United States military beret flash

Wear of the beret flash in the US military

Army NCOs wearing rifle–green berets with organizational beret flashes from (right to left) 1st and 3rd Special Forces Groups bearing the 1st Special Forces Regiment DUI

An Army warrant officer wearing maroon beret with 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Beret Flash bearing polished metal Chief Warrant Officer Two rank insignia

An Army officer wearing tan beret with 75th Ranger Regiment Beret Flash bearing polished metal lieutenant colonel rank insignia

An Army officer wearing black beret with Department of the Army Beret Flash bearing polished medal Chaplain (Christianity) Branch Insignia

An Air Force officer wearing navy-blue beret with Security Forces Officer Beret Flash bearing polished medal second lieutenant rank insignia

An Air Force officer wearing black beret with TACP Beret Flash and Crest bearing miniature polished metal captain rank insignia

An Air Force airman wearing gray beret with Combat Weather Team Beret Flash and Crest

An Air Force officer and Army NCO wearing maroon berets with Joint Communications Support Element Beret Flash, the officer affixing his polished metal colonel rank insignia and the NCO her unit's DUI

In the United States (US) military, a beret flash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth that is typically 2.25 in (5.72 cm) tall and 1.875 in (4.76 cm) wide with a semi–circular base that is attached to a stiffener backing of a military beret. These flashes—a British English word for a colorful cloth patch attached to military headgear—are worn over the left eye with the excess cloth of the beret shaped, folded, and pulled over the right ear giving it a distinctive appearance.

Army soldiers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) affix their distinctive unit insignia (DUI), regimental distinctive insignia (when no DUI is authorized), Sergeant Major of the Army collar insignia (when assigned), or Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff collar insignia (when assigned) to the center of their beret flash. Army warrant officers and commissioned officers affix their polished metal rank insignia to the center of their beret flash while general officer's may choose to affix regular or miniature polished metal rank insignia. To better distinguish them from other Army personnel, Army chaplains affix their polished metal branch insignia to the center of their beret flash. Air Force commissioned officers who are in the security forces or serving as weather parachutists wear their beret flash in the same manner as the Army while Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) officers attach a miniature version of their polished metal rank insignia below the TACP Crest on the TACP Beret Flash. Air Force airmen and NCOs with the security forces only wear their unique beret flash while those assigned as weather parachutists or are TACPs wear their Army–style Combat Weather Team or TACP Beret Flash with a Combat Weather Team or TACP Crest, respectively. Joint beret flashes—such as those worn by the Joint Communications Support Element—are worn by all who are assigned, given their uniform regulations allow, and will wear them in the manner prescribed by the joint unit.

The design of all US Department of Defense (DoD) beret flashes are created and/or approved by The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army. When a requesting organization is entitled to have its own beret flash, the institute will conduct research into the requesting organization's heraldry, as well as design suggestions from the requesting organization, in the creation of a unit or specialty beret flash. Leveraging geometrical divisions, shapes, and colors a heraldic artist will create a design that will represent the history and mission of the requesting organization. Once the organization agrees upon a design, the institute will authorize the creation of the new beret flash and will establish manufacturing instructions for the companies authorized to produce heraldic materials for the DoD. The institute will also monitor the production of the new beret flash to ensure quality and accuracy of the design is maintained.