The “POS” who made the black beret decision was General Eric Shinseki of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A number of Army soldiers I know think the beret decision is ridiculous and a waste of money, but what can you do?
If you want to get an idea of how difficult it can be dealing with anyone in the JOC, go rent Kvein Costner’s “Thirteen Days”. It’s a long flick, but it’ll give you an example of how egos can be involved in government decisions.