Clothing allowances go up for Marines

This is a very intersting article. I'm glad they will be getting a larger clothing allowance, plus this clears up some questions I had about how the clothing allowance is paid.

Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Oct 9, 2007 18:46:11 EDT

Marines, sailors, airmen, and Coast Guardsmen will see relatively robust increases in their annual clothing allowances to pay for wear and tear on their military uniforms in fiscal 2008, but soldiers had no changes to their uniform clothing bag and thus will see no change in their clothing allowances in fiscal 2008.

The biggest increases are going to sailors and Marines, whose services have made big changes to their working and combat uniforms and have added other comparatively costly items to their seabags. For example, the Marine Corps has added two blouses to, and upgraded several other items for, its new combat utility uniform.

The new allowances took effect Oct. 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.

The military provides a complete set of uniforms for enlisted members when they first enter service. They are then paid annual allowances based on how long it takes each item to wear out, dividing the cost by how many years the item is expected to last. For example, a duffel bag might be expected to last 10 years or more, while T-shirts would be expected to be replaced after a few months.

The clothing allowance typically is paid on the anniversary of the day members entered the military. People with fewer than three years of service receive a basic clothing allowance to begin replacing items from their initial issue as they wear out. Also, at the end of the first year of active duty, enlisted troops receive only half of the yearly allowance because it is assumed they do not need to replace any clothing in their first six months.

After enlisted troops complete three years on active duty, they begin receiving the standard clothing allowance, which is higher than the basic allowance.

To replace an entire set of uniforms, a male enlisted Marine would pay $1,596.43, an increase of $384.73 from last fiscal year. A female enlisted Marine would pay $1,879.05, an increase of $396.41 from last year, and the highest of any gender group from any of the services.

The increased allowances stem mainly from the addition of a new type of dress blue coat, two new types of blouses for the combat utility uniform and several new types of trousers.

Marine clothing allowances have risen accordingly. The standard replacement allowance for male Marines is $514.80, an increase of $122.40 from last year, and the basic allowance is $360, an increase of $86.40.

For female Marines, the standard replacement allowance is $550.80, an increase of $129.60 from last year, and the basic allowance is $385.20, an increase of $90 from last year.
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