Injustice triggers scandal with applicants for maroon berets from Chechnya

Maroon berets, unlike military ranks, used to be awarded transparently and fairly. In the situation with the applicants from Chechnya, military servicemen were outraged by the violation of the traditions, since many owners of maroon berets had deserved them with great difficulty, experts have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 17, a conflict broke out among employees of the "Rosgvardiya" (Russian National Guard) during the tests for obtaining maroon berets. "Vityaz" fighters claimed that law enforcers from Chechnya received berets, although they were removed from the march distance for deception – their friends gave them a lift in cars during the march.

The scandal around maroon berets has become a real painful point for militaries, said Alexei Filatov, the president of the "Alpha Group Officers" Union. "The maroon beret has always been a fair distinction mark that very few deserve," he has noted, adding that such scandals are out of ordinary events.

Armed force symbols are important for military servicemen all over the world; therefore, along with the service status, there are insignia that symbolize the level of skill in one's military specialty, Andrei Koshkin, an expert of the Association of Military Political Analysts, has stressed.

Militaries are proud with every title, and when someone fails to rightfully receive a badge of distinction, this causes serious indignation in those who earned it with blood, the expert has added.

In his opinion, in this situation, the emphasis should be placed on educational measures, and discussion of the problem, first of all, of its moral aspect.