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