Expenses in boot camp and training

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on November 5, 2015 at 10:13am

Recruits receive an initial uniform allowance. The sailor never sees the money, it goes directly to pay for the uniforms and is recorded as a credit and debt on the pay record.

 

The uniform allowance pays for the "sailor's seabag" which consists of four sets of Navy Working Uniforms (aka "digis"), two Navy coveralls, one pair of boots, one set of PT gear (sweats and shorts/t-shirt), two sets of tan and black Navy Service Uniforms (aka "peanut butters"), two sets of dress white uniforms (polyester), one dress blue uniform (wool), one pair of dress shoes, a pea coat, a rain coat with liner, an NSU parka with liner, and a seabag. Women also receive skirts for each service and dress uniform, a "combination cover” (dress hat) and a set of uniform dress pumps (for wear with skirts), which is why they get a higher allowance.

Sailors get a smaller allowance each year to replace worn or damaged uniforms, usually $200 - $400, on the anniversary of the date they shipped out for boot camp.

This allowance does NOT cover the many small things they need that are not uniform items, from underwear to shampoo to athletic shoes. These items are considered to be general living expenses and must be paid for by the sailor. The first paycheck is reduced by $400 - $600 (often the entire paycheck) to pay for these items.

During winter months they may also need to purchase specific cold weather gear such as a scarf, gloves and a cold weather mask that may not be part of the basic "sailor's seabag."

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on November 5, 2015 at 10:18am

A-school:  generally very few expenses except for personal items- have read current seabag costs are about $700

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on November 5, 2015 at 10:44am

absolutely should be

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Permalink Reply by Scott Talley on November 6, 2015 at 4:22am

Something that I found odd, the sailors have to pay for their chest ribbons.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Day Pesnell on November 13, 2015 at 5:49pm

Scott,

I believe the reason we and our Sailors have to pay for our ribbons is that they are quite expendable as you wear them with time.  They're around $1.00 each and extra with devices of course.  Over the course of a career or even a year, a Sailor could have a large amount of ribbons and/or medals purchased in their time.  I bought and built an entire new rack for myself for our daughter's graduation on 10/30 and it was around $30 for me.

Hope Kami is doing well.

Jeremy

Scott Talley said:

Something that I found odd, the sailors have to pay for their chest ribbons.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Talley on November 13, 2015 at 6:15pm

Kami is doing well.  She survived the knuckleheads that made it through boot, but for some disastrous mind boggling lapse in judgement, some sailors let loose with underage drinking, dope and partying it up.  She said at least 15 sailors were reprimanded or discharged at the Captains Mast.  

Something really neat happened to us both.  I asked if she needed anything for school, like a laptop or something, and she said yeah, in a couple of weeks maybe.  I asked what kind she needed and she said, " Dad, they pay me to do this. Remember?  Save your money, I can buy what I need."  I said , " yeah, I guess I should start taking my own advice." ... she giggled and said, " It's not your advice anymore, it's my advice."  

Realizing your child is a young adult is priceless.

 

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Day Pesnell on December 8, 2015 at 9:21pm

Hey Scott! Sorry it's been so long to get back to you.  Glad to hear we've weeded out some of the bad apples, they're are always some!  

I feel the same way as you about letting go and letting her take care of herself.  We went to Gurney Mills Mall after graduation and she was looking at stuff and wanted to buy this and that and I was calculating it all in my head like I was going to buy it, but then she bought what she wanted and wouldn't let us.  It really was different to think that she is nearly on her own now and is making her own bills and spending decisions.  We did help her out with her plane ticket from Monterey to home thanks to the crazy prices to fly in and out of Silicon Valley.  She is learning a bit more about money now though.  She has been on a Christmas and self-spending spree lately and has ran through a lot of money, so now she's seeing that she needs to dial it back a bit.

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Merry Christmas if I don't talk to you before then.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Talley on December 9, 2015 at 4:19am

Merry Christmas to you and yours.  Kami was in the same spending mode.  She kept sending pictures of here times off base and I'd ask her if I needed to send her any of her clothes and she'd inform me she's already got a new wardrobe. "What do you guys want for Christmas?" is all she ever asks of late.  I'm glad she's enjoying the pleasure of having a bank account.

This will be the first Christmas that she will not be there in the morning.  Strange feeling as the family circle starts to shrink. 

Looking forward to her leave mid January.  Good luck and God Bless.

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Permalink Reply by Frank Cintron on December 9, 2015 at 3:25pm

It appears you have a grounded sailor. I thought I did. My son is now at medical corpsman school in Ft Sam Houston after graduating from Basic at G.L.in 9/15.  I thought we had given him a good education on being responsible with his money. Alas it was not to be. After getting out of G.L. the first thing he did before getting to his next station was to buy a Xbox1 with picture player. ($700.00). He then proceeded to get a microsft pkg and a new IPhone $300.00+. He then got a wireless contract which he signed for and didn't know what he was signing for. The results have been staggering. Since 9/15/2015 he has expended over $2500 of the money we had put into his account, he doesn't know overall what the charges were!! We attempted to help to get this amount in dispute with Microsoft and the reply was. Leave it alone I'll take care of the issue. The result of this has been a daily hit by Microsoft of additional charges of $300.00 + and counting. What could you possibly be doing on this contraption over the last 1 month when you should not be able to do no more than study test and sleep? We look at his account daily and are very dismayed that this 18 year old has not taken  to heart that which we taught for so many years. A word of warning Keep your kids away from XBOX 1. This situation caused  us not to go see him for Xmas. (SAD). For all of you parents out there MY FAMILY WISHES YOU ALL A HPPY AND MERRY XMAS. This example may be worth showing to your sailors in training as to how things can go oh so wrong. Sorry to add this at this time of the year but if it helps to wake the spending bug out of the  18 year olds have going out for the first time then it will have been worth writing it.

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