I feel the same when it comes to tradition. I have served in the Marine Corps for almost nine years, and some of the things most dear to my heart are the different traditions each branch of service has. This is what separates the ones who earn it and those who have it given to them. I have three cousins in the Army. They do not want the new cover and admit it will not change anything.
True change comes from the basics.
When we started boot camp, the drill instructors yelled at all the new recruits coming off the bus onto the yellow footsteps. They gave everyone the same gear and the same haircut. They stripped us of our individuality and made us all the same. Then they trained together to build teamwork and the understanding that we cannot do it alone. Once boot camp was completed, each Marine had the opportunity to prove himself as part of an elite unit, like Recon and Force Recon.