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Green Berets
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Sadler, Barry
Quick Facts
Formally:
Special Forces
Date:
1952 - present
Areas Of Involvement:
counterinsurgency
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Sadler, Barry
Sadler, Barry American soldier, singer, and songwriter Barry Sadler recording “The Ballad of the Green Berets” in 1966.

Green Berets

United States military
Also known as: Special Forces, United States Army Special Forces(Show More)
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Green Berets, elite armed force and unit of the U.S. Army specializing in counterinsurgency. The Green Berets (whose berets can be colours other than green) came into being in 1952. They were active in the Vietnam War, and they have been sent to U.S.-supported governments around the world to help combat guerrilla insurgencies. The special unit was popularized by Green Beret Barry Sadler and his song “The Ballad of the Green Berets” in 1966.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.