What exactly IS a Green Beret?

Question

My father says he was a Green Beret, but he was never
sent to Vietnam.

My fathers eyes are so bad he is completely night blind,
and nearly blind in the day light without his glasses
( which are as thick as bottle caps!)

Anyways, I'm wondering what is special or different
about a Green Beret than a regular soldier?

And How was my father able to get special training with
his eyes being so bad?

Answer 1

A green beret is a piece of military head gear. That is all it is. What you are asking about is "The Special Forces Soldier". They are highly trained. They have to learn a foreign language. They have to be able to think quickly on their feet. They have a very high degree of fitness.

Special Forces units are tasked with seven specific missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, combating terrorism, counter-proliferation, and information operations. Other duties include coalition warfare and support, combat search and rescue (CSAR), security assistance, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian de-mining and counter-drug operations.

Was your father really in the Army? If he was I would think he would have some evidence of it. My father has his uniform, his medals, his picture in a military magazine, his discharge papers and Newspaper clippings with his picture as he made Warrant Officer. He has pictures of his bootcamp graduation and from infantry school. He has his Bronze Star Medal Certificate. A lot of men make up stories about being in the military service when they weren't. Everybody wants to feel important, or feel they could have done it. Most men that served in a relative time of peace or in Combat do understand and don't look down on the men who tell stories.

Your Dad could have wishful thinking, or his eyesight might gone horribly bad after he left the service. Some guys claim they were a Green Beret or Navy Seal even if they didn't complete all the training, but just part of it.

Just love your Dad! Even if your father was a Green Beret, that doesn't mean he would have gone to Vietnam. It would depend on when he was in. The special forces soldiers had to be available for other missions other than Vietnam. So they could have left some groups behind or rotated them.

Answer 2

A "Green Beret" is a popular nickname given to Army Special Force Soldiers because of there distinctive head gear, a green beret The difference from a regular soldier, and from the rest of the Special Ops for that matter, is that they are trained to cooperate with people of different culture and countries so that they can train them to fight. A classic example would be the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan when the war was starting. Green Beret made contact with them, trained them and then led them to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. That’s not all they do, but it’s what make an SF soldier different. And I have too agree with everybody else that has answered, your father probably loss his vision as he aged. But regard less pleas thank you father for his service for me, and be proud, not just that your father was a soldier but that he was a Special Forces soldier. Again thank your father for his service to our country.

Answer 3

either he is full of it or he gor bad eyes over the years

but green berets are a elite very elite fighting force in the US Army. They are part of the special forces. You have airborne, rangers and then Green Berets. Very challenging to be a Green Beret.

Answer 4

Maybe your father's eyes were not so bad back then, but you will have to ask him about that.

Green Berets are the popular name for the Army Special Forces. http://www.goarmy.com/special_forces/index.jsp?sicontent=0&sicreative=493276993&sitrackingid=2811081

During the VietNam War, before the war became unpopular, there was a popular song about them called "The Ballad of the Green Berets." http://www.wrw1.com/apbt/greenbr.htm It even inspired a movie starring John Wayne. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063035/

Answer 5

Ask what you father did and what stories he has to tell while you can. I missed the chance with my father and now there is a lot I can never know.

I bet he could see much better back in his Army days.

Special Forces (aka the 'Green Berets') have intensive training in how to train others, with a main mission of training the forces of other nations so they they can fight and defend their own country.

For this reason they also concentrate on certain areas of the world -- so SF Soldiers assigned to east Asia learned to speak Vietnamese, studied east asia countries and politics, and got sent to Vietnam during the war.

But SF Soldiers that were assigned to Eastern Europe would learn Polish or German or Romanian, study eastern european countries and politics and would not be much use in Vietnam.

So SF soldiers did indeed volunteer to go outside of their area of specialty to help in Vietnam, but it was not required. SF duty in Vietnam was usually way out in the countryside with small teams of Americans working with south Vietnamese units or local defense forces. It was hard a very hard and dangerous tour. Dont think bad if your father did not volunteer for that.

Also check the dates he was in service -- it may not have been the war's peak years and his service there just was not needed.

Good luck and ASK WHILE YOU CAN!! Your Father gave up a lot to serve this country -- in many ways sacrificing before you were born so the nation you grow up in is safer. Appreciate that service.

Answer 6

If your father was a Green Beret, his eye sight was probably perfect when he was part of it. It is possible that he was'nt sent to Nam but being a Special Forces Soldier in those days, it was almost slim that he wouldn't go. I'm sure his discharge paperwork would tell you what you need to know.

Answer 7

Chances are his eyes were not always that bad if he was in SF. What makes a Green beret better so to speak than a regular soldier is the fact they have been in for a long time, they are also 3 time volunteers, they volunteer to come in to the Army, they volunteer for jump school, and then SF training. As a result SF units have for more motivated people, more expeierence people, and the standards are way higher.

Answer 8

Your father's eyes were probably much better back then.

Green Berets are elite U.S. Army special forces soldiers. All Green Berets have "Ranger" qualifications.
You have ordinary soldiers, then airborne, then Rangers then Green Berets in the Army.

There are other "Special Forces in other military U.S. forces. In the Navy there are the "Navy SEALS". In the Marines there are the Marine "Recon" units.

Most countries have "Special Forces" units in their military --

The British have the "Special Air Service" (SAS) in the army which have a 'powder blue beret", the "Commandos" in the Royal Marines which used to be the "Red Berets', and the "Special Boat Service" in the Navy.

The Australians have the SAS and so does New Zealand.

Answer 9

Agreen beret is a sepical force an you dads eye might have been good back then he should have paper work from the army saying what unit he was in

Answer 10

The Green Beret, is a symbol warn by special forces solders signifying they have been awarded the special forces tab. Special Forces units are tasked with seven specific missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, combating terrorism, counter-proliferation, and information operations. Other duties include coalition warfare and support, combat search and rescue (CSAR), security assistance, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian de-mining and counter-drug operations.[2]



The Army Rangers are troops that have passed Ranger school as well as special forces school.

Black Berets are authorized headgear for the United States Army

Maroon Berets, are authorized headgear for airborne units.