Late last year, images appeared online showing a beret, unit Shoulder Sleeve Insignia and Combat Advisor Tab for the US Army’s 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade. The 1st SFAB is the first of six planned advisor units which will assist friendly armed forces.
The original beret color (above) was intended to be Olive but came across more green than intended, which caused some consternation among the Army’s Special Forces due to their unique Rifle Green Beret, awarded by President John F Kennedy over 60 years ago. Additionally, the unit patch used in arrowhead design like the SF SSI and the Combat Advisor tab seemed a little too close to the coveted Special Forces tab.
Consequently, the Army’s chief of staff, GEN Milley, clarified the beret color as a Brown shade and sent them back to the drawing board for some refinement. Earlier, today the Army released the new beret color, Distinctive Unit Insignia (commonly known as a unit crest), SSI and tab.
It is now more similar to the Vietnam-era Military Assistance Command Vietnam SSI than the original SFAB patch and tab, seen below.
Tags: 1st SFAB
It’s like special ops.. only it’s not special ops.. but get’s equipped like special ops.. but isn’t special ops.. and has a beret like special ops and a tab like special ops.. but it’s definitely not special ops.. but get’s issued weapons kinda like special ops.. but definitely for real this time isn’t special ops..
I’m just saying she shouldn’t be wearing that dress. That was Jasmine’s dress way before she had her boyfriend buy that dress for her! I heard she had to have it let out so her fat ass could fit in it too. I can’t believe that she even thinks she should be wearing that dress. Bitch!
Oh wait, is that not what’s about to happen here?
This is the best post about this issue yet!!!
True dat!
I guess I don’t understand why these nerds need to have their own unique beret. If I were one of them I think I’d be more annoyed than anything…I like wearing my patrol cap much better than a beret.
As hard as I try, I just don’t understand how this unit and/or mission set warrants a special beret color…. Its like the Army is trying to be like the Air Force or something…
We can all thank GEN. Shinseki for this, after his wonderful idea of taking the Rangers black beret and making it standard issue across the force. This is now the standard for making everybody cool and respected, just like creation of the CAB and the UAV pilots badge. Its the participation ribbon argument all over again, Everyone knows that it is the beret that makes you special not what’s underneath it.
I agree. Why someone with any sense hasn’t put a stake through the black beret by now is beyond me. It was stupid then, it’s stupider now, which will eventually become the stupidiest thing yet. Makes the whole damn Army look like Belgian cheese makers, and to perpetuate this with even more berets, regardless of color is only going to make the Army look like skittles walking in a line. Unless of course the intent is for everyone to look like a rainbow so that we can all feel good about ourselves. Let’s just hold hands and sing kumbays.
Maybe the answer is to just get rid of all of the berets.
Wisdom.
Eight deuce and the group’s and 7th wouldn’t like that idea much well the officers wouldn’t anyway
75th*
Cooler heads prevail, now let’s give the black one back to Regiment.
Or we could go in the opposite direction, and authorize leadership tabs for everyone on the force, because, we are all leaders!
Is this the same shade of brown as the new AFSOC advisor beret?
I think it’s a lighter shade of brown. Maybe Champagne Gold?
Looks the same to me. AFSOC had if first…
I wore a green felt brimless hat for 22 years, and a black felt brimless hat before that. These are hats we are discussing, folks. Hats. I can’t bring myself to get all that worked up, because…hats.
My vote is we let the SFABs get up and running, so what sort of work they are doing, and decide what value they bring at that point.
Isn’t that the whole point of this? That the dress and frills are more important than the job they are meant to do. If it were about the job and not the eye candy then there wouldn’t be 50 different embellishments.
America. Can you guys please learn to do berets properly because you are really making them look stupid!
X 2! Ratios…..badge to beret ratios! Looks like a stop sign!
And ‘small crown’ berets, especially for the guy in the pic, who is wearing one about 12 sizes too big.
Well, I think the revised beret color, flash, patch, and DUI are very well done. People pitched a fit because it looked too SF so leadership made a change. Good on them.
Will the beret controversy ever end? Why would the Ranger Regiment want the black beret back? How many Rangers now on active duty ever wore the black beret? It’s been 17 years come this June when the switch was made so I’m guessing very few except for senior officers and NCOs.
As someone said earlier… it’s a hat. If you take your identity from a hat, you’re missing something. I’ll take a patrol cap any day over a beret.
On the Beret, Rifle Green…
“A symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.” – President John F. Kennedy
The brown berets and tabs will look good on parade though.
What about the tankers , think of the tankers, will someone please think of them… they need a special doohicky too.
Yeah, give the Black Berets to the Tankers and Armored Cav, this brown one to all Infantry MOS’s, Scarlet Red to the Airmobile / Air Cav mob, and everyone else can wear Army ASU Blue.
For comparison: The British https://i0.wp.com/bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/table-1-selection-of-uk-military-berets.png?ssl=1
The IDF https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xawFn2ZZL._UX466_.jpg
and so on…
I didn’t really have an issue with the beret system in Israel, it let’s you know where people are from very quickly at a distance when you are wearing your Alephs on weekend leave. The issue now is that they are running out of color ideas and keep coming up with retarded looking camouflage berets. I say this as someone with a neon green beret.
Personally, I think the tan beret for the rangers looks more interesting than the black beret, even though I know the history of black berets being “elite”.
What about cooks? Should they get a white beret? AG should get a yellow beret to symbolize a #2 pencil, and Transportation should get a railroad cap. This is the only way this can be done justly.
^^^ As a former 88Mike, I support the railroad cap initiative! Although I would also settle for a mesh back, snap-fit “trucker’s cap.”
Just a blue/white RR pinstripe Beret.. Brims are for sissies.
I vote for SFAB to wear a red fez with a tassel to show an international appeal and further distinguish themselves,with the Spec Ops community. The fez, an under appreciated, and misunderstood piece, would also draw a parallel to the Zouaves. Plus I think they should shed their uniforms in favor of lederhosen which would give them a European flair. Seriously? What is it with SFAB? Another bullet point on someone’s OER now turned into reality and all they care about is what color beret to wear? The Army doesn’t have anything more significant on their menu like NK than to waste time on stuff like this? When is this tendency in the Army to dress like the Village People going to end?
Assless chaps.
All chaps are assless; that’s why they’re chaps and not pants. At least, that’s what Mr. Garrison says tells me.
True, yet “chaps” does not quite convey the same mental picture all by itself, now does it? “I saw a Freddy Mercury look-a-like roller-blading down the Vegas strip wearing nothing but chaps and a smile” just doesn’t get anyone’s attention.
Or maybe I just made that up.
That’s president garrison
I think the bling is more for recruiting. They probably know that getting guys/gals to get that MOS/take billets will be even more difficult if they were just a plain old unit. They need people with a lot of qualifications to do the job properly. The deployments will probably be longer/more frequent and the conditions not too great or safe.
I didn’t write this.
Take this from someone who is in the unit. I have not met a single soldier that gives a damn about the patch or beret color. Most of the soldiers I have discussed this with were looking for a tactical broadening assignment And to do something different and new. We have people from all walks in the units as well, guys from regiment, CA, psyop, dustoff etc…it wasn’t like anyone of the soldiers asked for some different beret or specific unit patch. WE DON’T CARE! Wherever you put me, I will perform my duties to the best of my ability. It’s human nature to dislike change as well as be afraid of something you don’t understand…so understand the soldiers of this unit are all professionals and experts in their fields and just want to succeed…
Good luck to you.
The beret envy is ridiculous. We’ve differentiated units for years to aid in standing them up. That’s why airborne tuck in their trou and wear jump boots.
Like you I think the frills aren’t important but those that continue to make a big deal about it really need to ask themselves why. Do they really think this unit is going to be confused with _____? It’s as silly as not wanting anyone else wearing your camo pattern.