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Oh and the costs they don’t tell you about, like boots and uniforms (even their underwear must be up to standards). Even their daily uniforms were expensive. They MUST look brand spanking new and they must have a minimum of three complete sets (ready for inspection). The Army used to have a policy, in my dad’s time, that if something is worn or had a hole in it, it could be exchanged for a new one; or the cleaning of the uniforms. I kept one shirt that had been professionally cleaned and pressed on base and created a cardboard template to iron them myself (three creases down the back and one across the shoulders). God forbid something should happen to a dress uniform, a complete one could cost over $1,000 and that was 20 years ago.
I haven’t had a family member in the Army since my father, but I can tell you in the Navy, AF, and Marines this policy no longer exists if it ever did. The yearly uniform allotment did not come close to covering the expenses for daily uniforms. I remember dying my husband’s dungarees on a monthly basis trying to prolong their life so we didn’t have to put out the $30 a pair for new ones. The shirts had no tricks to extend their life, so they had to be replaced every couple of months. It was a very bad month when my husband’s boss would tell him that his shirt was “unsat” because it was faded. That meant cutting our food budget to Ramen to be able to scrape together money for them. One of the best things that could ever happen is that someone was getting out and you were able to find uniforms the right size in their yard sale.
I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from joining the military, but I believe they need to join with eyes wide open.
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I've been married for 24 years and have four wonderful children.
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