General of the Army just announced that he wants everyone in the Army to wear the Black Beret, except for those who already wear one of another color.”_ I suspect this is the General’s idea of making sure none of you are mistaken for those unarmed blue-helmeted UN soldiers, since we know those blue helmets all have “TARGET” written on the side!!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/17 "2000-10-26T05:52:27Z")
I think it’s a bad idea, too. The beret in the Army denotes an achievement, and makes its wearer instantly recognizable as someone who has advanced training and may be officially referred to as “that badass over there.” The reason given was to reflect the Army’s change to a “smaller, more elite force”, but putting everyone in a Ranger beret is not the answer. Bringing back the “Ike Jackets” from the end of WWII would have been a better decision. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/18 "2000-10-26T06:14:14Z")
Hopefully this will have about the same effect as the Navy granting all officers and chiefs permission to wear brown shoes with khakis. It’s still only aviators that wear them. And speaking of the Navy, we’ve got some damn nice uniforms. The Air Force and Army look so dull in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Baglady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Baglady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baglady)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/19 "2000-10-26T06:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by waterj2 \* > **…And speaking of the Navy, we’ve got some damn nice uniforms.** Ohhh yeah, waterj2 – those dungarees sure are sexy!!! ::cough:: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274/20 "2000-10-26T06:53:37Z")
I dunno, bell bottoms and Gilligan hats definitely say “fighting force” to me… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-berets-for-everyone-in-the-army/38274.md?page=2)