£750,000 cost of kilts for new regiment soldiers

[Sciuropterus]

Maybe it is a bad decision to change the uniforms, but complaining won't help.

As far as I'm concerned, soldiers should wear what is issued to them, period.

Every change in the military generates complaints. The military does not exist to provide tradition for soldiers, it exists to provide defense. Any officer who does not like a required uniform can resign his commision and join a reenactment group. Any enlisted soldier who does like not like his uniform can bring it up with his sergeant, if he dares!

Looks there will be a lot of ex-MOD kilts on the market, good for us!

[bubba]

Looks there will be a lot of ex-MOD kilts on the market, good for us!

Nope, they'll be too small in the waist and hip for most of us. They make em for those fit and trim youngsters, not us fat old men.

[davedove]

As far as I'm concerned, soldiers should wear what is issued to them, period.

Actually, that's not really an issue. They are soldiers, and they will wear whatever is required of them. Any that feel strongly enough will leave the service. Now if enough of them threatened to leave, THEN the powers that be might listen to them.

Of course, if the decision has been made, it will happen. It's hard to stop the juggernaut of government. But then, if things happen in the UK anything like the US, another change is only a few years away.

We're facing similar things here in the US with the base closings. Granted, the traditions aren't as established here because we're a lot younger nation. The ridiculous thing is some of the bases on the closing list were just built up in the last round of closings. Now that's a waste of money!

[macwilkin]

Maybe it is a bad decision to change the uniforms, but complaining won't help.

As far as I'm concerned, soldiers should wear what is issued to them, period.

Every change in the military generates complaints. The military does not exist to provide tradition for soldiers, it exists to provide defense. Any officer who does not like a required uniform can resign his commision and join a reenactment group. Any enlisted soldier who does like not like his uniform can bring it up with his sergeant, if he dares!

Looks there will be a lot of ex-MOD kilts on the market, good for us!

Tradition plays a key role in unit morale in the British Army. The past serves as an inspiration for soldiers, officers and other ranks, to perform their duty to protect the nation. These regiments are "family regiments", and it is not uncommon for three generations to serve in the same battalion. The battalion and/or regiment also has a distinct tie to local communities, similar to the relationship many communities in the United States have with their local National Guard or Reserve units. Or the US Marines. They have managed to combine modern-day tactics with a good dose of history & tradition, and it works very well for them.

These units are very much a "family", and their kilts & tartans are symbols of this idea.

T.

[Dreadbelly]

[Alan H]

I'm just at a loss for words.

And that's a rare thing.

[Mike n NC]

LOL, Looks like Don King/Albert Einstein cross at the chalk board... As far as uniforming goes, I was in on what was prolly the greatest boondoggle ever made in military uniforming, the changing of Navy dress blues from the traditional to a "suit" type. No-one wanted it, everyone hated it, we were even forbidden to wear it in some areas (Washington, DC was one of them) yet we had to put up with it for years until it was changed once again. Lord knows what the final tally for that little bit of idiocy was but it left us looking like every other branch of the military and cost us a large piece of our seagoing tradition. (of course you have to remember, this was in a time that the customs and traditions were still taught, learned and honored, not the modern nuclear, disposable, navy)

Did Naval custom or tradition ever enter the discussion, not at any level that ment anything. Did reason ever enter the discussion, I doubt it. It was just the result of a bunch of pols pushing their weight around, pretty much what I suspect is going on here. Over a course of 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years the cost will continue to mount, the displeasure of the enlisted ranks will continue to grown until such time as they see fit to change it back...Again at what cost? It is not just Scotland or the Highland/Lowland Regiments, it happens all over, is always met with resistance and usually ends up going back to what it was before.

BTW, quite a few years later I was once again wearing a suit type uniform with a flat hat but by then I had earned it...you don't have to call me sir, since I work for a living Chief will do just fine.

Mike

[macwilkin]

LOL, Looks like Don King/Albert Einstein cross at the chalk board... As far as uniforming goes, I was in on what was prolly the greatest boondoggle ever made in military uniforming, the changing of Navy dress blues from the traditional to a "suit" type. No-one wanted it, everyone hated it, we were even forbidden to wear it in some areas (Washington, DC was one of them) yet we had to put up with it for years until it was changed once again. Lord knows what the final tally for that little bit of idiocy was but it left us looking like every other branch of the military and cost us a large piece of our seagoing tradition. (of course you have to remember, this was in a time that the customs and traditions were still taught, learned and honored, not the modern nuclear, disposable, navy)

Did Naval custom or tradition ever enter the discussion, not at any level that ment anything. Did reason ever enter the discussion, I doubt it. It was just the result of a bunch of pols pushing their weight around, pretty much what I suspect is going on here. Over a course of 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years the cost will continue to mount, the displeasure of the enlisted ranks will continue to grown until such time as they see fit to change it back...Again at what cost? It is not just Scotland or the Highland/Lowland Regiments, it happens all over, is always met with resistance and usually ends up going back to what it was before.

BTW, quite a few years later I was once again wearing a suit type uniform with a flat hat but by then I had earned it...you don't have to call me sir, since I work for a living Chief will do just fine.

Mike

Mike, your story reminds me of the infamous "Crucified Moose" incident. During the 1960's, the British Army attempted to force serving members of regiments to wear a Brigade-level badge instead of their regimental insignia. The Highland Brigade had as it's badge, a stag's head (similar to the old Seaforth Highlanders badge) imposed on a St. Andrew's Cross with the Seaforth motto, "Help the King" -- Cuidich'n Righ (the only Regimental motto in the Gaelic, btw) -- The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, along with the rest of the Highland Brigade, were made to wear the new badge. The Argylls were deployed to Aden at that time to put down a rebellion by insurgents, and the Argylls soon referred to their new insignia as "The Crucified Moose", since it looked like the stag's head was nailed to the cross. When word reached the MoD and back home of the unofficial name of the new badge, the idea of Brigade level badges replacing regimental ones was on the scap-heap.

Cheers,

Todd