The colors of berets in the Russian army. Military berets in photographs

In many armies of the worldberetsindicate the affiliation of the units using them toelite troops. Since they have a special mission, the elite units must have something to separate them from the rest. For example, the well-known green beret" is "a symbol of perfection, a sign of valor and distinction in the struggle for freedom."

History of the military beret

Given the practicality of the beret, the informal use of the beret by the European military goes back thousands of years. An example is the blue beret, which became the symbol of the Scottish military in the 16th and 17th centuries. As an official military headdress, the beret began to be used during the War of Succession to the Spanish Crown in 1830, commissioned by General Tomás de Zumalacárregui, who wanted to make headdresses resistant to the vagaries of mountain weather, easy to care for and used on special occasions in an inexpensive way. .

Other countries followed suit with the creation of units of the French Alpine Chasseurs in the early 1880s. These mountain troops wore clothing that included several features that were innovative for the time. Including, and large berets, which have survived to this day.
Berets have features that make them very attractive to the military: they are cheap, can be made in a wide range of colors, can be rolled up and tucked into a pocket or under an epaulette, they can be worn with headphones (this is one of the reasons why tankers adopted berets) .

The beret was found to be particularly useful for armored car crews, and the British Tank Corps (later the Royal Tank Corps) adopted the headgear as early as 1918.

After the 1st World War, when the issue of official changes in the form of clothing was considered at high level, General Elles, who was a promoter of berets, made another argument - during maneuvers, it is comfortable to sleep in a beret and it can be used as a balaclava. After lengthy debate in the Ministry of Defense, the black beret was officially approved by His Majesty's decree of March 5, 1924.

The black beret remained the exclusive privilege of the Royal Tank Corps for quite some time. Then, the practicality of this headgear was noticed by the rest, and by 1940, all British armored units began to wear black berets.

German tank crews, in the late 1930s, also adopted the beret with the addition of a padded helmet inside. The black color has become popular in the headgear of tank crews, as it does not show oil stains.

Second World War gave berets new popularity. English and American saboteurs, thrown behind the Germans, in particular, to France, quickly appreciated the convenience of berets, especially dark colors - it was convenient to hide hair under them, they protected the head from the cold, the beret was used as a comforter, etc.

Some English units introduced berets as headgear for formations and military branches. So, for example, it was with the SAS - the Special Aviation Service, a division special purpose, engaged in sabotage and reconnaissance behind enemy lines - they took a sand-colored beret (it symbolized the desert, where the SAS had to work hard against Rommel's army).

British paratroopers chose a crimson beret - according to legend, this color was suggested by the writer Daphne DuMaurier, the wife of General Frederick Brown, one of the heroes of the Second World War. For the color of the beret, paratroopers immediately received the nickname "cherries". Since then, the crimson beret has become the unofficial symbol of military paratroopers around the world.

The first use of berets in the US military dates back to 1943. The 509th Parachute Regiment received crimson berets from their English counterparts, in recognition and respect.

The use of a beret as a headdress for military personnel in the Soviet Union dates back to 1936. According to the order of the NPO of the USSR, military women and students of military academies were supposed to wear dark blue berets as part of summer uniforms.

Berets became, by default, a military headdress at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, just like the cocked hat, shako, cap, cap, kepi, at one time in their respective eras. Berets are now worn by many military personnel in most countries around the world.

And now, in fact, about berets in elite troops. And we will start, of course, with the Alpine Jaegers - the unit that introduced the fashion for wearing berets in the army. The Alpine Chasseurs (Mountain Fusiliers) are the elite mountain infantry of the French Army. They are trained to fight in the highlands and in urban areas. They wear a wide dark blue beret.

Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion wear light green berets.

The French Navy commandos wear the green beret.

The French Marines wear dark blue berets.

French Air Force Commandos wear dark blue berets.

French paratroopers wear red berets.

German airborne troops wear berets in maroon (Maroon).

The German special forces (KSK) wear berets of the same color, but with their own emblem.

They wear a large black beret.

The Royal Dutch Marines wear dark blue berets.

The Airmobile Brigade (11 Luchtmobiele Brigade) of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands wears maroon berets (Maroon).

The Finnish Marines wear green berets.

Italian paratroopers of the Carabinieri regiment wear maroon berets.

Soldiers of the special unit of the Italian Navy wear green berets.

The Portuguese Marines wear dark blue berets.

Soldiers of the British Parachute Regiment wear maroon berets.

Paratroopers of the 16th Air Assault Brigade of the British Army wear the same beret, but with a different emblem.

Special Air Service (SAS) commandos have been wearing beige berets (tan) since the 2nd World War.

The British Royal Marines wear green berets.

Canadian paratroopers wear berets in maroon (Maroon).

The Australian Army 2nd Commando Regiment wears green berets.

The American "Green Berets" (United States Army Special Forces) naturally wear the green berets that President John F. Kennedy approved for them in 1961.

US Army Airborne troops wear maroon (Maroon) berets, which they received in 1943 from their British counterparts and allies.

And in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), berets are not worn. In 1951, the Marine Corps introduced several types of berets, green and blue, but they were rejected by tough warriors because they looked "too feminine."

Special Forces Georgian armies wear maroon berets (Maroon).

Serbian special forces soldiers wear black berets.

The Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan wears blue berets.

Hugo Chavez wears the red beret of the Venezuelan Paratrooper Brigade.

Let's move on to the valiant elite troops of Russia and our fellow Slavs.

Our response to the appearance in the armies of NATO countries of units that wore berets, in particular, parts of the US SOF, whose uniform headdress is green, was the Order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR dated November 5, 1963 No. 248. According to the order, a new field uniform is being introduced for special forces units of the USSR Marine Corps. This uniform was supposed to be a black beret, made of cotton fabric for sailors and sergeants of military service and woolen fabric for officers.

The cockades and stripes on the berets of the marines changed many times: replacing the red star on the berets of sailors and sergeants with a black oval-shaped emblem with a red star and bright yellow edging, and later, in 1988, by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR No. 250 of March 4, the oval emblem was replaced by an asterisk bordered by a wreath. The Russian army also had many innovations, and now it looks like this:

After the approval of a new uniform for the Marine Corps, berets appeared in the airborne troops of the USSR Armed Forces. In June 1967, Colonel General V.F. Margelov, then commander of the Airborne Forces, approved sketches of a new uniform for the airborne troops.

The designer of the sketches was the artist A. B. Zhuk, known as the author of many books on small arms and the author of illustrations for the SVE (Soviet Military Encyclopedia). It was A. B. Zhuk who proposed the crimson color of the beret for paratroopers.

A raspberry-colored beret was, at that time, all over the world an attribute of belonging to the landing troops, and V.F. Margelov approved the wearing of a raspberry beret by military personnel of the Airborne Forces during parades in Moscow. On the right side of the beret was sewn a small blue triangular flag with the emblem of the airborne troops. On the berets of sergeants and soldiers in front there was a star framed by a wreath of ears, on the berets of officers, instead of an asterisk, a cockade was attached.

During the November parade of 1967, the paratroopers were already dressed in new form and crimson berets. However, at the very beginning of 1968, instead of crimson berets, paratroopers begin to wear blue berets. According to the military leadership, the color blue sky more suitable for airborne troops and by order No. 191 of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of July 26, 1969, the blue beret was approved as a parade headdress for the Airborne Forces. Unlike the crimson beret, on which the flag sewn on the right side was blue, the flag on the blue beret became red.

And the modern, Russian version:

The soldiers of the GRU special forces wear the uniform of the Airborne Forces and, accordingly, blue berets.

Special forces units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia wear a maroon (dark red) beret. But, unlike other branches of the armed forces, such as marines or paratroopers, for special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the maroon beret is a sign of qualification and is awarded to a fighter only after he has undergone special training and has proved his right to wear a maroon beret.

Until the moment they receive a maroon beret, special forces soldiers wear a protective color beret.

Soldiers of the reconnaissance of the internal troops wear a green beret. The right to wear this beret must also be earned, as well as the right to wear a maroon beret.

Our Ukrainian brothers are also the heirs of the USSR, and therefore, they have retained the beret colors used earlier in this country for their elite units.

The Marine Corps of Ukraine wears black berets.

Airmobile troops of Ukraine wear a blue beret.

In many armies of the world, berets indicate that the units using them belong to the elite troops. Since they have a special mission, the elite units must have something to separate them from the rest. For example, the famous "green beret" is "a symbol of excellence, a sign of valor and distinction in the struggle for freedom."

(Total 61 photos)

History of the military beret.

1. Other countries followed suit after the creation of the French Alpine Chasseurs in the early 1880s. These mountain troops wore clothing that included several features that were innovative for the time. Including large berets, which have survived to this day.

2. Berets have features that make them very attractive to the military: they are cheap, can be made in a wide range of colors, can be rolled up and tucked into a pocket or under a shoulder strap, they can be worn with headphones (this is one of the reasons why tankers have adopted beret).

The beret was found to be especially useful for armored car crews, and the British Tank Corps (later the Royal Tank Corps) adopted this headgear as early as 1918.

3. After World War 1, when the issue of official changes in the form of clothing was considered at a high level, General Elles, who was a promoter of berets, made another argument - during maneuvers it is comfortable to sleep in a beret and it can be used as a balaclava. After lengthy debate in the Ministry of Defense, the black beret was officially approved by His Majesty's decree of March 5, 1924. The black beret remained the exclusive privilege of the Royal Tank Corps for quite some time. Then the practicality of this headgear was noticed by the rest and by 1940 all the armored units of Great Britain began to wear black berets.

4. German tank crews in the late 1930s also adopted the beret with the addition of a padded helmet inside. Black has become popular in the headgear of tank crews as it does not show oil stains.

5. The Second World War gave berets new popularity. English and American saboteurs, thrown behind German lines, in particular, to France, quickly appreciated the convenience of berets, especially dark colors - it was convenient to hide hair under them, they protected the head from the cold, the beret was used as a balaclava, etc. Some English units introduced berets as a headdress for formations and military branches. For example, it happened with the SAS - the Special Aviation Service, a special forces unit engaged in sabotage and reconnaissance behind enemy lines - they took a sand-colored beret (it symbolized the desert, where the SAS had to work hard against Rommel's army). British paratroopers chose a crimson beret - according to legend, this color was suggested by the writer Daphne DuMaurier, the wife of General Frederick Brown, one of the heroes of the Second World War. For the color of the beret, paratroopers immediately received the nickname "cherries". Since then, the crimson beret has become the unofficial symbol of military paratroopers around the world.

6. The first use of berets in the US military dates back to 1943. The 509th Airborne Regiment received crimson berets from their English colleagues as a sign of recognition and respect. The use of a beret as a headdress for military personnel in the Soviet Union dates back to 1936. According to the order of the NPO of the USSR, women soldiers and students of military academies were supposed to wear dark blue berets as part of summer uniforms.

7. Berets became the default military headgear at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, just like the cocked hat, shako, cap, cap, cap, at one time in the respective eras. Berets are now worn by many military personnel in most countries around the world.

8. And now, in fact, about the berets in the elite troops. And we will start, of course, with the Alpine Jaegers - the unit that introduced the fashion for wearing berets in the army. The Chasseurs Alpine (Mountain Fusiliers) are the elite mountain infantry of the French Army. They are trained to fight in mountainous terrain and in urban areas. They wear a wide dark blue beret.

9. The French Foreign Legion wears light green berets.

11. French Navy commandos wear a green beret.

12. French Marines wear dark blue berets.

14. French Air Force Commandos wear dark blue berets.

15. French paratroopers wear red berets.

17. German airborne troops wear maroon berets (Maroon).

18. German special forces (KSK) wear berets of the same color, but with a different emblem.

19. The Swiss Guards of the Vatican wear a large black beret.

20. The Dutch Royal Marines wear dark blue berets.

21. Airmobile Brigade (11 Luchtmobiele Brigade) Armed Forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands wear maroon berets (Maroon).

22. Finnish Marines wear green berets.

23. Italian paratroopers of the Carabinieri regiment wear red berets.

24. Soldiers of the special unit of the Italian Navy wear green berets.

25. The Portuguese Marine Corps wears dark blue berets.

26. Soldiers of the British Parachute Regiment wear maroon berets (Maroon).

27. Paratroopers of the 16th Air Assault Brigade of the British Army wear the same beret, but with a different emblem.

28. Special Air Service (SAS) commandos have been wearing beige berets (tan) since World War 2.

29. The British Royal Marines wear green berets.

30. Riflemen from Her Majesty's Gurkha Brigade wear green berets.

31. Canadian paratroopers wear maroon berets.

32. The Australian Army's 2nd Commando Regiment wears green berets.

33. American Rangers wear a beige beret (tan).

34. The American "Green Berets" (United States Army Special Forces) naturally wear green berets, which were approved for them in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy.

35. The US Army Airborne troops wear maroon berets (Maroon), received in 1943 from their British colleagues and allies.

39. Marines South Korea wear green berets.

40. Special forces of the Georgian army wear maroon berets (Maroon).

41. Serbian special forces soldiers wear black berets.

42. The air assault brigade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan wears blue berets.

43. Hugo Chavez wears the red beret of the Paratrooper Brigade of Venezuela.

Let's move on to the valiant elite troops of Russia and our fellow Slavs.

44. Our response to the appearance in the armies of NATO countries of units that wore berets, in particular parts of the US SOF, whose uniform headgear is green, was the Order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR dated November 5, 1963 No. 248. According to the order, a new field uniform is being introduced for special forces units of the USSR Marine Corps. This uniform was supposed to be a black beret, made of cotton fabric for sailors and sergeants of military service and woolen fabric for officers.

45. Cockades and stripes on the berets of the marines changed many times: replacing the red star on the berets of sailors and sergeants with a black oval-shaped emblem with a red star and bright yellow edging, and later, in 1988, by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR No. 250 of 4 March, the oval emblem was replaced by an asterisk bordered by a wreath. There were many innovations in the Russian army too, and now it looks like this.

After the approval of the new uniform for the Marine Corps, berets appeared in the airborne troops. In June 1967, Colonel General V.F. Margelov, then commander of the Airborne Forces, approved sketches of a new uniform for the airborne troops. The designer of the sketches was the artist A. B. Zhuk, known as the author of many books on small arms and as the author of illustrations for the SVE (Soviet Military Encyclopedia). It was A. B. Zhuk who proposed the crimson color of the beret for paratroopers. A raspberry-colored beret was at that time an attribute of belonging to the landing troops all over the world, and V.F. Margelov approved the wearing of a raspberry beret by military personnel of the Airborne Forces during parades in Moscow. On the right side of the beret was sewn a small blue triangular flag with the emblem of the airborne troops. On the berets of sergeants and soldiers in front there was a star framed by a wreath of ears, on the berets of officers, instead of an asterisk, a cockade was attached.

46. During the November parade of 1967, the paratroopers were already dressed in a new uniform and crimson berets. However, at the very beginning of 1968, instead of crimson berets, paratroopers begin to wear blue berets. According to the military leadership, the color of the blue sky is more suitable for the airborne troops and by order No. 191 of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of July 26, 1969, the color blue was approved as a parade headdress for the Airborne Forces. Unlike the crimson beret, on which the flag sewn on the right side was blue, the flag on the blue beret became red.

47. And a modern, Russian version.

48. The soldiers of the GRU special forces wear the form of the Airborne Forces and, accordingly, blue berets.

49. Special forces units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia wear a maroon (dark red) beret.

50. But unlike other branches of the armed forces, such as marines or paratroopers, for special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the maroon beret is a sign of qualification and is awarded to the fighter only after he has undergone special training and has proved his right to wear a maroon beret.

61. And finally, a little exotic. Soldiers of the Zimbabwe Presidential Guard wearing yellow berets.

Over the years cold war in the last century, the phrase "green beret" has already become a household word. What troops are these? This is the name of the soldiers of the special forces of the US Army. "Green Berets" - selected units that are designed to organize special sabotage, counter-terrorism operations and conduct guerrilla warfare. This well-trained strike group is capable of performing the most difficult combat missions in all climatic zones and geographic regions.

History of creation

The decision to create such units was made by the US command in 1950 after a series of successful combat operations in the colonies of Western European countries. Then the need of the States for special troops, similar to the English SAS, which are capable of conducting on the territory of other countries, became obvious. guerrilla war, conduct reconnaissance and sabotage actions, ensure the safety of significant objects and act against superior enemy forces.

In 1952, on the basis of the Office of Strategic Services, created during the 2nd World War and the CIA, formed in 1947, a special forces group was organized, consisting of ten people, with OSS officers Russell Faulkman and Aaron Bank at the head. The group became based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Symbolism

Members of the group wore bottle-colored berets, and they became its symbol. But this element of the uniform was not welcomed by the higher command, because the charter was not provided for. In 1956, wearing green berets was officially banned by order of the commandant of Fort Bragg, but this did not stop the special forces from continuing to use them. The detachment subsequently increased to 2.5 thousand fighters. In the next 9 years, the group members improved their learning and actively adopted the experience of CAC. The base of the SAS "Heford" became the place of their constant pilgrimage. At the same time, many US military officials treated the unit negatively, and therefore not enough resources were allocated to it.

Kennedy's position

Only in 1961, when John F. Kennedy became the American president, was the US need for troops of this type identified. The "Green Berets" of the United States came under Kennedy's tutelage. The President's position was dictated by the military-political situation. The Soviet Union fought the United States, actively supporting the anti-American national liberation movements in the Third World states.

In June 1962, Kennedy presented his vision of the situation at West Point to the graduates of the military academy. According to him, the wars modern world took on an insurrectionary and sabotage character, these are wars of ambushes and infiltrations. In this regard, it is necessary to create armed forces for conflicts of this type with special uniforms, weapons and tactics.

Green beret of special forces

There was a small incident during Kennedy's visit to Fort Bragg. Captain W. Yarborough, who marched in the forbidden headdress in front of the president, infuriated the army leadership. However, a couple of days later, by Kennedy's decree, green berets were approved as the official headgear of special forces.

The special forces received their baptism of fire in Vietnam in 1961. There, they successfully formed detachments from the Vietnamese mountaineers to fight the communists, and this greatly interfered with the Viet Cong. Since that time, the "green berets" managed to take part in several dozen wars that took place in all corners of the globe, destroy many significant enemy facilities, and overthrow more than one government objectionable to the United States.

American special forces today

Now any American student knows which US Army soldiers wear a green beret. This (which troops have such a headdress as an official symbol, we wrote above) is an elite sub-unit that operates to solve a number of tasks, namely the organization of insurgent movements behind enemy lines, raids behind enemy lines, intelligence in the interests of American armed groups forces, conducting sabotage operations, helping friendly governments in hostilities, building up armed forces, and suppressing uprisings.

In the event of an invasion of the territory of a large state by US troops the main role to disable strategic facilities, incl. nuclear weapons, will be assigned to these forces. In addition, the "Green Berets" act as military advisers in seventy states with regimes friendly to the United States, carry out humanitarian actions, helping to promote US policy around the world.

The distinctive features of the special forces soldiers are their cultural and linguistic knowledge, thanks to which they act as a link between local regimes and the US government, i.e., this is actually a military unit of the US Foreign Ministry.

Structure

There was no decrease in the number of Green Berets due to the end of the Cold War. Now these troops number ten thousand fighters in seven groups: two - in the national guard, five - in the ground forces. Each of the groups of ground forces specializes in regions:

The first is the South Asian region.
The third is Central and South Africa.
Fifth - North Africa, Near and Middle East.
Seventh - the Caribbean and Latin America.
Tenth - Europe, including Russia.

Green berets. Russian troops

Few people know, but in our country there are types of troops in which fighters wear such hats. In the circles of military experts and specialists, people who have the right to wear berets command well-deserved respect.

Blue berets are traditionally worn by paratroopers, orange by representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and black by marines. However, there are hats, the color of which is the hallmark of elite special units. The maroon beret is the most famous in Russia - it is a symbol of the highest qualification and valor of a commando in units and units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose history goes back more than thirty years. As for the green berets, they are worn by the military intelligence elite in the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a new detail will appear in military uniforms in the near future - army berets. This headgear is currently used exclusively in some branches of the military, but it will soon replace the classic caps. Meanwhile, the traditional headdress of Russian servicemen will last more than three years. As the ministry stated, army caps will go out of use "as they wear out".

Currently, the issue of introducing a beret, as an element of uniform, is being considered for all categories of military personnel (with the exception of the Navy), provided for wearing both in a set of everyday and field clothing, for the Air Force and the Airborne Forces - blue, for parts of the coastal troops of the Navy - black , for the Ground military branches and others - protective.

These changes will increase the range of headwear for employees when equipped in a variety of climatic conditions, depending on the type of activity, the nature of the service.

Introduction of new hats

The determination of a specific everyday uniform, taking into account the tasks performed by military personnel, will be entrusted to the commander of a military unit. In accordance with the decree “On military uniforms, insignia of military personnel and departmental insignia”, military personnel also have the opportunity to wear hats, caps, hats with earflaps, airborne troops and parts of the coastal troops of the Navy for combat purposes - woolen berets. Troops participating in the parades will be equipped with the new Tsifra field uniform, which will include a new army headdress- takes. In the near future, it will replace the caps that are familiar to us.

Such a replacement will be carried out in accordance with the planned procedure, within the time limits established by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The draft decree of the Minister of Defense of Russia “On the Rules for Wearing Military Uniforms and Insignia of Military Personnel of the Armed Forces” refers to the planned replacement of the old uniform of military personnel with a new one within a three-year period. Thus, from the above, it can be concluded that army caps will be completely replaced in three years, and before that time, the military personnel will have three official types of headgear. Today, the beret refers to the uniform headgear of the vast majority of military forces. globe. Some types of berets, such as maroon, are used as a badge of distinction. The widespread use of such headgear in the armed forces started during the First World War.

According to some unverified data, different types of soft army berets French tankers began to wear. Greater use of such headgear was given by Great Britain. In 1918, General Elles, while at that time in Bermicut, where the 70th regiment of the Alpine Chasseurs was stationed, suggested, as an experiment, to use their traditional black beret. The black color was also chosen, not least for reasons of practicality - dirt and oil stains were barely noticeable on it. Since at that moment the level of technical progress left much to be desired, the tank needed constant care, it was almost impossible not to get dirty, this concerned the headgear in the first place. In addition, during the maneuvers, it was comfortable to sleep in the beret, and it was also used as a balaclava.

The beret is a soft headdress without a round visor. It came into fashion during the Middle Ages, but for a long time it was considered an exclusively male headdress, since it was mainly worn by military people. Currently, berets are part of the military uniform of various troops of the Russian Armed Forces, each of which has its own characteristic coloring of berets, which can be used to determine whether an employee belongs to one or another branch of the Armed Forces.

History reference

In our country, they began to include this headgear in the uniforms of military personnel in 1936, taking an example from the West. Initially in the army Soviet Union dark blue berets were supposed to be worn by female soldiers and only in the summer. At the end of World War II, they were replaced by khaki berets.

Massively apply in uniforms Soviet army this headgear was made much later, having appreciated all the advantages of the beret: it is able to protect the head from various precipitations, it is extremely comfortable to wear, and due to its compact size and soft material, this headgear is extremely convenient to put away if necessary, for example, in a pocket.

In 1963, the beret officially became part of the uniform of the military personnel of individual special forces structures.

Today, in the uniform of the troops of the Russian Armed Forces, there are such varieties of hats as black, blue, blue, maroon, green, light green, orange, gray, cornflower blue, raspberry, dark olive and olive berets.

Black berets indicate that a soldier belongs to the Marine Corps.
A blue beret on the head of a soldier indicates that he serves in the Russian Airborne Forces.
The blue beret refers to the military uniform of the Russian Air Force.
- uniform headdress of employees of special forces units of the troops of the National Guard of Russia.
Green berets belong to the intelligence elite of the internal troops.
Headdresses of light green color are worn by representatives of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation at solemn and official events.
Orange berets are worn by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Gray - military special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Wearing a cornflower blue beret indicates that its owner belongs to the special forces of the FSB of Russia and the special forces of the FSO of Russia.
Crimson berets were worn by those representatives of the troops who served in the Airborne Forces until 1968, since then they were replaced by blue berets.
The dark olive beret is the uniform headdress of the special forces units of the railway troops.

Soldiers wearing olive berets are perhaps the most difficult to identify as belonging to any type of military service.

Olive color: belonging to the troops

The olive beret is part of the military uniform of the National Guard. Until 2016, it was worn by representatives of the internal troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and special forces of the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense. These troops carry out activities to ensure the internal and public security of Russia from various kinds illegal attacks.

The troops have the following purpose:

ensuring the territorial integrity of Russia;
protection of objects of the country of special importance;
interaction with other troops of the RF Armed Forces;
ensuring the security of Russian citizens;
suppression of the activities of terrorist groups.

Very little is known about those who wear olive berets, since information about their activities is classified, wearing such berets is a great honor and pride for their owners, and much effort must be made to earn the right to own them.

Getting the insignia

To earn the honorary right to wear an olive beret, you must go through several stages of the most difficult physical and psychological tests, because only the best employees wear olive berets. The surrender for the olive beret takes place once a year. Absolutely every serviceman of Russia can participate, but not all members of the army can pass the olive beret exam, the selection of candidates is extremely tough. According to statistics, only about half of the candidates reach the last stage of the examination tests. To pass the standards for obtaining a beret, you need to carefully prepare both physically and mentally.

For a member of the army, applying for the right to own an olive beret, the following requirements are imposed on the exam:

demonstration of physical fitness;
marching through complex relief terrain with water obstacles;
ambush definition;
rescue of the victim;
overcoming the assault barrier;
demonstration of aimed fire skills;
demonstration of hand-to-hand combat skills.

The surrender to the olive beret begins with a preliminary stage, which includes such types of physical activity as pull-ups, push-ups, cross over a distance of 3 km. At the next stage of the exam, the applicant for the possession of the olive beret will have to go through an obstacle course, storm the building and demonstrate hand-to-hand combat skills.

During the passage of the obstacle course for two hours, the applicant in uniform weighing more than 12 kg must overcome water and other difficult obstacles. This test is conducted without the right to respite and delay. The applicant must then demonstrate marksmanship skills. With a 12-minute sparring with a change of partners, the surrender to the olive beret ends. Note that there are some similarities with the special forces.

A candidate for the right to own an olive beret during the exam is subjected to the most difficult physical and moral stress, and if the applicant successfully passed all the tests, then he becomes the owner of the olive beret and can rightly be called a worthy representative of the troops of the RF Armed Forces.

The right to wear the olive beret can also be obtained as an award for special merit in the performance of one's official duties. The olive beret is a symbol of courage and courage, but no matter what berets military personnel wear, it is always equally honorable and responsible.