<p>Shines did a great job at answering your questions. As he(?) said, during your first year here, you only see $100/month of your paycheck (with a little more around the holidays/book-buying time). All of your uniforms cwill be bought out of money you’re not seeing. So while you cannot pay off anything like uniforms early, if people are wanting to give you money, you can combine it with the $100/month you see to have a little more cash. The Academy does an awsome job of taking care of cadets financially, though. You don’t have to worry about clothes, food, room and board, or tuition. You’ll use your money when you go out or buy snacks, cleaning supplies, etc., but you’ll find a way to stretch your money.</p>
<p>As it was mentioned, you’ll get different uniforms at different times. When you first arrive, you’ll have BDUs and boots and sometimes wear physical conditioning gear (t-shirt, athletic shorts, tennis shoes). Once the school year starts, you’ll wear the BDUs some days and blues other days. There is an athletic jacket and parka you can wear when it gets colder with your blues uniform. Service dress isn’t worn too often and usually only for special occasions, presentations, etc. You’ll also get a flight suit at some point, but you will rarely ever wear it. Parade dress gets worn about 3 or so times a year, in the spring, so you don’t get it until spring of your first year. Mess dress you wear least frequently - about twice while you’re a cadet, the first time usually being Ring Dance which happens at the very end of your third year; you most likely won’t even get mess dress until that year.</p>
<p>For boots and shoes, insoles can help. Breaking in your boots before you get here will go a long way in helping your feet.</p>
<p>If I left out anything, just ask.</p>