>At least you don't have to provide your own weapon, uniform, and horse anylonger!

Not exactly true for the British army - the uniform they are issued with is totally inadequate for the desert & they are actually buying their own uniform (eg boots that dont melt after an hour in the sand) because the army will not supply it.

The last desert excercises showed that much of the British weaponry is inadequate for desrt conditions too (sand tends to jamn the guns, tanks overheat due to air filters becoming clogged with sand, similarly with helicopter engines), it is probably only British laws that are stopping the soldiers buying their own weapons.