People are scathing about the USMC's desire to look distinctive, and about senior officers' desire for soldiers to look good.
Obviously fashion shouldn't trump everything, but looking and feeling the part is a considerable part of the moral component of fighting power. I think denying that is denying some basic human psychology. Why do armies spend money on flags, dress uniforms, buglers, horses, mascot dogs, medals, bands and so on? It's because the ethos they create is a seriously important part of building a group of men who can operate together in extreme situations.
The USMC and other branches are worried about how their uniforms look and how distinctive they are because it's one essential part of preparing to fight a war.
My experience was that my soldiers took a huge amount of pride in looking like a British Army soldier from their particular capbadge - especially in an operational environment. Part of my unit's cohesion and pride when operating in joint environments was being smart in their own particular unique way.
That pride and attention to detail then carries over into their fieldcraft and tactics.
Young men don't fight for the Ministry of Defence, they fight for their regiment and their mates - a group created by looking and acting just a little bit differently to other people.
Obviously fashion shouldn't trump everything, but looking and feeling the part is a considerable part of the moral component of fighting power. I think denying that is denying some basic human psychology. Why do armies spend money on flags, dress uniforms, buglers, horses, mascot dogs, medals, bands and so on? It's because the ethos they create is a seriously important part of building a group of men who can operate together in extreme situations.
The USMC and other branches are worried about how their uniforms look and how distinctive they are because it's one essential part of preparing to fight a war.