The best-known SF insignia is the green beret (officially, ‘Beret, Man’s, Wool, Rifle Green’). The story of its adoption is long and involved, but may be summarised as follows:
The idea of the beret as SF’s official headwear is attributed to Captains Herbert Brucker and Roger Pezzelle of the 10th SFGA. Berets of various colours had been worn as field headwear by a small number of individuals since the group had been formed. In the late summer of 1952 these two captains came up with the idea of a camouflage beret for field and everyday wear along with a camouflage uniform. Capt. Pezzelle ordered some green berets from Canada, as camouflage ones were not manufactured. Before the berets arrived the 10th SFGA deployed to Germany. When the berets arrived at Ft Bragg members of the 77th SFGA began to wear them and more were purchased. The 10th found out about this, and ordered berets from a firm in Munich. They were strictly illegal at this time. Over the next two years the berets began to be worn more and more openly at both Bad Tölz and Ft Bragg. The troops were always prepared to switch to a regulation field cap when high ranking ‘outsiders’ appeared in their unit area.
An NCO of Detachment A-301 coaches a CIDG trainee in use of the M79 grenade launcher at Camp Trang Sup, the III Corps CIDG Training Center, in March 1967. The unit scarf is medium blue. A CIDG NCO of Mobile Guerrilla Force Co. 957 looks on (right). On his shoulder can be seen the insignia depicted in close-up, which is typical of locally produced CIDG insignia. (CIDG—US Army, patch—C. B. Smyth)
In late 1954 an attempt was made to legalise the beret. At Ft Bragg Col. Edson Raff, commander of the Psychological Warfare Center, requested authorisation, but a reply was never received. He took it upon himself to approve the Canadian-made beret for local wear on the last day of 1955, as a test ‘to determine its suitability’. The post commander banned it the following year, however. The troops continued to wear it in the field, but it was not worn openly at Ft Bragg again until 1961. Col. William Ekman, new commander of the 10th SFGA, granted approval for local wear, and assigned Capt. Brucker as the procurement officer. French-made berets were purchased in 1955. The 10th was able to continue the wear of the beret through the remainder of the 1950s with few problems. The 1st SFGA also wore the beret on a locally approved basis after its formation in 1957. Several attempts were made to secure official sanction during the late 1950s, but all were disapproved.
Brig.Gen. William Yarborough, commander of the Special Warfare Center in 1960–65, was instrumental in finally securing approval of the beret. The general could see the value of functional uniforms and distinctive insignia for specialised units. During World War II, as the test officer of the Airborne Command, he developed the design of the jump boot, parachutist’s badge, and paratrooper uniform. The boots (though now black) and the badge are still worn. In 1960 he used the paratrooper uniform as a model for the lightweight jungle fatigues which have been a standard for US Army field uniforms ever since. The general’s West Point classmate, Maj.Gen. Chester Clifton, was the military aide to President Kennedy; and it was through him that approval of the beret was granted by the President on 25 September 1961. When the President visited Ft Bragg in October 1961 to review Special Forces the troopers were wearing the beret, and it was officially entered into the uniform regulations on 10 December.
A member of Co. D, 1st SFGA accompanying the Royal Thai Army on an operation, March 1967. This was prior to the redesignation of this unit as 46th SF Company. (US Army)
During the early 1950s the parachutist badge, or ‘jumpwings’, was worn on the beret, positioned over the left temple. The 77th SFGA, and later the 1st SFGA, added the SF airborne background trimming. These are more commonly referred to as ‘jumpwing backgrounds’ or ‘ovals’. They are worn as a backing for the parachutist badge as an additional means of unit identification. They are normally worn on service-type uniforms, and sometimes on headwear. Officers in the 77th sometimes wore their rank insignia beneath the wings.
The 10th SFGA initially wore jumpwings without the background. In 1955 they took a different track when Capt. Pezzelle designed the ‘Trojan Horse’ badge: a large silver-coloured badge depicting a Trojan horse superimposed over a lightning bolt and enclosed within a shield-shaped winged frame. The Trojan horse and lightning bolt were to influence many future SF insignia. The badge was worn over the left temple; officers wore their rank insignia forward of the badge. The group commander approved its wear on 25 September 1955; delivered in January 1956, it was worn until the ‘flash’ was issued in 1962.
Beret flashes are an important symbol in SF, serving to identify groups and other units and organisations. The flash system was developed by Gen. Yarborough in 1961 in anticipation of approval of the beret. The original flashes were made of felt and measured approximately 1
ins. wide by 2 ins. high. Felt flashes were used, in some cases, until the mid-1960s, but in the early 1960s the embroidered flash began to appear. These were generally larger, and the standard flash size is 1
ins. wide and 2¼ ins. high. Other materials such as naugahyde (artificial leather) and plastic have been used. The flash is worn above the left eye; enlisted men wear their unit crest on the flash while officers wear their rank insignia. The ‘full-flash’, as it is called, was formerly worn only by personnel who were fully SF-qualified. This was changed in 1984.
It is a little-known fact that the green beret is worn by all personnel assigned to SF units whether they are SF qualified or not. Men who are not SF-qualified, some of whom may not even be airborne-qualified, can be found in Group Headquarters and Service Companies, and Administrative Detachments. They wore, until 1984, what was officially referred to as the ‘SF recognition bar’, more commonly known as the ‘half-flash’, ‘striker bar’, ‘candy stripe’ or ‘candy bar’. These were introduced in the mid-1960s, and measure 1 ins. long and ½ in. wide. These troops originally wore only their crest or officer rank insignia on the beret. The candy stripe, adopted so that the wearer’s group could be identified, was worn beneath the crest or rank insignia. Some units never did have a candy stripe. In 1984, after the authorisation of the SF qualification tab, it was directed that non-SF-qualified personnel would now wear the ‘full-flash’. This decision met with much opposition, but the candy stripe was eliminated.
Typical Khmer CIDG Strikers in III Corps Tactical Zone, late 1960s. The unarmed man is probably the company adjutant (first sergeant). (US Army)
Distinctive unit insignia, incorrectly but more commonly referred to as crests, are worn by all personnel to identify their parent organisation. Enlisted men wear them on the beret, and they and officers wear them on the shoulder straps of service uniforms. These are enamelled metal badges, usually just over one inch high.
The 10th and 77th SFGAs were authorised crests after they were activated. The 1st SFGA was authorised a crest in the late 1950s, but it was never worn on the uniform.
On 15 April 1960 the 1st Special Forces was activated as the parent organisation for all SF units. A new crest was approved on 24 May 1960. The 1st SF crest consists of a black scroll with the SF motto in silver, DE OPPRESSO LIBER—’Free the Oppressed’. Two crossed silver arrows are superimposed on the scroll, and represent the branch-of-service insignia of the 1st Special Service Force. On the arrows is a point-up silver Fairbairn fighting knife as used by the 1st Special Service Force.
The Psychological Warfare School received a crest on 28 November 1952, approved for wear by the Special Warfare Center on 18 September 1957. The new 1st Special Operations Command was authorised its crest in July 1983.
Initially the 10th and 77th SFGAs wore the shoulder sleeve insignia (commonly called patches) of the World War II Airborne Command. This patch was worn by SF as a cover from 1952–55. It was reinstated as the insignia of the ‘Airborne Command for wear by certain classified units’, to quote the file, on 10 April 1952.
The Special Forces patch was approved on 22 August 1955, and the same letter rescinded the wear of the Airborne Command patch. It was designed by Capt. John W. Frye of the 77th SFGA. The arrowhead represents the 1st Special Service Force and the gold-yellow short sword signifies unconventional warfare. The three lightning bolts of the same colour represent the three means of infiltration—land, sea, and air. The teal blue colour designates ‘branch unassigned’, as SF is not assigned to a given branch.
Members of the 5th Mike Force board a C-123 transport on 2 April 1967 for the first Mike Force airborne assault. Almost 350 CIDG and USSF jumped to secure a site for a Strike Force Camp at Bunard. (US Army)
Originally an Airborne tab was not authorised for wear with the patch, but it was worn without exception. The 10th used one of gold-yellow on teal blue, while the 1st and 77th wore a gold-yellow-on-black tab. Both could be found being worn in the different groups due to cross-reassignment of personnel. On 20 November 1958 the gold-yellow-on-black Airborne tab was officially authorised for wear. This patch is never worn upside down as is sometimes reported!
The Psychological and Special Warfare Centers wore the Third US Army patch from 1952 until March 1962. From March to October 1962 the Continental Army Command patch was worn, consisting of (from the bottom) red, white, and blue horizontal stripes. A white-on-blue Airborne tab was worn with both patches. The Special Warfare Center was authorised its own patch on 22 October 1962. It has a black background bordered in gold-yellow, with a white lamp in the centre superimposed over crossed gold-yellow arrows. Issuing from the lamp are red flames edged gold-yellow. A gold-yellow-on-black Airborne tab has been worn at times and not authorised at others. The 1st Special Operations Command received a patch in July 1983.
The SF qualification tab was authorised in July 1983 to identify SF-qualified personnel. It is worn on the left shoulder above the individual’s unit patch. If an individual is both SF- and Ranger-qualified he may wear only one tab, but can wear each on different uniforms.