General explains regiment changes

Bruce Robbins
Evening Telegraph
11 January 2006

Scotland’s most senior army officer, General Euan Loudon, today sought to explain to Dundee councillors and members of the Black Watch Association the thinking behind the decision to merge the country’s six regiments into one five battalion regiment.

The controversial reorganisation, which gained Royal Assent last month, is bitterly opposed by many parts of the wider military community, including regimental associations, and a campaign is still being waged against the merger.

Today, General Loudon acknowledged the opposition in some quarters to the changes but said they had been designed “by soldiers for soldiers”.

“I went to Westminster in October to talk to the Scottish MPs and I thought it would be helpful to talk to civic leaders,” he said.

“This is the first opportunity for the serving soldiers to have our interpretation of these things explained.

The general denied the changes had been brought about purely for financial reasons although he accepted some members of the military community would continue to have difficulties accepting the new structure.

He said it was difficult for anyone to say with complete certainty that they are either right or wrong on the issue of organisational change.

He added, “People have some very strong views about the process of change. I can’t imagine some people will ever come to terms with the fact there has been such a large organisational change but with others I have been reassured by the understanding by many parts of the wider military community about these changes.

“The way the army organises itself has changed pretty fundamentally. We think this is the best way of organising ourselves, striking a balance between the traditions of the past and the challenges of the future.

“Amongst the serving army community, the acceptance will be instantaneous: that’s what we do. In the wider military community, it will take some time I suspect.

“Some of the very fine work the branches and associations do will continue long into the future.

“I hope the process will be straightforward. The best thing the wider military can do is to channel most of its energies in support of the serving soldier.”