Reminds me of when soldiers were buying their own ammo for target practice.
And this from Bush years
Oct 31, 2004 7:52 pm US/Eastern (CBS)
Gen. Byrne says stories about families in Oregon having to go out and buy for their sons and daughters radio equipment, body armor, GPS gear, computers and night vision goggles because they weren’t being issued are true.
He said some Guard units are also using Vietnam era M-16 assault rifles, which he calls adequate for state duty but not acceptable for duty in Iraq. There is also a bullet shortage for training, he says.
It bothers him, but “there’s nothing I can do about it,” he says.
“If I was making the decisions, I would readjust,” he says. “The soldier on the ground should be a focus. When that’s taken care of you can take care of other stuff.”
The so called clothing allowance never made a dent in my uniform expenses either.
The clothing allowance was designed for peace time wear and tear.Not for a combat environment.