2009 Military Clothing Allowance
May 28, 2009
Military Enlisted members are provided monetary allowances to pay for uniform replacement and maintenance. These allowances are based on the cost of specific uniform items, and on an estimated “wear out” date for each specific item. Below are the uniform replacement/maintenance allowances. The FY 2009 rates are effective from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009.
Officers of the Armed Forces of the United States are entitled to an initial uniform allowance. Except as provided in the note, below, the initial uniform allowance is payable only once to an officer:
- Upon first reporting for active duty (other than for training) for a period of more than 90 days.
- Upon completing at least 14 days of active duty or active duty for training as a member of a Reserve Component.
- Upon completing 14 periods of inactive-duty training as a member of the Ready Reserve. (Each period must be of at least 2 hours duration).
- Upon reporting for the first period of active duty required of a member of the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program. NOTE: Upon transfer to another Reserve Component that requires a different uniform, a Reserve officer may receive another initial uniform allowance. Regular officers may not receive this allowance when transferring to another Military Service.
Types of Allowances
There are three basic types of clothing allowances:
A. Initial Clothing Allowances are provided to enlisted members upon initial enlistment or upon other special qualification for entitlement to a prescribed outfitting of uniforms. The initial issue may be an in kind issue or a combination of in kind issue and cash payment.
| 2009 Standard Initial Clothing Allowances (Enlisted Only) | |||||||||
| Army | |||||||||
| Male | Female | ||||||||
| 1,346.95 | 1,626.41 | ||||||||
B. Cash Clothing Replacement Allowances are provided to enlisted members upon the anniversary month each successive year following the provision of an initial clothing allowance. Cash clothing replacement allowances are for replacement of required uniform items based on a normal wear rate.
| 2009 Cash Clothing Replacement Allowances | ||||||||||
| Type | Army | |||||||||
| Male | Female | |||||||||
| Basic | 381.60 | 442.80 | ||||||||
| Standard | 543.60 | 633.60 | ||||||||
C. Extra Clothing Allowances are additional to initial and replacement allowances and do not reduce, replace or otherwise affect them. Extra clothing allowances provide for unusual circumstances when an enlisted member may require additional uniform items or when an officer (with a permanent duty station outside the United States) or enlisted member may require civilian clothes to perform their assigned duties.
The Initial Clothing Allowance is how much an entire set of uniforms would cost. In most cases, uniforms are issued to new recruits, but some recruits (such as prior service) may be given the allowance instead and instructed to purchase their own uniforms from the Military Clothing Sales store.
The clothing allowance is usually paid annually on a member’s enlistment anniversary. Those with less than three years of service receive the basic rate (on the assumption that their uniforms are still fairly new and don’t need to be replaced as much). Additionally, their first annual payment will be only 1/2 of the basic rate (on the assumption that little would have to be replaced during their first six months of service).
After three years of service, members receive the standard rate each year.
This allowance is not taxable.
For more information about military enlisted clothing (uniform) allowances, see Department of Defense (DOD) Pay Regulation, Volume 7A (Active Duty & Reserve Pay), Chapter 29– Clothing Monetary Allowances.
