Australian Army to ditch the Kilt...!

[staticsan]

I have to say that I'm not surprised. From my experience, Aussies have simply not picked up kilt-wearing like the USians have. There might well be an element of the population size to that, plus a quite different attitude to being "one of the group". In the US, you are much more likely to get a stranger coming up to you and saying something because you are kilted. Aussies will not, as a rule, do that; there has to be another reason to talk to you first.

Wade

[OC Richard]

From my experience, Aussies have simply not picked up kilt-wearing like the USians have.

What I wonder is, why in these times when the US Army is having trouble securing enough volunteers, they don't create a Highland unit? Done properly, with a Highland verson of the US Army uniform, a pipe band, etc.
I think it would be extremely popular, and have no shortage of volunteers.

USians...hmmm... we DO really need a name for us! "Americans" is too broad, as Brazilians and Cubans and Canadians are all Americans alike. "North Americans" is both too long and too broad, as Mexicans and Canadians are North Americans too.

USans?? ("yoo-ESS-anz")

USians? ("yoo-ESS-ee-anz")

USAns? ("yoo-ess-EY-anz")

USAs? ("yoo-ess-EYZ") (Not good- sounds like the possessive)

[Kilt_Like_Objects]

I have to say that I'm not surprised. From my experience, Aussies have simply not picked up kilt-wearing like the USians have. There might well be an element of the population size to that, plus a quite different attitude to being "one of the group". In the US, you are much more likely to get a stranger coming up to you and saying something because you are kilted. Aussies will not, as a rule, do that; there has to be another reason to talk to you first.

Wade

Couldn't agree more. People here stare a lot but mostly talk amongst themselves about "the bloke in the skirt".

If I'm with the dog - I usually am - they'll pat him and make their introductions that way. Only then does the kilt get mentioned.

Edit - Also, I find that soldiers in the Australian army are some of the least tolerant of kilts, ironically. Officers tend to be more polite. I just spent the weekend in Sydney with the family. Right next to the Moorebank DNSDC. Tolerance was next to zero. Outright hostility abounded.