Dress Blues

riroka

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My AROTC senior mentioned that he needs to buy dress blues. What do they run? I imagine they are pretty pricey.
 
My AROTC senior mentioned that he needs to buy dress blues. What do they run? I imagine they are pretty pricey.

Here's a link to the ASU packages of one of the big uniform providers. For army (male) there are two commissioning packages, at $419 and $559, with the difference attributable to the material. If the uniform has to be tailored after it's delivered, that's on you. There's a slightly lower cost package as well.

http://www.marlowwhite.com/army/uniforms/asu/officer-male.html
 
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Not as bad as I thought

Cadet DD has been worrying about having to make this purchase along with other impending real world expenses, but prices for the kits are not actually as bad as I thought they were going to be. I mean, she has been eyeing a riding helmet that costs about the same as what one of the kits costs :rolleyes:
 
As a graduation / commissioning gift idea, along with those dress blues, consider giving your new Lieutenant an Army Officer's sabre. It can be found on the Marlow White website. There will be a number of occasions during their career where having an officer's sabre would be very cool. Also, it looks bad ass over the fireplace when not being worn.
 
Eh personally I wouldn't go with a saber unless you are in a wedding detail. Very rarely do I see one worn and when I do it isn't a brand new 2LT. I think the dress blues are a nice gift by themselves.
 
As a graduation / commissioning gift idea, along with those dress blues, consider giving your new Lieutenant an Army Officer's sabre. It can be found on the Marlow White website. There will be a number of occasions during their career where having an officer's sabre would be very cool. Also, it looks bad ass over the fireplace when not being worn.

Sounds like an impressive gift. Right now, however, I'm fixing to make plane, hotel and fancy restaurant reservations. After that, Future Lieutenant Delahanty will be lucky to get an amazing Ginsu. If operators are still standing by.
 
We are AFROTC parents. For our DS we started buying his AD uniforms as Christmas/birthday presents starting his junior year. His graduation/commissioning gifts were the last of the items he needed. In the AF, they are expected to also own the mess dress (tuxedo @400), so that is also why we did it over two years.

If AROTC is like AFROTC they are given an allotment, but it depends on whether you hand back your ROTC uniforms or keep them.

As far as worrying about real world expenses, they will be offered the career starter loan through USAA. There are many threads that discuss this loan, some are on the after academy life forum.
~~~ On a whole just like many hot topic threads there are two different perspectives about the approach of how to spend the 25k low interest loan.

Some will use it to buy a car, pay off student loans. Some say use it to invest.
~~~~ Our DS did not take the total 25k. He took only 10k. He did not use it to buy a car, but he also made sure he did not go insane on a car. He purchased a new Toyota, 0% interest, plus by showing his commissioning paperwork and his graduation paperwork he received @2000 rebate. This meant even though the car was more than 15k, the combo of rebates and lower interest rate was the same cost in the long run. Most car companies will not give those rebates until you can prove with paperwork.

The 10k he placed 5k immediately into an IRA. The other 5k he used when he PCS to his first duty station to set up his house. He was lucky he did this because when he got to his base he had a delay in his pay so he was able to use that money to buy things and make utility deposits. After it was all settled with his pay, he immediately dumped that pay into a mutual fund money market account, thus he is now getting a higher return than the 2.75% interest rate the starter loan is charging.

Just putting it out there that the 25k at a low rate is great, but if they don't think about it from a financial perspective they could be digging a hole filled with more debt. If their college loans are at another rate, it might be smart to pay off those loans, but remember the student loans are over 10 years, not 4,. The starter loan maybe a lower interest rate, but if they use it all there, than where will they get their money to start up their first apartment? Credit cards? That means 9-10%, whereas, the student loan would be at 4%, using the starter is fiscally advantageous in the long run especially as an O1.

Sorry to divert the thread, but just wanted to put it out there because I have seen how our DS's friends took different paths without talking to the folks for advice. In fairness, many of the kids didn't talk to the folks about the loan, they took it and did what they wanted. I.E. purchased a car.

EDelahanty,
I get where you are coming from....even with us buying uniforms over the long run, you'd be amazed how expensive buying the rank, insignia, alterations can run you. I think we still spent a couple of hundred.

+1 Aglahad.
The sabre is a neat gift, but most people I know with sabres have them hanging on the wall. Our DS is getting married in May. 2 of his groomsmen are AF.They are not doing the sabres because the majority of his AF friends are not invited, and probably do not own them (not sure). Buy it, but I would spend the extra money for the frame(mounting) as the 1st item for their official I Love me wall.
 
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Sounds like an impressive gift. Right now, however, I'm fixing to make plane, hotel and fancy restaurant reservations. After that, Future Lieutenant Delahanty will be lucky to get an amazing Ginsu. If operators are still standing by.


EDelahanty- the site mentioned earlier offered a lovely saber letter opener for $45, when we were browsing last night we told DS that was what he would be receiving when the time came :) He was not nearly as amused as my DH and I were...
 
Sounds like an impressive gift. Right now, however, I'm fixing to make plane, hotel and fancy restaurant reservations. After that, Future Lieutenant Delahanty will be lucky to get an amazing Ginsu. If operators are still standing by.

An Amazing Ginsu! I'm thinking Cadet Delahanty is one lucky guy... my Cadet (and his sibs) received and or will receive a really warm hug and handshake and a coupon book from the bank!
 
Eh personally I wouldn't go with a saber unless you are in a wedding detail. Very rarely do I see one worn and when I do it isn't a brand new 2LT. I think the dress blues are a nice gift by themselves.

But, if there is a wedding and no one owns a sabre, who's gunna welcome the bride to the Army? Swatting the bride is one of the greatest military traditions we have!
 
I am somewhat confused (not an unusal state I might add). DS received a dress blues uniform from his unit last month. It is the uniform they are expected to wear to military balls and such.It is brand new. He was told to go have it tailored and send the bill to his unit. Is this the same uniform that is being refered to in this thread? Just curious, thanks for the info.
 
No. Cadets are issued enlisted blues to use while in ROTC. They're the same cut as the old greens. When they commission, they turn those in and have to purchase their own. The officer version of the coat is different in that it doesn't have shoulder straps. Officers wear shoulder boards for rank on the blues. They also wear the style of pants with the gold leader's braid along the seams.
 
I am somewhat confused (not an unusal state I might add). DS received a dress blues uniform from his unit last month. It is the uniform they are expected to wear to military balls and such.It is brand new. He was told to go have it tailored and send the bill to his unit. Is this the same uniform that is being refered to in this thread? Just curious, thanks for the info.

As I recall Sheriff3 your DS is AROTC. In any case, and to aid lurkers, it depends on the service and here is how I think it breaks down.

Army - Yes, same uniform
AF - Yes, same uniform.
Navy - Yes, same uniform.
Marines - No, different uniform (NROTC issues Navy dress blues to everyone. I understand Navy options can keep it if they choose but Marines have to buy a full new kit.)
 
The enlisted coats can be converted by a tailor, but sometimes you have issues where the depression from the enlisted rank won't go away.
 
You don't want to be having an enlisted coat turned into an officer coat. That's like coloring in the gold bar on your patrol cap with sharpie when you get promoted to 1LT. Don't do it. Save one of your last stipend checks and pay for a good quality uniform. Don't buy the sabre unless you just have money you don't want and can't find an envelope to mail that money to me. 11 years in the active force and I never even saw a sabre at an event, let alone needed one to whack a new Army wife with. Here at Clarkson the Seniors have already bought their uniform, because we require them to have it for our Dining out, which is usually held in February. Don't wait until the last minute.
 
You don't want to be having an enlisted coat turned into an officer coat. That's like coloring in the gold bar on your patrol cap with sharpie when you get promoted to 1LT. Don't do it. Save one of your last stipend checks and pay for a good quality uniform. Don't buy the sabre unless you just have money you don't want and can't find an envelope to mail that money to me. 11 years in the active force and I never even saw a sabre at an event, let alone needed one to whack a new Army wife with. Here at Clarkson the Seniors have already bought their uniform, because we require them to have it for our Dining out, which is usually held in February. Don't wait until the last minute.

You guys probably use hockey sticks to do said whacking anyway, right? :biggrin:
 
Is there a Uniform Allowance? I have heard/read differing opinions about this.
As much as I would like to hook up my son with a wad of cash, I am happy to still have my house. My DS older brother is also graduating in May, so 4 years of college for 2 kids has tapped me out.
My DS may be getting a set of weapons to put in his golf bag..
 
When you buy the ASU's get the 1LT shoulder bars at the same time, they offer a deal and it's cheaper the having to get the 18 months later....oh wait, I guess it's back to 24 months for the recent grads, still cheaper.

The Gold Bullion shoulder boards do look a lot better if your inclined to spend the extra $$.

At my son's school they attend Graduation in uniform along with the other services and are sworn in at the graduation ceremony, this at least saved the cost of the cap and gown.

When my son PCS'd to flight school at Ft. Rucker he did receive a clothing allowence, he spent most of it on new ACU's required for flight school as well as other as well as other new clothing along the way, wasn't much if any left over to cover what was paid for the new ASU's.
 
Keep in mind that even as a junior officer you aren't going to be wearing this uniform very often. I guess that could change as we shift back to garrison, but there's no need to break the bank. A good tailor and what's on the shelf in the PX will do just fine for an LT.

e: autocorrect
 
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