Uniforms! Holy Cow! These puppies are expensive! (Bonus: Tax writeoff gouge)

[bucki4lyfe]

Can these items be written off on your taxes?!

I used to be a financial advisor in a previous career (many of my clients were military), and from that perspective, yes you can.

As was previously said, you can write them off if you itemize. In case anyone doesn't know what that means: Everybody who files gets a "standard deduction"...if you're single it's about $5,300 or so. The gov't does this because it knows everybody will have deductions, just not many will have more than $5,300 worth, so the govt gives everyone a little credit, reducing the number of itemizers each tax year.

Therefore, USNGRL, if you keep your receipts (as I certainly did) for all of your uniform purchases, let's call it $1,500, you could put that in the correct field in the itemized deductions tax form. To help you get to that magic $5,300 number (because, again, if you can't find deductions for more than that, it's not worth itemizing, but if you can, then you'll save yourself some cash), you can also deduct things from your federal tax bill like state and local tax, certain business expenses, certain education expenses. So, if you made enough money that your other taxes and other deductable expenses were $4,500, you would end up having a $6,000 itemized deduction, therefore, saving a little bit more on your tax bill than the normal $5,300 standard deduction.

I am not telling everyone to itemize on your taxes and in no way is this a recommendation for anyone, just a hypothetical scenario. Please contact a tax professional and/or financial advisor for advice on your SPECIFIC situation.

 

[USAF.Boom]

What uniforms should I get and how do I get them?

Ok, new question. What uniforms should we get? I understand that you need them all at some point but what is the most important now? I heard that the officer uniforms are changing. Is this true? If so, when? I don't want to purchase SDB if they are being changed soon. What are the ones changing and where I get more information about them?

Final question, where is the nearest NEX from St. Louis?

 

[xxxCharliexxx]

I would also love to know this! But if we (meaning "I") am not prior service, how can we purchase these in advance? They won't let you purchase at a NEX otherwise.

 

[USAF.Boom]

If you are NPS, then you can not until you swear in. You are not authorized to wear the uniform until you are a member of the military, which means you can not officially purchase it through the military yet either. Sorry.

 

[xxxCharliexxx]

No kidding.

 

[k2fourever]

USAF,

That can't be right - I thought once you got your Final Select letter, you were able to purchase uniforms through the NEX? How else do NPS DCOs swear-in in khakis and get pinned?

 

[xxxCharliexxx]

That was my thought too. I knew that I could not wear it prior to signing on the dotted line but I figured they had to let us buy them at some point prior to the ceremony so we don't show up naked. But I wasn't sure if our recruiter went with us to buy them or how it was arranged. I'm about 1600 miles from my recuiter and would need to purchase them here in advance before driving down for the ceremony. Just wondering how it's done

I suppose if a recruiter needs to go with me, I could grab one from this region. Either way, I was just curious how that's going to work itself out.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[bubblehead]

What uniforms should we get? I understand that you need them all at some point but what is the most important now?

All you need to start are two sets of poly/wool khakis. For DCO uniform requirements, click here:

http://www1.netc.navy.mil/nstc/otc/dcoic_uniform.asp

Once you are able to log in below, you can purchase your uniforms over the phone:

https://www.nexnet.nexweb.org/pls/nexauth/nexauth.wg_login_proc?p_app_id=9011

I heard that the officer uniforms are changing. Is this true? If so, when? I don't want to purchase SDB if they are being changed soon. What are the ones changing and where I get more information about them?

The Navy is conducting a "wear test" of the Service Dress Khaki. Service Dress Blues aren't going anywhere as far as I know.

That can't be right - I thought once you got your Final Select letter, you were able to purchase uniforms through the NEX? How else do NPS DCOs swear-in in khakis and get pinned?

You are not "in" until your commissioning documents are complete and you swear-in.

 

[bubblehead]

Final question, where is the nearest NEX from St. Louis?

https://www.nexnet.nexweb.org/pls/nexstore/nx_storefinder

 

[k2fourever]

You are not "in" until your commissioning documents are complete and you swear-in.

I completely understand that, but I've seen NPS people on this board say they have been commissioned while wearing a uniform, with family/friends pinning on the bars. How can they do that if they are not allowed to purchase the uniform until after commissioning?

EDIT: typo

 

[bubblehead]

I completely understand that, but I've seen NPS people on this board say they have been commissioned while wearing a uniform, with family/friends pinning on the bars. How can they do that if they are not allowed to purchase the uniform until after commissioning?

When your commissioning documents are received by the recruiter, you will go to the recruiter's office to sign everything and to take the oath of office (a/k/a/ swearing-in). You swear-in while wearing civilian clothing. At that point, you are officially commissioned. You will get copies of documents and an official certificate, which you can frame.

At any point after that, you can have a "commissioning ceremony" if you want whereby people pin on your bars.

After you swear-in, it's another couple of weeks before you can get your CAC Card. This is because of the amount of time it takes for your information to propagate throughout all of the various systems.

 

[dephyler]

USAF,

That can't be right - I thought once you got your Final Select letter, you were able to purchase uniforms through the NEX? How else do NPS DCOs swear-in in khakis and get pinned?

You don't swear in in uniform. Most commissioning ceremonies that are in uniform are done AFTER the official swearing in. For example, I rose my right hand officially in the basement of a NOSC in my recruiter's office. I held my ceremony 1.5 months later in my summer whites.

Think of it like eloping to Vegas before you have a full-on wedding

 

[smloan2]

Think of it like eloping to Vegas before you have a full-on wedding

Well said!

 

[k2fourever]

Well, now that I've demonstrated that I know absolutely nothing...good night! Tip your waiters.

Seriously though, thanks ya'll for setting me straight. I'm still learning about this whole DCO process as I go along.

 

[cargodog]

I had a lengthy conversation with my recruiter about this on Friday (for a NPS person). He said that once I receive docs he will take me to get my uniforms (IF I WANT to commission in uniform). He gave me the option of commissioning in khaki's or SDB's - with different implications for each. In khaki's you can have your family pin on your rank and in SDB's you can't. He also told me that I should identify the person swearing me in so that he can put in on my commissioning paperwork. Meaning that the actual paperwork will be signed the same day. He also gave me the freedom to choose when and where I do the actual ceremony. -OR- you can just go to the office and sign paperwork in civies, get your ID card, go buy your own uniforms and start drilling if you want.

Now, with that said, you might have a different experience because the NW region up here seems to do things a little differently anyway. And my recruiter is very on the ball too.