US military insignia

[Starhunter451]

I looked and looked in the forums for the answer, and could not find it.

Would it be out of line to have my military pins worn with my kilt? And if so, where would I wear it?

I wear an Army baseball cap in my "civies" everyday.

[unixken]

Technically, the only military awards and ribbons permitted to be mixed with civilian clothing are mini-medals. Other than that, most vendors of authentic mil-spec medals (full size and mini) also sell mini-ribbons, mini pins, etc. Any of those, along with retirement pins and unit fraternity pins, should be good to go, with kilted apparel.

The wearing of uniform collar devices, cap devices, and such, if part of official uniform wear (and not just some fraternity item such as a tie-tack with your service branch's emblem on it), is also generally disallowed.

Would you end up in prison for wearing a cap device as a brooch? Or a collar device as a tie pin? Probably not. But if you're at a patriotic or veterans event, where lots of vets are apt to be found, it is probably in bad taste to wear any official uniform items (other than the aforementioned mini-medals) with civilian apparel. There are plenty of "fraternity" items out there.

That said, you may want to look to see what's available through http://www.alexismalcolmkilts.com/1451/1469.html. Those items are normally used only by the pipe bands for each branch, but although they are covered by the band's own guidelines, they fall outside of the official uniform regs (at least that's the case for the Coast Guard - I can't speak with certainty of the other branches.)

[BCAC]

I looked and looked in the forums for the answer, and could not find it.

Would it be out of line to have my military pins worn with my kilt? And if so, where would I wear it?

I wear an Army baseball cap in my "civies" everyday.

Baseball caps with kilts just looks wrong to me, sorry.

[David Thorpe]

Ken has covered it pretty well. I would add that mini-medals are for evening wear only, and even at that not for every occasion.
There is an organization here in the US called SAMS - the Scottish American Military Society, whose members wear ribbons on a military-type shirt.
I have seen a few pipe bands where either full-size medals or ribbons were a part of their uniform.
As Ken said, normally the wearing of uniform elements and/or military insignia while not in uniform is in extremely bad taste at best. Being kilted does not change that.

[Spartan Tartan]

I have seen guys use rank devices as kilt pins. That said, as previously mentioned, generally doing so is inconsistent with military protocol. I wouldn't do it, personally.

[Richrail]

Within the original post, I would like to get a US Army tartan kilt and have a kilt pin made with the unit crest' that my three sons served in to honor them. Would this be in bad taste? All three of my sons have served or are still serving.

[Carlo]

I have seen guys use rank devices as kilt pins. That said, as previously mentioned, generally doing so is inconsistent with military protocol. I wouldn't do it, personally.

I'm not arguing about military medals and stuff, but I can tell you that rank devices are also used in non military organisations. We do in the civil protection (the one with the blue triangle on a orange square, you might now what I mean) and to be honest we were just told to wear it with our uniform. No word about any restriction.
Anyway just adding that people with different backgrounds wouldn't know about military protocol and could not see how something they can (or at least are not forbidden to) use should cause offence.

[Spartan Tartan]

I can't speak for non U.S. military, but our military regulations specifically state that we are NOT to wear individual cmponents of our uniforms as part of civilian clothing. But, as has been pointed out, no one is going to get arrested for it. However, amongst vets it absolutely would be noticed. As with everything, most won't bother to say anything and would likely commemt as a conversation starter (myself included). However, there are others...

As to an Army kilt with a pin made to represent the units, I would think tjat is fine. f you are having.the pin made, then it is not a piece of the uniform. I think that would be a great idea.

[David Thorpe]

Within the original post, I would like to get a US Army tartan kilt and have a kilt pin made with the unit crest' that my three sons served in to honor them. Would this be in bad taste? All three of my sons have served or are still serving.

I would think that this would be a very nice thing to do. A unit crest is not the same as personal decorations or rank insignia.

[O'Searcaigh]

With the exception of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard enlisted (Petty Officer) rank insignia, all the others (privates thru sergeants) and commissioned officer (single brass bar thru stars) are used by many other organizations, from police departments, bands, veterans organizations.... I have seen Marines (once a Marine always a Marine) wearing the distinctive EGA while kilted (as bonnet badges, kilt pins). The restriction, I believe, is for active duty military personnel -- that they may not wear items of their uniform mixed with civilian atire? Wearing a sailor (dixie cup) hat used to be a common sight in beach communities when I was a child -- but not by U.S. Naval personnel unless in full authorized uniform of the day.