Is it true the US Military charges soliders for their food and clothing?

Actually, the military issues you all of you uniform and military clothing and uniforms, and gives you an allowance every year to offset the cost of upkeep and replacement. Military personnel in special commands (i.e.-recruiters, Silent Drill Team, Embassy security guards, Marine Band, etc) are given an extra issue of their dress uniforms and an additional allowance because they actually have more uniform items to keep up with.

As for the chow, those personnel living off base (speaking for the Marines only, other services may make different allowances), you are given commuted rations, or COMRATS, to offset the purchase of food. It is what it costs for them to feed you three meals a day in the mess hall, and comes out to around ten bucks a day.

This money is not taken away from you in the military. The only thing ever taken out of my pay as far as issue stuff was for my initial issue at boot camp, which was all of the items given to me EXCEPT for my uniforms and sea bags, and the ten haircuts I recieved while I was there, at about 4 dollars apiece. All of these items I would had to have purchased on my own, and the grand total came out to about six hundred dollars altogether.

That's not totally true! Military personnel actually get money ADDED to their paychecks for such things! Each month they get paid BAS (Basic Allowance for Sustinance) and each year they get a Uniform Allowance paid. Now, single military personnel who live in the barracks can get meal cards, where they don't pay for chow at the chow halls. ALL military personnel eat free when deployed.

However, any uniform pieces that are needed, in excess of what your allowance is, must be paid by the soldier. It is 100% tax deductible though. Uniforms only get issued during certain times (boot camp, before and sometimes after a deployment etc) So far this year, my husband has spent well over $700 on uniform and gear and his allowance was only $300. That part does stink, but we get it all back in the end.

What you heard is wrong. They are issued a basic set of fatigues, underwear, etc. then each year they are given a clothing allowance. Whether they spend it own clothes or not is the soldiers choice. For food it depends if they are on Separate Rations or not. If they aren't the get fed from the mess hall. People that live out of the barracks are paid money for food. When they go out in the field, deployments the Military takes back the amount owed. So neither is true.

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The general answer is NO. Most of the soldiers get an allowance, if they dont get an allowance wich is rare, then they eat for free at a DFAC or military dining installation, but usually they get their allowance. Regarding clothes. Only officers pay for their clothing. Regular soldiers get an initial issue and then ever year get an allowance, it is generally enough.

When going to the field soldiers are to be charged, but I as a supply SGT and a CDR we have various ways of not charging" so that s why they are usually not charged. But believe me I have been in units that I have charged the soldiers, usually because the CDR is an *** or its the end of fiscal year. Its all too complicated to explain the how to's and when to's. Everytime the Army makes you spend any extra money, they will add a supplemental allowance.

At one time, when you went to the field (exercises) or other such things, the money for groceries was taken away because the military fed you while you were there. They do receive money for groceries, but it's not for a family, it's for the soldier only. They base it on a certain amount of daily spending. As an NCO, my husband does have to pay for his meals in the chow hall on post. I believe it's the same for all ranks except new recruits.

As for clothing, we get an allowance each year. However, it's not usually enough to replace what wears out throughout the year. Sometimes depending on your job, you can try to swap them out. Lately there has been alot of uniform changes too and this added alot for service members to spend.

So, yes, we're given money to help cover the cost, but not everything is covered.

Yes and no.

for Officers: All uniforms are out of pocket, including the initial issue. BAS(Basic Allowance for substinence) is provided, but in certain instances, they are required to pay for meals while deployed or underway. In many cases, the total amount of the bill is higher than what they receive in BAS.

For Enlisted: Initial uniform issued, every year thereafter a payment is made to help cover the cost of replacing these items. Some years you get more than others, cuz they figure Boots last longer than skivvies so they don't need replacing as often. Meals are provided while in the field training ro deployed. otherwise, they get BAS but don't always have to pay for meals they eat in the galley.

Man people are ignorant...YES, even in your first check in Boot Camp you have wages deducted from you. I cant believe people in the military dont know that. IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR LES (Leave and Earnings Statement) you would see that food and clothing IS deducted, and its not the only thing. You also get a deduction for housing, medical, and a few other things. It is true, you do get a clothing allowance, but it doesnt come very often, and if your in a tough branch of the military you know like I do the clothing allowance doesnt add up when your cammies get shredded all the time. If you still dont believe me, then I will personally email you an LES showing the truth, with all my important info like social security number etc, blanked out of course. People are so naive! and I agree, it should be free.

My friend recently joined the U.S. Army After boot, he had to pay for his fatigues, dress uniform, boots, underwear, even sheets and pillow cases. He even had to pay for his velcro name tag for his cammos'; and when the cammo design changed, he was charged for the new ones.

I find this practice to be deplorable!. the United States is asking these men and women to fight - and sometimes die - for their country. Then they have the nerve to charge them for food and clothing. This is a deplorable situation. In most cases, the government does not reimburse them enough - via allowance - to adequately pay for his expenses regarding these items.

Certainly, this fact should also be a part of the many advertisements depicting "Be All You Can Be", etc., I guess this goes along with the government not adequately providing health care for those still enlisted and for those who have been dischsrged.

This should be made very public to see what the general population has to say about it.

BM ex-USMC - '69

My husband joined the Army in April. He didnt have to pay for his uniform, shoes, etc.. but any new uniforms he gets he has to pay for but he gets a clothing allowence. I think its like $200 a year. On his last LES, his food allowence was $136.13 and his meal deduction was $109.72. So, yes and no.