Why does Edward Hood wear a white beret? 🤔
Do you know which U.S. military unit wears the distinctive white beret?
The answer is none.
To explain why I wear one, we need to go back 25 years to the year 2000. At that time, I was a cadet in the Madison County High School AFJROTC program (Unit FL-933). I served on the Color Guard and as Commander of the Model Rocketry team. On April 8, 2000, our Color Guard team dedicated a Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker in Madison County, Florida, at Four Freedoms Park.
Just one week later, we carried the colors again in the Madison County Down Home Days Parade. The local newspaper snapped a photo of us—I was carrying the U.S. Air Force flag—and we were all wearing white berets.
Fast forward to 2020. I was a recently separated veteran, grappling with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The military had been my entire heart and soul, and suddenly I felt like I’d lost my mission and my identity. As I started attending VA appointments, I noticed other veterans wearing ball caps with their old unit patches on the front. Oddly, I’d never really paid attention to those hats while I was still serving. Now I was one of them.
I looked for a hat that represented my unit—the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron (JCSS), part of the Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE)—but I couldn’t find a single one.
I gave up on the veteran ball-cap idea. Honestly, it just wasn’t my style. I needed something different.
My Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was 1D7X1W—Cyber Defense Operations, Expeditionary Communications. You won’t see that exact AFSC on my service record because the Air Force was in the middle of transitioning my old career field (RF Transmission Systems) into Cyber Defense Operations as I was separating. The titles changed, but the badge never did. That badge meant a lot to me—it took about five years of hard work to earn—and I’m incredibly proud to be part of that community.
Each element of the badge tells a story. I could write a whole book about the missions I supported around the world. Bottom line: if someone needed to communicate anytime, anywhere, they called my unit.
Back to the beret.
In the world of social media—especially when you’re producing videos—you need a consistent theme. A trademark. Something memorable that no one else is doing.
I chose the white beret.
A beret signals military affiliation, which fit because I’m a Veteran. I also knew no active U.S. military unit wears a white one. In my profession, ethical hackers are called “white hats,” and as a certified cybersecurity professional, that connection felt perfect. The white beret became my trademark.
It’s also practical camouflage. When I’m not wearing it, I’m basically invisible—people who don’t know me don’t recognize me in public. That’s how powerful a personal brand can be.
I’ve worn the white beret for years now, and it’s become part of who I am. I’ve stood in it in front of Delta Force operators, Green Berets, Rangers, and Air Force Special Operators. No one has ever accused me of stolen valor. Why? Because it doesn’t represent any unit—it represents me.
Thanks for reading.
