£750,000 cost of kilts for new regiment soldiers

[Archangel]

Okay, so there's a new regiment based in Scotland so there's a new uniform that is kilt based, that makes some sense. However, as I understand it, British regiments are not necessarily localized so troops can be from anywhere in Britain so back to it's based in Scotland. But then some of the units have strong traditions that have nothing to do with the highlands, or even Scotland. Now, it starts making less sense.
I like the idea of a new regiment with new highland uniforms but I think that the MoD should have found a way to preserve the old traditions. You know the soldiers will.

[An t-Ileach]

I've always been in two minds about the Scottish regiments, even though we have a family tie to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - and I suppose that includes the Lowlanders, and even the First of Foot, Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard - as the companies of the Freiceadan Dubh (Black Watch) were raised to suppress the Highlands after the '45, and unfortunately that included Highlanders who weren't Jacobites.

But it's history, and the British Army regiments are held together by their history - it has served us well in the stresses of warfare. Look at the Aussies in Vietnam - the RAIR had much less severe incidences of PTSD than the US Army.

The government will bitch about the cost of the regiments, and then throw away a billion on the Dome and a couple of billion on the carbuncle at Holyrood: but then those serve their vanity, I suppose, whereas the regiments serve the Queen (this must annoy Tony Blair to distraction).

Anyway, I served in the Light Division - I bet they've got their sights on that too.

As for small sized kilts, though: what about those made for all those "portly" NCOs?

[bubba]

As for small sized kilts, though: what about those made for all those "portly" NCOs?

I've been kinda watching for surplus and I've never seen a kilt near my size listed. The biggest I've seen was a 36

[Mike n NC]

yeah, their idea of portly is about on par with our slim I think. I'm not that big and I've not seen more than one or two pass along in anything like My size.

Mike

[sav]

My great-grandfather's military kilt is still in the family (thank goodness!), and he wrote in his journal that he was considered very portly at the time (late 1800's)...his kilt measures a 29 waist.
~Sav

[cavscout]

The US Army went thru a minor version of this issue a few years ago with the standard headgear becoming the black beret. The black beret was the special forces headgear for some units. Many vets hated this change, a handful of vets marched across the country to washington to protest the change. This kakamamy idea was to build Army level comradere and self esteem. ?!?!?!?!?

In a few years the new kids will not think twice about the signifigance of a black beret. In a world where your uniform contains symbols which honor those who came before and inspire those to follow the black beret was a special distinction for those men. The same is true for the kilts and trews.

I hope this works out well for the Regiments.

[bubba]

Swiping the black beret from the Rangers was a gross insult. Trying to placate them by giving em the tan was stupid. Why in hell didn't they just issue tan and leave the black alone. I know it cost em veteran Rangers. A gentleman that lives a block from me resigned his commission at that time.