I’m always so jealous of how good the Brits look in uniform. We may have a badass, capable military but other than the Marines, most of our dress uniforms just don’t look great or fit that well on our troops.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I’m always so jealous of how good the Brits look in uniform. We may have a badass, capable military but other than the Marines, most of our dress uniforms just don’t look great or fit that well on our troops.

You may be comparing cermonial units to standard troops, don't forget. The US units that are ceremonial, bands, parade units, Unknown Soldier, look pretty spiffy.

That said, few can equal the aura of the Brits at that kind of thing. They really put on a show.

I remember explaining Allied success of Desert Storm as due to the US in charge of the air war, the French supplied the food and the Brits were in charge of the Victory Parade.

I have thought our US Navy officer dress whites made a impressive sight, medals, swords, white gloves. I was in a receiving line at a change of command featuring a Vice Admiral, with a MOH around his neck. It doesn’t get more impressive than that.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I’m always so jealous of how good the Brits look in uniform. We may have a badass, capable military but other than the Marines, most of our dress uniforms just don’t look great or fit that well on our troops.

You may be comparing cermonial units to standard troops, don't forget. The US units that are ceremonial, bands, parade units, Unknown Soldier, look pretty spiffy.

That said, few can equal the aura of the Brits at that kind of thing. They really put on a show.

I remember explaining Allied success of Desert Storm as due to the US in charge of the air war, the French supplied the food and the Brits were in charge of the Victory Parade.

I have thought our US Navy officer dress whites made a impressive sight, medals, swords, white gloves. I was in a receiving line at a change of command featuring a Vice Admiral, with a MOH around his neck. It doesn’t get more impressive than that.

Something my dad told me when I was a kid, remarking about the changing of the guard at Buckingham:

"They are not toy soldiers in any sense of the word."

Dad was career U.S. Army but had worked closely with our British allies at different times during his career. It stuck with me.

Tac can correct me if I'm wrong, or confirm otherwise, but my impression is that the Household units are all fully operational, combatant outfits who all have been deployed recently to the same garden spots as ours... not dedicated ceremonial units by any means. And you're right: They DO put on a hell of s show.

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:


Tac can correct me if I'm wrong, or confirm otherwise, but my impression is that the Household units are all fully operational, combatant outfits who all have been deployed recently to the same garden spots as ours... not dedicated ceremonial units by any means. And you're right: They DO put on a hell of s show.

I doubt they change entire units. Maybe.

A high school buddy of my sons was a petty officer, big tall blond guy. He came off sea duty, served on one of the ceremonial units in DC for a tour, then back out to whatever he did otherwise.

There is a tall general who seems to be on a long term tour at Arlington. You see him guiding the President around at ceremonies. He may be from Central Casting for all I know.

I think the “spit and polish” in and around DC is probably on average quite a bit higher than in the hinterlands, like San Diego, or Charlestown.

The Household Division of the British Army is a fully-functional part of the mainstream Army that just happens to have, as part of its duties, the responsibility of guarding the monarch, and all that goes into it.

If in any doubt as to whether the Coldstream [the oldest regiment in the British Army], ]Grenadier, Welsh, Irish and Scots Guards are just tarted-up plastic dollies, I respectfully suggest that you look up their battle honours since their inception in the late 1600's

This is a list of locations and events for the Coldstream Guards, but no' individual battles, ye 'ken -

English Civil War
Monmouth Rebellion
War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
Seven Years' War
American War of Independence
Napoleonic Wars
Crimean War
Second Boer War
The Great War
Second World War
Malayan Emergency
Mau Mau Uprising
Cyprus Emergency
Gulf War
Bosnia
Iraq War
Operation Herrick

The same goes for the Household Cavalry.

Note, too, that not only the Household Division gets to guard the monarch - in recent times we have had the sight of soldiers who LOOK like guardsmen, but speak French - the Royal 22nd Regiment of Canada, and the Royal Air Force, The Gurkhas, The Royal Malaysian Regiment and so on, taking the duty over so that the usual bunch can go to war like 'proper soldiers'.

In WW2 the guards had their very own armoured division to play with - 4 GAD.

Sure, they look spiffy in their smart uniforms, but have had a busy time in 'stan. The CO of the Welsh Guards and the vehicle driver were killed by an IED whilst running ahead q patrol. Read the book 'Dead Men Risen' by Toby Harnden, before passing any judgment on the 'Woodentops' as those of us in the rest of the Army call them.

tac