About the Green Berets
Known as Green Berets, the U.S. Army Special Forces got their nickname from their distinctive headgear. In 1962, President Kennedy said the green berets were “a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”
The U.S. Army Special Forces motto “De Oppresso Liber” is Latin for “To Free the Oppressed.”
U.S. Army Special Forces positions are only offered to men. To earn the Green Beret, candidates must be airborne qualified or volunteer to be airborne-trained and complete several levels of training. Only those who make it through the final phase are awarded the Green Beret.
The two dozen Green Berets at Firebase Cobra have almost as much fire power on their Humvees as a conventional platoon of 40 men.
The Green Berets must rely on the locals from the surrounding villages to fill jobs at the Firebase, which can be risky if the locals’ allegiances are not known. The soldiers do their best to put each man through a background check to ensure the safety of their team.
