UNCLASSIFIED// R 211534Z NOV 07 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// UNCLAS //N01020// NAVADMIN 311/07 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/NOV// SUBJ/NAVY UNIFORMS// REF/A/DOC/CHNAVPERS/01JAN2003// A MPN/REF A IS DOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS, VOLUME 7A, CHAPTER 29// RMKS/1. THE FY-08 ANNUAL CLOTHING REPLACEMENT ALLOWANCE (CRA) FOR NAVY IS APPROVED FOR ACTIVE COMPONENT ENLISTED SAILORS E1 THROUGH E9. THE INCREASE IN FY-08 AND FY-09 CLOTHING REPLACEMENT ALLOWANCE RATES IS PART OF NAVY’S PLAN TO FACILITATE THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW NAVY UNIFORMS DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS. TIMING OF THE CRA INCREASE ENSURES ELIGIBLE SAILORS HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE OF THESE NEW UNIFORMS WHEN THEY ARE INTRODUCED TO THE FLEET. 2. PER REF A, THE ANNUAL CRA PROVIDES ACTIVE COMPONENT ENLISTED SAILORS WHO HAVE GREATER THAN SIX MONTHS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE WITH A MONETARY ALLOWANCE INTENDED FOR PURCHASING REPLACEMENT UNIFORM COMPONENTS. THE AMOUNT OF ANNUAL CRA IS DETERMINED BY THE COST AND NUMBER OF UNIFORM COMPONENTS DIVIDED BY THE RESPECTIVE COMPONENT WEAR LIFE. PER DOD GUIDANCE, ACTIVE COMPONENT SAILORS E1 - E6 WITH GREATER THAN SIX MONTHS, BUT LESS THAN THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE, WILL RECEIVE SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE ALLOWANCE RECEIVED BY E1 - E6 SAILORS WITH GREATER THAN THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE. 3. DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS, NAVY WILL INTRODUCE AND MAKE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE, COMPONENTS OF THE PHYSICAL TRAINING UNIFORM (PTU), E1 - E6 SERVICE UNIFORM (SU) AND THE NAVY WORKING UNIFORM (NWU). APPROXIMATELY 300 DOLLARS OF THE FY-08 CRA IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE ADVANCE MONETARY COMPENSATION TO FACILITATE PURCHASING OF THE PTU SHIRT AND SHORTS (TWO EACH), ONE HALF OF THE SU UNIFORM REQUIREMENT AND ONE HALF OF THE NWU UNIFORM REQUIREMENT UPON AVAILABILITY. THE FY-09 CRA WILL PROVIDE FOR FINAL PURCHASING OF THE SU AND NWU REQUIREMENTS PRIOR TO THE END OF THE TWO YEAR DISTRIBUTION PERIOD. FOLLOWING FY-09, THE CRA RATES WILL REFLECT REPLACEMENT COST OF ALL UNIFORM COMPONENTS BASED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE WEAR-LIFE. 4. THE INTENT AND PROPER USE OF THE ANNUAL CRA IS EXPRESSLY FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW AND REPLACEMENT UNIFORMS, WHICH ENABLES OUR ENLISTED FORCE TO PRESENT A UNIFORM PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE. LEADERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DISCUSS WITH THEIR SAILORS THE PROPER BUDGETING AND USE OF THIS REPLACEMENT ALLOWANCE. SPECIFICALLY, SAILORS MUST BE AWARE THAT IT IS LIKELY THEY WILL RECEIVE THEIR ANNUAL CRA DISBURSEMENT SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE NEW UNIFORM AVAILABILITY, AND MUST THEREFORE BUDGET FOR ITS PROPER USE. 5. DUE TO THE DELAY IN THE FY-08 DOD APPROPRIATIONS BILL, SOME SAILORS RECEIVED THEIR CRA AT THE FY07 RATE WHILE WE OPERATED UNDER A CONTINUING RESOLUTION. NOW THAT THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL PASSED, THEY WILL BE REIMBURSED BY AN ADDITIONAL DISBURSEMENT EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FY07 AND FY08 RATES SHORTLY AFTER THE CALENDAR YEAR BEGINS. 6. DETAILED GUIDANCE REGARDING SU AND NWU COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS AND AVAILABILITY WILL BE ISSUED VIA SEPCOR. 7. POINT OF CONTACT IS MR. ROBERT B. CARROLL, OPNAV 131U, AT (703) 614-5076/DSN 224 OR EMAIL AT ROBERT.B.CARROLL(AT)NAVY.MIL. 8. RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY JR., N1.// BT NNNN