Identify Cost Savings to the U.S. Naval Officer Dress Uniforms

Abstract

Due to excessive purchase and maintenance costs of naval dress uniforms, our team utilized a cost-benefit analysis approach to analyze each component of the four dress uniforms to identify cost savings. We examined the dress uniform history, implementation, and the prescribed manner of wear to identify components that could be eliminated, changed, modified or cross utilized. We created a survey and received 185 complete responses from Naval Postgraduate School naval officers. More than 45% of respondents spent over $2,000 on dress uniforms in their career, with the average years of service equating to 7.58 years. Officers receive an inadequate initial clothing allowance, that only covers an average of 73% of the mandated uniform costs. Our team identified two courses of action that result in cost savings. Replacing embroidered rank and service designator with hard shoulder boards, results in an average cost savings of $112.00 per uniform and provides a single rank and service designator device that can be cross utilized with multiple uniforms. At retirement we estimate total cost savings of $873.00 for males and $1,160.67 for females. Eliminating the dinner dress white jacket results in an immediate cost savings of $211.58 for males and $331.40 for females. We recommend these cost savings be considered for adoption by the Navy's Uniforms Matters Office and special initial clothing monetary allowance be increased to cover mandated uniform purchases at commissioning.