A new congressionally ordered report into the out-of-pocket costs incurred by service members for uniform items confirms the long-held suspicion of many female troops that they’re paying more than their male counterparts — and shows that sometimes the difference is dramatic.
The 52-page report, released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, outlines the realities of what some have called the “pink tax:” the higher cost of female uniform items, often not fully covered by clothing allowances.
The report finds, among other things, that the costs of essentials not included in the allowance calculations are significantly higher for women than men in every service; that female officers have been disproportionately burdened by numerous uniform changes over the past decades requiring the purchase of new items; and that out-of-pocket uniform costs for enlisted women can add up to $8,000 or more over a career, while some men report pocketing allowance overages.