Posted on Nov 9, 2015
We all get a clothing allowance once a year. With the new uniform changes, should we all be issued the first pair or two?
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Military Clothing
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Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
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No - we cannot afford to issue everyone two uniforms AND continue to give clothing allowance....now for the "book answer".....The requirement to wear the new uniform typically takes into account the time you will need to make a purchase of a complete clothing bag (all authorized basic issue items), which is typically four years. Not so coincidentally, that is typically the wear out date of the current uniform (ACU/UCP style)...so, the wearout date matches the current requirement date and if the clothing allowances are actually used to purchase these required items, no problem and no extra expenses from enlisted Soldiers....our Officers on the other hand, DO NOT receive clothing allowance and expected to make the change to the new uniform without procrastination or complaining.
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SFC (Join to see)
Thank you SGM. This was a discussion in my office. my responses from this website will put this debate to rest.
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SFC (Join to see)
Every year we are given a military clothing allowance. If the SM isn't using it for the correct reason that is not the Military's problem. When uniform changes come you should be prepared, for the change. Even if its buying one item every payday...Change is going to come rather we like it or not, as service member we are trained to adapt.
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CSM Michael J. Uhlig
SFC (Join to see), you can call me Pinocchio if I told you I spent all my clothing allowance every years over the course of the last 30 years of active duty service.....there are some years that I have spent in excess of $2,000 based on purchases of cool guy crap for my weapon as well as nice to have clothing items however, there have also been years that I have only had to purchase less than $100 in clothing items. Over the course of the last three decades, I'd say the clothing allowance has been very fair....I have seen multiple uniform changes - we started with the "Elvis collared" BDU's, to small collar BDU's, to Chocolate Chip deserts to ACU to new deserts, to OCP, to scorpions that we are in now.....wanna hear about the PT's? We started with the banana suit......about 5 changes is where we are on PT's.....Boots, did you say boots? Started with recruit boots, then jump boots, then jungle boots, then deserts, then back to deserts, then Bosnia thus Winter Gortex boots, back to recruit black leather, then tan swede leather and now the new coyote color.....a lot of changes...by the way a picture of the summer banana suit PT uniform attached.
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SFC (Join to see)
CSM Michael J. Uhlig Wow CSM. You have now earned my TOTAL respect and admiration to actually post a pic of yourself rocking the "banana suit"..lol.
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SFC (Join to see) Back in 1982 this was the big conversation also, when we were going from OD greens to BDUs. I never understood why anyone wouldn't be able to buy one pair of pants this month, one shirt next month, and so on, until you had a complete set.
Your clothing allowance is not, "Boom !! You now have money, now go, and buy uniforms." The money is paid forward, or paid back, to ensure that you are in some way compensated for the uniforms that you would have to buy sooner, or later, anyway. If you are being honest, (and you take care of your uniforms) you won't even use that clothing allowance for your uniforms every year. Everyone receives uniforms when they enter active duty. The Army pays you, and every other soldier, an annual clothing allowance. If they give every Soldier two new uniforms, on top of the clothing allowance that you receive......well, I'll just let you do the math. Or, would rather NOT receive the annual clothing allowance, let the Army issue you one uniform per year, one pair of boots every 2 to 3 years, and then spend your time, your Soldier's time, and mission time running to CIF?
Your clothing allowance is not, "Boom !! You now have money, now go, and buy uniforms." The money is paid forward, or paid back, to ensure that you are in some way compensated for the uniforms that you would have to buy sooner, or later, anyway. If you are being honest, (and you take care of your uniforms) you won't even use that clothing allowance for your uniforms every year. Everyone receives uniforms when they enter active duty. The Army pays you, and every other soldier, an annual clothing allowance. If they give every Soldier two new uniforms, on top of the clothing allowance that you receive......well, I'll just let you do the math. Or, would rather NOT receive the annual clothing allowance, let the Army issue you one uniform per year, one pair of boots every 2 to 3 years, and then spend your time, your Soldier's time, and mission time running to CIF?
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SFC (Join to see)
Thank you. This was a discussion in my office. my responses from this website will put this debate to rest.
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SFC (Join to see)
Every year we are given a military clothing allowance. If the SM isn't using it for the correct reason that is not the Military's problem. When uniform changes come you should be prepared, for the change. Even if its buying one item every payday...Change is going to come rather we like it or not, as service member we are trained to adapt.
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Isn't this question asked every time the military changes uniforms? If my memory serves me correctly, when the Army changed from the grey PTs to the new running suit type of PTs, the only people that were issued them were new Soldiers. Everyone else was given a time frame in which they had to purchase the uniform and have it ready.
The same will hold true I feel for every uniform change. Let's keep in mind, the Army contracts out to "for-profit" companies to manufacturer this stuff. If the Army were to not charge the Service Members, one of two things would happen. Either the Army would take up a huge slice of it's budget to cloth everyone or two they would only seek manufacturers willing to donate all the raw materials, along with all the manufacturing and labor costs.
The same will hold true I feel for every uniform change. Let's keep in mind, the Army contracts out to "for-profit" companies to manufacturer this stuff. If the Army were to not charge the Service Members, one of two things would happen. Either the Army would take up a huge slice of it's budget to cloth everyone or two they would only seek manufacturers willing to donate all the raw materials, along with all the manufacturing and labor costs.
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SFC (Join to see)
Thank you. This was a discussion in my office. my responses from this website will put this debate to rest.
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SFC (Join to see)
Every year we are given a military clothing allowance. If the SM isn't using it for the correct reason that is not the Military's problem. When uniform changes come you should be prepared, for the change. Even if its buying one item every payday...Change is going to come rather we like it or not, as service member we are trained to adapt.
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