Stump the Chump: Green Beret History

[Go For Broke]

I can think of two possible reasons -

1. He and the E-7 on the left are not flash qualified, I am sure one of the older gentlemen on here can provide better timelines WRT when flash qualified vs candy stripe vs green beret was in prominance

2. Both the Lieutenant (Right) and the Sergeant First Class (Left) are from the 7th Group - both at Bragg in the 60's

Just my humble $0.02

Although, it is interesting that neither of the officers are wearing rank on their flash - when did this start happening?

V/R,

[Richard]

It's a 5th SFG ODA prior to deployment of the Group to RVN in 1964. It used to be that personnel were often assigned to a Group and utilized prior to attending SFTG and not fully 'flash qualified' until (1) finishing SFTG and (2) successfully participating in ODA ops for a period of time (generally around 6 months or so). The full qualification was then awarded by the Group CDR.

Overseas based Group's could do the same but with the OFF/NCO completing a series of correspondence courses vice attending SFTG.

All this decentralization makes it difficult to sometimes track down the record of whether or not someone was/wasn't SF qualified.

Richard's $.02

[swpa19]

RICHARD and GO FOR BROKE have good valid points. In the early 60s (prior to the candy stripe) Un-qualified personell wore the beret and crest without the flash.

Personell could become flash qualified as Richard says. This process was also known as P.O.I. Point of Instruction qualification. This was particularly true in Europe.

Instances like those quoted, also applied to Guard and Reserve in the mid 1960s.

Im pretty sure that the above was the case. I will defer to someone more knowledgeable though. Given my recurring bouts with "Parts"heimers.

I was following this process till the introduction of the M-151 Light Utility Vehicle ended dreams of becoming SF and a Military Career.

[f50lrrp]

I transferred to the 10th SFGA in 1967. I was jump qualified but not SF. I was assigned to take correspondence courses to MOS qualify as an 11F4 by the Group SMG.

[plato]

We had a similar training scenario in the 1st Group in Okinawa around 73, I think. (if CRS were an MOS I'd be overqualified). Through a combination of correspondence courses, local training by fully-qualified SF personnel, field exercises and deployments, personnel who had not attended the full training at Ft. Bragg could become qualified to wear the flash.

The 441st MID and the HQ S-2 personnel were a major focus of the effort since the individuals from those organizations frequently deployed with the teams. I recall that point clearly as I was the Group S-2 at the time, and it made supporting other Group deployments "interesting".

It may have been COL Geraci who started the ball rolling, (CRS again), but it was COL Sydnor (Son Tay) who awarded the flashes.

Sometimes being a FOG is a "Good Thing".