First, thank you for your service and come home safely.
I'm a relative "newbie" on this board but have found lots of excellent advice.

I think the two biggest factors in choosing your first kilt are:
1) budget... there is a wide range of costs that hinge on factors like the type and weight of the cloth used and method of construction, i.e. hand stitched vs. machine stitched
2) how and where do you want to wear your kilt? Do you want kilts for daily use, knocking around the house, going to a ball game, hanging out at the local pub; or are you primarily interested in a kilt for formal occasions?

My first kilt is what is called a "tank". It's made of heavy (16 oz.) wool cloth woven with kilts in mind and used 8 yards of fabric. It's an expensive garment but it will last literally generations. It has the sharp pleats and classic "swing" associated with traditional kilts and I'll use it for formal occasions, and for work (my job requires suits, so it's a still a fairly formal use). First thing I realized after falling in love with my tank, was that I wouldn't want to wear it to the ballpark, or for running errands or for lounging about the house. For that, I was going to want something less expensive, lighter weight and easier to care for. For a really great discussion on the various choices for a "casual kilt" try the following link. It's a thread containing all the great advice I got when I asked a question about the best choice for casual use.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/w...642/index.html

The "Kilt Advice" forum will be a great place for you to post your specific questions. Happy Kilt Hunting!

And once again, thank you, bless you and stay safe,

Slainte