The Proper Way to Wear an Army Beret
The military prizes attention to detail and punishes sloppiness. It is important that every aspect of your appearance meets with established regulations. This informs your superiors that you are a careful person who performs his or her due diligence, and it prevents you from being remembered for impropriety. Although the beret will be the last piece of your uniform you put on, it still has a number of regulations regarding its wear.
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Instructions
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Dress in the appropriate attire. Berets are only worn with Class A, B and C uniforms. Put your beret on last.
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Fasten your insignia to the beret's flash. Center your rank on the flash if you are an officer, or center your unit's insignia there if you are enlisted. The "flash" is a shield on the beret that provides the field for other emblems. The flash is attached to the stiffener, which is a piece of cardboard on the inside of the hat that gives it shape.
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Pull the hat down over your head until the front binding is horizontal and 1 inch above your eyebrows. Use a ruler to measure this distance until you can recognize it on sight. Ensure that no hairs are hanging below the front binding.
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Turn the hat until the flash and stiffener are centered over your left eye.
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Pull excess material to the right side of your head, centered over your right ear. Pull this material down so that it touches your ear, but do not pull it below mid-ear level.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a soft bristle brush to keep your beret presentable.
Dry clean the beret as needed: while you can wash it, this may cause discoloration or shrinkage.
The beret must be carried when it is not being worn: never stuff it in a pocket, hang it from your belt or otherwise store it on your person.
Do not stuff your hair up into the beret.
Hair must not extend below the front band or below the back collar.
References
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