Clothing Allowances
By law and under Presidential Executive Order, the Secretary of Defense (or the Secretary’s designee) annually may prescribe the quantity and kind of clothing to be furnished to an enlisted member of the Military Services, and may prescribe the amount of cash allowance to be paid if clothing is not so furnished. It is Department of Defense (DoD) policy that the quantities and kinds of items of individual clothing to be furnished shall be prescribed by the individual Service Secretary or the Commandant of the Marine Corps under the parameters set by the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Military Personnel Policy).
There are three basic types of clothing allowances:
Initial Clothing Allowances - 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.
Cash Clothing Replacement Allowances - 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.
Extra Clothing Allowances - 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.
SPECIFIC BRANCH REGULATIONS
The following regulations detail the entitlements, policies, and procedures on the quantity and kind of clothing that must be provided, the cash allowance in lieu thereof, and the provisions for payment of clothing replacement allowances.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONArmy: AR 700-84.
Navy: MILPERSMAN, Bureau of Naval Personnel Instruction1020.11.
Air Force: AFMAN 65-116V1, AFMAN 65-116V2 and AFI 36-3014
Marine Corps: MCO P10120.28G.
For a more in depth look at clothing allowances see DoD Financial Management Regulation - 7000.14-R, VOLUME 7A, CHAPTER 29 - "CLOTHING MONETARY ALLOWANCES"
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