Black beret
During the war, the French Army's Chasseurs Alpins wore large black berets as a forage cap.
In 1918, near the end of the war, British Army officers Hugh Elles and J. F. C. Fuller decided to outfit members of the Royal Tank Corps with black berets as the colour was least likely to show oil stains.
The decision was approved by King George V on 5 March 1924, and black berets were used exclusively within the British Armed Forces as the headdress of the Royal Tank Corps during the interwar period and World War II.
[citation needed] One of the most famous photographs of Che Guevara taken by Alberto Korda was of him wearing a black beret with a gold star.
This was introduced by (then) Commander Manuel Tomé around 1977, and the beret was awarded on completion of a Cold Weather and Mountain Warfare Course.
In the Danish Army, the black beret was originally used by all combat regiments, but now it is worn by the Jutland Dragoons, Guard Hussars, Royal Life Guard, Army Combat and Fire Support Center, Garnisonskommandant Vordingborg and 1st Danish Artillery Battalion.
In the Greek Army, black berets are worn by the Panzer (Armored Vehicles) branch, tracing back to the tradition of the original cavalry units.
In the Irish Army the majority of the members of the Permanent Defence Forces, specifically the infantry, wear black berets except for certain combat support units such as MPs, Cavalry etc.
The black beret is worn by Juozas Vitkus Engineer battalion soldiers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
In the Portuguese Army, the black beret is worn by the cavalry branch, including the armoured troops and the military police.
In the Sri Lankan Army, the Armoured Corps, Mechanized Infantry and the Special Forces wear black berets.
In the Sri Lankan Navy, the black beret is worn by the Members of the elite Special Boat Squadron.
In the spring of 1951, the 10th and 11th Ranger Companies wore black berets during their training at Camp Carson, Colorado, before their deployment to Japan.
In 1979, the black beret was authorized for wear by enlisted personnel in the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP).
In 1984, two airmen from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina submitted the current flash and badge design.
[14] On January 30, 1975, it was officially assigned as part of the newly created battalions of United States Army Rangers who had worn it unofficially during the Vietnam War.
The change was implemented by General Eric Shinseki, Army Chief of Staff at the time, who stated that it was about promoting "...our values as an institution.
"[15] From the beginning, the beret was unpopular with soldiers because the headgear required two hands to put it on, provided no shade from the sun (unlike the patrol cap), had to be shaved and shaped upon acquisition and, as black wool, was hot and uncomfortable in warm weather.
[21] Until October 2016, a black beret was authorized to be worn in the U.S. Navy,[22][23] albeit solely by female sailors of all pay-grades.
The female black beret's usage was discontinued along with the officer's tiara by the navy in 2016 as part of a naval effort to reduce the number of uniform items, make them appear more unisex, and also due to a lack of widespread use.
