Uniform Issue

[Nevermor70]

Anyone know if we're required to pay for our initial uniform issue at OCS? I remember when I initially applied for OCS back in '08, I saw some info to have about 3k ready. Looking into it now I haven't seen anything about it.

 

[BackOrdered]

They will issue you a NEX credit account and charge your items to it. You won't be denied uniforms.

 

[STG1-ENS]

They will issue you a NEX credit account and charge your items to it. You won't be denied uniforms.

You just answered a question I had, so thank you. I am currently enlisted and am about to go. I was hoping they would let me use my STAR card and not take it out of my check like they did in boot camp. I have a wife and kid to support; can't really afford to have 3k taken out of my checks.

 

[KBayDog]

I have a wife and kid to support; can't really afford to have 3k taken out of my checks.

Hate to break it to you, but you'd better budget for miscellaneous "work expenses" when you cross to the Dark Side...because Big Navy really doesn't care that you have a wife and a kid. Granted, you'll be making more coin than you currently bring in, but you'd be surprised how quickly the nickels and dimes add up.

Food aboard USS Boat, shore-based wardroom dues, mandatory fun, gifts, etc. are continuous. It has been my experience that none of these have ever been mandatory (except over-paying for shitty food on the boat)...but if you choose not to pay, you usually have to talk to the Head Shed and explain why you do not want to pay up. You can read between the lines as to how "optional" these miscellaneous expenses actually are if you care about your reputation and career. I guess you could say it's the cost of doing business.

(The above post is not (entirely) meant as a gripe...just as a friendly reminder that the OP is about to incur many more expenses than just uniforms as he moves up in the world.)

 

[STG1-ENS]

Hate to break it to you, but you'd better budget for miscellaneous "work expenses" when you cross to the Dark Side...because Big Navy really doesn't care that you have a wife and a kid. Granted, you'll be making more coin than you currently bring in, but you'd be surprised how quickly the nickels and dimes add up.

Food aboard USS Boat, shore-based wardroom dues, mandatory fun, gifts, etc. are continuous. It has been my experience that none of these have ever been mandatory (except over-paying for shitty food on the boat)...but if you choose not to pay, you usually have to talk to the Head Shed and explain why you do not want to pay up. You can read between the lines as to how "optional" these miscellaneous expenses actually are if you care about your reputation and career. I guess you could say it's the cost of doing business.

(The above post is not (entirely) meant as a gripe...just as a friendly reminder that the OP is about to incur many more expenses than just uniforms as he moves up in the world.)

Yes Sir, I fully understand that. I just meant having that much taken out of one check on my current pay would be rough.

 

[BackOrdered]

Hate to break it to you, but you'd better budget for miscellaneous "work expenses" when you cross to the Dark Side...because Big Navy really doesn't care that you have a wife and a kid. Granted, you'll be making more coin than you currently bring in, but you'd be surprised how quickly the nickels and dimes add up.

Food aboard USS Boat, shore-based wardroom dues, mandatory fun, gifts, etc. are continuous. It has been my experience that none of these have ever been mandatory (except over-paying for shitty food on the boat)...but if you choose not to pay, you usually have to talk to the Head Shed and explain why you do not want to pay up. You can read between the lines as to how "optional" these miscellaneous expenses actually are if you care about your reputation and career. I guess you could say it's the cost of doing business.

(The above post is not (entirely) meant as a gripe...just as a friendly reminder that the OP is about to incur many more expenses than just uniforms as he moves up in the world.)

All true!

 

[LET73]

If I'm remembering correctly, we got a uniform allowance for the initial uniform issue (wash khakis, PT gear, etc.) for stuff we wore at OCS. Uniforms for after OCS were on our dime (SDBs, choker whites, etc.). There was a payment plan available for that, though.

As far as expenses afterwards, yep, plenty of those. Wardroom dues at my first command were 100% optional. If you didn't pay up, you didn't get the cool going-away gift (worth way less than the dues, naturally). I'm at a joint command now, and there are no wardroom dues--just endless, endless, endless fundraisers. It's not as big a deal for officers, but heaven help the enlisted guy who hasn't baked cookies for the bake sale come eval time.

 

[shutout39]

I just went through OCS a bit ago, the allowance is somewhere in the $2100 range and the actual cost totals over $3k. If you're an SNA/SNFO you get another $400 and $200 at Pcola and your follow on school respectively. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it shows up in MyPay. Either way you end up in the hole, but its not an insurmountable amount - and as the above post mentioned, you don't need 3k on hand because they give you the Nex card which saves you a couple hundred bucks and lets you pay over time.

 

[LET73]

I kind of dated myself with the wash khakis reference, didn't I?

 

[Renegade One]

I kind of dated myself with the wash khakis reference, didn't I?

Bless you...go and sin no more.