Enlisted soldiers will get about the same amount of money for new uniform items in 2017 as they did last year, according to numbers from the Army.
This year, the Army has raised slightly the value of the clothing bags issued to new soldiers. But the clothing replacement allowance soldiers get to replace worn out items is the same as last year for men and slightly lower for women.
The male soldiers' clothing bag is valued at $1,659.35, which is $15.90 more than last year.
Female soldiers' clothing bag is set at $5.98 more than last year, for a total of $1,894.05.
The increase is due to slight price changes on various items.
The clothing bag includes the full range of a soldier’s uniform items and uniform accessories. No new uniform items were added for 2017, and no items were deleted from last year.
Cash allowance
The price of the clothing bag includes a cash allowance for some specific items. Men will get a total of $94.33 for running shoes and socks for physical training. Men’s cash allowance is the same amount as last year’s.
Women get a total of $396.65 in cash allowance for dress shoes, lingerie, handbag, running shoes and PT socks. That’s five dollars and change more than allowed last year.
See the clothing bag list
.
Replacement allowance
Enlisted soldiers get a complete set of uniforms and accessories when they begin service. Once the soldiers leave training and enter the Army, they will receive the annual clothing replacement allowance.
This allowance, to help them maintain serviceable uniform and clothing items, is provided to soldiers once a year on the anniversary month in which the soldier joined the Army, according to information from the Army.
The annual replacement clothing allowance this year is the same as last year for men, but slightly less than last year for women.
The basic annual clothing replacement allowance is $327.60 for male enlisted soldiers with six to 36 months of service, the same as it was in fiscal 2016.
The standard annual replacement allowance is $468 for male enlisted soldiers with 37 months or more of service, also unchanged from last year.
The basic annual replacement allowance is $345.60 for female enlisted soldiers with six to 36 months of service. That amount is $3.60 less than the replacement allowance for last year.
The standard annual replacement allowance is $493.20 for women with 37 months or more of service. That is also $3.60 less than last year.
Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany.
