Have the French gone super-ghey?
I was reading about the Travel Alert that the State Department issued and I came across the above photo – the only thing I could think of is “what the hell is up with those berets”? The French soldiers look like they’re wearing a pizza pan balanced on their heads.
Look at the French soldiers patrolling an airport at about :40 into this video;
For crying out loud, don’t let Shinseki see this shit.
Category: Military issues
Easy now. The French military (not really as wimpy as some like to imagine), along with other European military forces, have a long history of service which has incorporated some historical headgear as accouterments.
And besides, after the Shinseki debacle, the US has no room to point and mock. The ridiculous Army beret is worn in so many shapes and styles that there is a poster about them circulating. And nevermind that it’s useless in the rain or snow, and appears completely ghey. It’s the macho aspect of the US Army beret that appealed to Shinseki. Like, macho as in bathhouses and tanning/workout salons.
How the hell do the French see anything on their left side? So Germany’s next strategy just has to be hug the left hand side.
Well, BP, I will cut the FFL slack, the Kepi is cool, but these guys look like fricken pastry chefs.
I see that and I think of the movie “Total Recall”, with the mutant man whose forehead skin fold covered his left eye . . . .
That makeup job for the movie was WAY better then those . . . . do I DARE call them “berets”?
Well, for what it’s worth, that beret design the French wear is pretty much unchanged since before the first world war. French Marines wore it in a deep blue with a red pom-pom on top and would kick the living crap out of anyone who dared to remark about it. After our own marines and those of the Brits, the French Marines were damned good.
I know it looks ghey, but it’s historical to them. Like the old commercial goes: “I just don’t get French fashion…”
respects,
I saw this same footage this morning, and was tempted to mock them as well.
Then I realized that their berets look only marginally more stupid than our Army’s 3 million different styles. And then I further realized that their berets would actually keep sun and rain our of the soldier’s eyes, unlike ours.
Those troops are a special unit of the French Army: Les Chasseurs Alpin Armée française. Mountain troops who were formed in 1888 and are nicknamed the “Blue Devils” because of their blue uniforms.
They have the large berets and the rest of the Armee Terre Francaise still have the smaller, traditional beret.
On second thought, it’s either the Les Chasseurs Alpin Armée française or the Lady Gaga Airborne Division.
WTF! Are they going to cook me authentic Hibachi flaming shit after? All you have to do is run to the left and they couldn’t see you with that toilet bowl cover hanging down.
The French Mountian troops beret, mr poor unlearned Americi friend, is moi moi bigger than the ghey Americanski one.
just saying.
Look at the Israeli cammo helmet cover and make fun of that.
LOL! That was my first thought also.
I never could get my beret to fit, flash vertical over the left eye. I tried everything I could think of, but it ALWAYS wound up tilted forward … alas.
One of the more lasting frustrations of my youth. 🙂
and the scot wear a kilt….want some Blackwatch fun? Didn’t think so…uniforms be damned….its the person wearing them that counts.
I’m currently based at a French run FOB-Morales Frazier, in Kapisa Province–and we see these from time to time. It isnt the norm for their soldiers. Most of the French soldiers here are pretty tough, their leaders and ROE arent. We have the French Foreign Legion here too, and I doubt anyone on this board would want to tangle with those guys. I heard a lot of bad stuff about the French before I deployed, but they fight as hard as they can given the political circumstances at home. Their equipment is ancient too. /salute, popping smoke here in a few weeks.
Ok, the french beret is traditional,I get it. But the American military should be choosing gear that is USEFUL.
God forbid anyone at this blog pause to do a bit of research (read: google) before posting some French- and gay-bashing jokes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasseurs_Alpins
I don’t really care who they are or how bad-ass they are…their hats still look ridiculous. I don’t need an impromptu education or do any research to tell me what my eyes have seen.
And, oh, God forbid that anon do some light reading and notice that Adirondack Patriot wrote about the Chaser-Clothespins yesterday.
I missed the gay bashing jokes…. 🙁
That is a big damned beret. The french can now say their berets are bigger than anyone else’s. Causing beret envy.
Dave, a boonie cover does a very nice job of keeping sun and downpours out of ones eyes too, and when wet does not smell like a sheep’s butt, nor get moldy when it stays wet for a while…..
Yeah, they are Alpine troops, and my experiences around the French while in Astan left me impressed with their professionalism, fitness and elan.
As for the US Army Beret…no one, and I mean NO ONE should be wearing a beret if they are not on Airborne status. Green, Maroon or Sand…which used to be Black, before that monumentally BAD decision by the former CSA.
Another problem…legs don’t know how to prep a beret for proper wear. First, you remove the lining and throw it in a shitcan; second, you soak the beret in cold water, and roll it up tight; third, you then roll the beret up in a thick towel and sit it aside for a day to partially dry; then, while it’s still pretty damp, you put it on you melon and SHAPE it to look like it’s supposed to…not a droopey POS that looks like a cow chip sitting on your head. Once it’s formed and shaped, sit it aside to dry completely. It will then fit properly, squared and level, and will roll up nicely to fit in your cargo pocket…which is where GOD means for them to be kept when not worn.
Final problem: leg CSMs and other Senior NCOs telling troops that they are not allowed to do any of the above…no wonder the vast majority of the black berets you seen worn look like crap.
Is there a way to block Eric the Hat’s IP address from seeing this?
The old “cunt cap” didn’t do much for sun or rain protection, but it was a hell of a lot better looking than a friggin’ beret.
While I appreciate the dogged determination with which the Airborne and Airborne Ranger units defend the use of the beret, I would like to point out, respectfully of course, that the black beret was originally the distinctive headgear of armor troops, it made its début with British armor in the mid 1920’s.
The maroon Para beret made it’s debut with the Brits in WWII and was ‘gifted’ to a battalion of the US 509th P.I. in 1943. While it was accepted headgear for airborne troops in the States for years, it wasn’t ‘officially’ recognized as such till the early 70’s, and wasn’t exclusively for Airborne use till 1980.
Armored troops at Ft Knox were wearing the British style black armored beret for years before it was ‘officially’ sanctioned in the early 70’s. US Armored Calvary regiments stationed in Germany wore the black beret with a red and white oval during this time period.
The Airborne Rangers didn’t get Army Chief of Staff approval to make the black beret their official headgear till 1975, and it wasn’t exclusively theirs until 1979.
Those armor units weren’t, however, who “inspired” that asshat to want everyone to wear the black. 🙂
As far as the wear of black, the military doesn’t have to officially adopt something for it to be adopted by a unit, as evidenced by the wear of the black by F-troops in the 52nd, as well as H and N Co. Rangers in Vietnam.
Very true, I just enjoy ‘yanking the chain’ when I hear things like “As for the US Army Beret…no one, and I mean NO ONE should be wearing a beret if they are not on Airborne status…”, by pointing out that my fellow tread-heads were wearing the damned ugly thing considerably before it became a Ranger ‘thing’. 😉
The Assistant Adjutant General for the State of Washington wrote up a nice memo a few years ago stating that except for a handful of circumstances involving ceremonial occasions or out-of-state travel, the patrol cap would be the official authorized headgear for WA Army National Guard soldiers not authorized some other-than-black beret.
(There is an unwritten exception for Fort Lewis, especially since they started posting CSMs and 1SGs at the PX on weekends specifically to target Guardsmen and turn them away.)
What precisely are the NG troops at the Ft Lewis px being turned away for? Their headgear?
the old c*ntcap was based on teh french cap in WWI.
just stirring the pot.
Before I looked at the video, I was thinking “how bad could these berets be?”, as I am rather fond of them myself. Yikes. It takes a manly man to be able to wear one, but these… these look like giant crepes with a pocket for the noggin.
Bada$$ the Chasseurs Alpins may be, but someone DEFINITELY needs to stage an intervention with the French Army uniform board…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chasseur_alpin_p1040864.jpg
Hey 15 Anon, what gay bashing jokes? And be manly enough to at least make up a name (re: Warrant Diver) instead of being anonymous…oh sorry, does “manly” offend you? Choose your androgynous adjective then.
God I hate the French!
The Navy wanted WAVES to wear berets back in 1974 instead of our bucket hats. Then they disappeared.
Now I know where those stupid berets went — to France.
veo algunos comentarios sobre la tarte es decir la boina de los chasseurs alpins franceses,pues bien creo que antes de hablar nos tenemos que informar i asi mantener el minimo de respeto por este cuerpo de elite del ejercito frances con mucha tradicion i gloria (diables bleus),i el mas querido en francia,cosa que no ocurre en otros paises con cuerpo similares,i si buscamos GUEYSSSS,PODRIAMOS ENPEZAR A COMPARAR ALGUNOS….i por supuesto i finalizar esto lo escribe un CHASSEUR ALPINS 11EME BCA.CHASSEUR UN JOUR,CHASSEUR TOUJOUR.AUU UN SALUDO.