Residency is weird. Where you live CURRENTLY when you sign the papers and walk into the military (Academy) is where your residency is. You can't just claim another state because you USE to live there. You have to claim residency based on CURRENT conditions. MOST states say; if you currently live here for a certain amount of time; OR, you own property here; OR, you earn "X" amount of dollars in this state; Or, etc... you can become a resident. Each state is different. It's sort of like a drivers license. You CAN'T have more than one from more than one state. If you are NO LONGER a resident of texas, then you can't just Re-claim texas as your state of residency. If you currently live there, then you are a resident of that state, so that is what you claim.
Here's the reader's digest version that you need to worry about.
1. Whatever state you live at when you sign the papers to go to the academy, IS YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCY.
2. You CAN, after being at the academy the required period, change your residency to Colorado. (They have a very high tax rate, so I DON'T suggest it).
3. You CAN change your residency to another state; IF you meet their requirements CURRENTLY!!!! Emphasize the word CURRENTLY. NOT, because you lived there 15 years ago but no longer do.
4. Once you are a resident of a state; the recognize that of military members even if you NEVER move back there again.
5. You can ONLY be a resident of one state at a time.
6. You can ONLY have 1 drivers license from a state at a time. (You can't have your north carolina drivers license and go to the academy and get a colorado license. UNLESS you GIVE up the NC license.
Bottom line is; 99% of all states in the country have JUST AS BAD or better tax bracket as Colorado. So, wherever you are currently, just keep it that way. when you graduate the academy and move on to your first STATESIDE BASE, then consider changing residency. You can't just pick a state and choose it if you aren't CURRENTLY LIVING THERE. But once you DO have the residency, you are allowed to LEAVE and KEEP the residency because you are in the military. But GETTING THE RESIDENCY INITIALLY means tou have to be living there where you apply to get it. (OR IF YOU HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE FROM THAT STATE); but that too is tricky. Check with the state you want residency from.