A Shattering of Military Tradition- London Daily Telegraph
My attention was caught by this story (courtesy of SWJ). U.S. Army forces have never made much of units coming or going. We've seen divisions and regiments raised, colors stored, units re-flagged, etc. until our eyeballs spin.
Most troops and more than a few officers have only a quesy knowledge of their unit's battle lineage, with notable exceptions. At least that's been my impression. Many of our officers and troops have come to admire the more martial institutional memories of our U.S. Marines and commonwealth allies.
This all stems from the British regimental system. It would seem from this article that tradition is now in disarray, if not threatened with near-extinction. Evidently, the needs of the service- specifically the various battalions formed from the amalgamated Scottish regiments, over-ride the battalion enlistment preferences of young Scottish soldiers. So much so that it has become an element in the discussion surrounding declining enlistments from Scotland.
Gentlemen, what's going on here and how significant is the issue?