The red beret is a uniform cap of special mission units of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. It is a boast and pride of each special squad soldier. Only those who manage to stand special tests, have a right to wear the red beret. Besides, it can be granted to soldiers who show courage performing a mission.
The main purpose of the test to win the red beret is to identify soldiers with best performance.
Before the test, they organize a pretest, which lasts for one or two days and includes a three-kilometer race, chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and other exercises.
The actual test includes a ten-kilometer quick march, followed by an extreme assault course, hand-to-hand fighting, high-rise building storming, and acrobatics.
The soldier gets disqualified after three mistakes.
No more than 30% of all the participants will make it to the finish. They make the test more and more complex until the necessary number of people is left. Thus, a 12-kilometer quick march may turn into a 15-kilometer one.
In the picture you can see a soldier running along the pipe with another soldier shooting at the ground.
The soldiers are crossing the lake.
Special mission units training is a cult.
The test to earn the red beret varies in each country. However, its essence is common for all: a soldier has to stand certain physical and psychological tests on the verge of the human’s potential. In all the countries they have a long-distance quick march, a hand-to-hand fighting and a shooting.
The presentation of berets is held in a solemn atmosphere.
From this day on, the soldier has a right to wear it with his everyday cloths or uniform. As a rule, soldiers also receive special certificates confirming their right to wear the red beret.
A soldier may be deprived of the right to wear the beret in case his behaviour discredits the special mission units.
In the picture: the soldiers congratulate their fellow who has successfully passed a hand-to-hand fighting test.
No one but its owner is allowed to touch the beret. There is one more interesting fact: they never replace the beret with a new one no matter how old it is. The shabbier the beret the better, that is what special squad soldiers think.
Red berets give no privileges to their owners (neither addition to the salary, no promotion).
Location: Belarus
via telegraph.com.uk
ayaa Did you put yourself through this test ?
ayaa I am sorry about the personal question….. It is quite all right if you do not answer.
It’s okay with me. Red berets are all elite units, minus the VDV. Yes. I did get it. After six brutal months of training that most in the west would consider “inhumane”.
But is should be noted that these are not Russian forces, but Belorussian. Not much difference, but still.
congratulations
Thank you.
@ayaa, so which special forces are better trained/more experienced, in the West or Russia/Belarus?
Also, what’s Belarus planning on using their soldiers for?
I think you already know my answer to the first question.
As for the second one, probably for the same thing the spetsnaz, the seals, rangers, etc.. are trained for. To fight. The difference is what they are fighting for.
Ox! legendary test.
I heared real test are more harder.
If you think this is tough, then you should see the selection course of the maroon berets. Makes even this look like a snowball fight.
Maroon are the true Spetsnaz GRU guys right? They would be comparable to US Army Green Berets or Navy SEALS very tough training indeed.
I had a good friend in my Air Force unit his goal was to become a PJ Pararescue man a very dangerous job they go deep into enemy controlled territory to rescue downed pilots they will even sacrifice their own life to achieve the mission obviously the training is very hard.This guy he got up everyday at 0300 and would run around the base for miles until regular duty which was at 0600 when the day was done he would do PT for 2 or 3 hours.We would practice Tae Kwon Do as well. He did this for 3 years just in preparation for the PJ course.
That is the level of dedication one needs to become an elite solider if you have the word “quit” or “give up” in your dictionary do not even apply.
For example a Navy SEAL back in 1983 he had half his arm blown off by a Cuban 14mm MG but he still kept doing the mission and leading his men or the Guys at Beslan in Russia they went in to that school even though they knew that PKM machine guns had been set at each entrance which meant for some certain death.
I would also like to note that the Russian spetsnaz do get special privileges. In just three years, I got promoted from Sergeant to full Captain, something I could never have managed if I had stayed in my old unit. In my last three months, my total salary was some 65,000 rubles a month (~2200USD), plus some additional 12,000 roubles (~400USD) as bonuses and family benefits, also impossible if I was still a regular.
Thanks for sharing that with us ayaa. That’s what I like about this web site. The comments and reader input is just about as interesting as the pictures themselves, sometimes more so. Also I appreciate the openness of the Russian Federation, in allowing journalist to photograph and then post these pictures. The more we know about each other the less chance that we become enemies. I just wish there were a similar site about the U.S. There are a lot of stupid stereotypes I would like to see put to rest. For those of you interested checkout http://thepioneerwoman.com/ for a little different take on modern Americana. the woman who does the blog is the wife of an Oklahoma cowboy. She started to blog as a way of keeping in touch with her family and it became an internet sensation. She’s pretty funny and any of the food that I have tried is awesome.
You were army an captain but now you are a civilian. From an exiting life to a boring life..?
geoff.
in a way, yes. but, i wouldnt call it boring, just routine. nice change.
Wow is 22,000 USD good pay to a the average Russian? a Sargent (base rank) in the US gets about 31,000 per year and a lower rank O-1 or O-2 officer gets about 35,000 of course the US pays more than any other military as far as I am aware.That of 22,000 is probably pretty good for a younger Russian.
Soldier is good job, huh?
He wrote 2.200 USD + 400 USD (a month!)
not 22k a year.
read first, read twice, don’t ask stupid questions on a wrong basis.
ayaa who will believe this all? How come you got so much time to sit infront off your computer?
It does really take very long to sit down a browse some sites for a couple of minutes I think that ayaa is being truthful.
If he is not well it will catch up with him because if he tells stories in person some place in Russia and a real Spetnaz vet hears there will be hell to pay.
I can easily spot any american who claims to be a vet where they are lying.I do not know enough about Russian military activity at the personal level obviously to be able to say for 100% certainty that ayaa is fully honest but form what I do know he seems to be honest.
Myself personally you could look at my military discharge papers but they have my social security number them.
Not everyone on the internet is telling a lie.
I agree with yojimbo, it is easy to spot the fakes, and you tend to look for them whenever military service is discussed. I know a little about Russian special forces and what ayaa says seems to ring true with what I know.
He probably has time for hot women and fast cars as well because that’s how badasses roll.
historian
the reason i can spend so much time on the internet is because I’ve been a reservist since september 2008. and because in my current job, i dont have much to do.
I want your job, Bro!! Lol!
I like how the last picture only shows one guy with trigger discipline.
Great to see civilized discussion, dudes!
Excellent photography! What an intense course. Thanks for posting this!