Astana, 5 November, . Servicemen of the Special Operations Forces went through the annual qualification tests for the right to wear the maroon beret: 170 candidates competed for this badge, the Ministry of Defence said.
The tests were held at the training centre of the Special Operations Forces. The maroon beret is a symbol of the forces, and it cannot be obtained by post or length of service, it can only be earned. The programme included mountain, medical and radio training, military demolition and work with unmanned systems; an important part was firing skills: accuracy, weapon handling and concentration under load. The hardest stage was a 30-kilometre forced march with special tasks and hand-to-hand fights.
Those who passed all stages and confirmed their training earned the right to wear the beret; berets were ceremonially presented to them. How many of the 170 succeeded the ministry did not say. A beret can also be lost: its holder can be deprived of the right to wear it for losing professional training and the trust of command and colleagues.
What it means: The competition selects people, not posts: the beret cannot be had by length of service, and it can be lost. But the share of those who passed is not named, so the strictness of selection can be judged only from the description of the stages.
Who benefits: According to the ministry, the Special Operations Forces: the test maintains the level of training and the tradition. What tasks become available to beret holders is not stated.
Background: The Special Operations Forces are part of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces. A forced march is a fast crossing of a long distance with a load. The tradition of qualification tests for the right to wear a beret exists, the ministry notes, in special units of a number of states and other agencies of Kazakhstan.
