Jump to content

US Army berets - blue, black, green, maroon, tan...


BEAST
 Share

Recommended Posts

I picked up this beret which looks like one of those 70s era 172nd Infantry Brigade OD or brown berets worn in Alaska. However I have no reference for this flash so was wondering if it might be a ROTC beret.

 

 

83rd Regt North Carolina State Militia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All 4 of the Cavalry flashes are red and white only.

 

L-R they are: 1) PFC 2nd ACR, 2) S/Sgt. 11th ACR, 3) Major 5th Sqdn. Cavalry (stationed at Ft. Knox 1970's), 4) Cpl. 3rd ACR. - The bottom right on top is an encapsulated Engineer Unit (maybe the 54th), that was attached to the 11th ACR.

 

As for the identification on the 172nd berets, here they are:

 

Top row L-R: 1) Captain Headquarters Co. 172nd Infantry Bde., 2) 1st Sgt. - 60th Infantry Regt. (I believe the 1st Battalion), 3) Co. C 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Regt., 4) Sgt. 1/C - 562nd, Engineer Co.

 

 

Bottom row: L-R: 1) (maroon beret) C Co. 23rd Infantry Regt. (not sure which Bn.), 2) Master Sgt. 1st Bn. 43rd ADA, 3) 2nd Lt. Co. C 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Regt., 4) 1st Bn. 43rd ADA, 5) Hq. Co. 172nd Inf. Brigade, 6) (top) 2nf Lt. 23rd Infantry Regt. (not sure which Bn.),

7) 1st Lt. 1st Bn. 43rd ADA

 

I am always looking for OD berets with flashes I don't have and will buy or consider trades if anyone has any in their collection as a representation and not attached to a specific unit!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-20824-0-66576800-1482534060.jpg

As for the identification on the 172nd berets, here they are:

 

Top row L-R: 1) Captain Headquarters Co. 172nd Infantry Bde., 2) 1st Sgt. - 60th Infantry Regt. (I believe the 1st Battalion), 3) Co. C 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Regt., 4) Sgt. 1/C - 562nd, Engineer Co.

 

 

Bottom row: L-R: 1) (maroon beret) C Co. 23rd Infantry Regt. (not sure which Bn.), 2) Master Sgt. 1st Bn. 43rd ADA, 3) 2nd Lt. Co. C 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Regt., 4) 1st Bn. 43rd ADA, 5) Hq. Co. 172nd Inf. Brigade, 6) (top) 2nf Lt. 23rd Infantry Regt. (not sure which Bn.),

7) 1st Lt. 1st Bn. 43rd ADA

 

Thank you cavcon, on that 23rd Inf, it will be the 4th of the 23rd Inf. Interesting on the 1st of the 43rd ADA, didn't know there was a ADA unit in the old 172nd Inf Bde, wasn't one when I got up there in July 81, and that's because it was inactivated there in 79.

 

http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/ada/0043ada01bn.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of Alaska - maroon beret is the 4th of the 9th CSM. Evidently the different battalion CSM's were on jump status (as related in an earlier post in this thread).

 

post-257-0-81196800-1482607352.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-20824-0-66576800-1482534060.jpg

As for the identification on the 172nd berets, here they are:

 

Top row L-R: 1) Captain Headquarters Co. 172nd Infantry Bde., 2) 1st Sgt. - 60th Infantry Regt. (I believe the 1st Battalion), 3) Co. C 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Regt., 4) Sgt. 1/C - 562nd, Engineer Co.

 

 

Bottom row: L-R: 1) (maroon beret) C Co. 23rd Infantry Regt. (not sure which Bn.), 2) Master Sgt. 1st Bn. 43rd ADA, 3) 2nd Lt. Co. C 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Regt., 4) 1st Bn. 43rd ADA, 5) Hq. Co. 172nd Inf. Brigade, 6) (top) 2nf Lt. 23rd Infantry Regt. (not sure which Bn.),

7) 1st Lt. 1st Bn. 43rd ADA

 

Thank you cavcon, on that 23rd Inf, it will be the 4th of the 23rd Inf. Interesting on the 1st of the 43rd ADA, didn't know there was a ADA unit in the old 172nd Inf Bde, wasn't one when I got up there in July 81, and that's because it was inactivated there in 79.

 

http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/ada/0043ada01bn.htm

A correction in your captioning cavcon, typo? Those OD berets you say are C Co 4/9th Inf will not be for C Co I'm now noticing, they would be for the HHC or line Companies A, B, C, E.

 

C Companies in all the three maneuver battalions of the brigade were Jump units, known locally as Charlie Airborne. so these units would be wearing the Maroon berets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the correction. I knew Charlie Co.'s were airborne but didn't know maroon berets were worn when the OD's were worn. Thanks

 

IIRC the Charlie companies originally wore OD before switching to maroon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's another couple; on left is the 24th ID's LRRP company from the '60s. It's "right as rain".

 

The 11th ACR has a German-made plastic flash, which is the insert for the encapsulated variety. That's why I asked if cavcon had a yellow/red one, because those do exist. Someone familiar with them said they merely yellowed with age, but that's not the case with this one, so I'm wondering if the yellow and red 11th ACR encapsulated flashes actually were made that way.

 

post-257-0-56921300-1482715958_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

IIRC the Charlie companies originally wore OD before switching to maroon.

I don't know, hmm,Charlie Companies of at least three of the four battalions in both the old 171st Inf Bde and 172nd Inf Bde were Airborne since April 1965, the one exception I believe was the 1st Bn 47th Inf (Mech) in the 171st. When the two battalions of these units, the 4th Bn 23rd Inf (172nd Inf Bde) and the 4th Bn 9th Inf (171st Inf Bde) where alerted for Hawaii, their Charlie Airbornes went off status. However the two CARS battalions activated to take their place, the 5th Bn 23rd Inf and the 6th Bn 9th Inf formed Charlie Airbornes.

 

So having said all that would believe these unit started wearing the Maroon right away right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know, hmm,Charlie Companies of at least three of the four battalions in both the old 171st Inf Bde and 172nd Inf Bde were Airborne since April 1965, the one exception I believe was the 1st Bn 47th Inf (Mech) in the 171st. When the two battalions of these units, the 4th Bn 23rd Inf (172nd Inf Bde) and the 4th Bn 9th Inf (171st Inf Bde) where alerted for Hawaii, their Charlie Airbornes went off status. However the two CARS battalions activated to take their place, the 5th Bn 23rd Inf and the 6th Bn 9th Inf formed Charlie Airbornes.

 

So having said all that would believe these unit started wearing the Maroon right away right.

 

I was just saying that someone who was there said (IIRC) that everyone, including the Charlie Airborne companies initially wore OD. Also remember that photo of then-LTC Schwarzkopf wearing an OD beret even though he was on jump status.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I was just saying that someone who was there said (IIRC) that everyone, including the Charlie Airborne companies initially wore OD. Also remember that photo of then-LTC Schwarzkopf wearing an OD beret even though he was on jump status.

 

Right you are MP, it was talked about in this portion of this topic here. Still when we see OD berets with 4/23 or 4/9 DIs and flashes, first guess will be Line Companies rather than Charlie Airbornes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a few more of my armor berets...

 

Left is a typical 11th ACR with jump oval used as flash; second is unknown as it's a common flash; third and fourth are unknown but I suspect that one or both may be from the 1st Cav Div. I also am not sure how they wore them, i.e., with the flash on the side or over the left eye.

 

post-257-0-79668900-1482787741_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are some 101st blue berets; maybe a couple units haven't been shown yet.

 

501st Signal Bn., and 101st Aviation Bde.

 

post-257-0-20943000-1482871210.jpg

 

1/503rd Inf., 3/187th Inf., and 425th S&S Bn.

 

post-257-0-58540200-1482871234_thumb.jpg

 

Apologies for the large pics...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...