AF Form 1969 is the certification an Air Force officer signs to claim reimbursement for required uniforms and equipment. You fill in Blocks 1 through 6 with your identifying and duty information, sign either Block 9a or Block 9b depending on whether this is your first claim or a later one, and hand the form to your commander to complete Blocks 7 and 8 before it goes to finance. No purchase receipts are required; the form is a sworn certification, not an itemized expense report.
Filling In Blocks 1 Through 6
The top half of the form is administrative. Work from your military records rather than memory so the entries match what finance already has on file.
- Block 1, Member’s Name: last name, first name, middle initial as they appear in your records.
- Block 2, Grade: your current pay grade, such as O-1 or O-2.
- Block 3, AFSN: your Air Force Serial Number.
- Block 3a, SSN: your Social Security number.
- Block 4, Home Address: street, city, state, and ZIP.
- Block 5, Duty Organization: your squadron and base.
- Block 6, Allowance Claimed: mark that you are claiming the initial active duty allowance.
Choosing Between Block 9a and Block 9b
Block 9 is where most forms come back for correction. It has two sub-blocks. Sign only the one that fits your situation, and leave the other blank.
Block 9a is for your first-ever uniform allowance claim. By signing it you certify that you meet one of three conditions: active duty exceeding 90 days, 14 days of active duty for training, or 14 periods of inactive-duty training as a Ready Reserve member. Fill in the paragraph number, special orders number, and headquarters date from your orders in the blanks provided.
Block 9b is for a later claim. You certify four things at once: you performed active duty or active duty for training exceeding 90 days, the duty required wearing a uniform, you did not previously receive an initial uniform allowance over $200 during this tour or within the two years before it, and you have not already applied for this allowance for the same tour. The orders information goes in the same blanks.1Headquarters RIO. Officer Uniform Replacement
Pull the paragraph number and special orders number directly from your active duty orders. A mismatched or blank orders reference is the single most common reason finance sends the form back.
What the Commander Signs
Your active duty commander types their name and grade into Block 7 and signs Block 8. That signature confirms you are serving in the capacity described and that a uniform is required for the duty. Without it, the package is incomplete.
Documents to Include
You do not submit clothing purchase receipts. AF Form 1969 is a certification, so your signature stands in for line-item proof. The package finance actually wants is short:
- The completed AF Form 1969, with Blocks 1–6 filled in, the applicable Block 9 signed, and your commander’s signature in Blocks 7–8.
- A certified AF Form 938, Request and Authorization for Active Duty Training/Active Duty Tour, which verifies your orders.
If you are claiming reimbursement for something outside the standard uniform replacement, such as a fleece jacket or steel-toed boots, add a justification memo endorsed by your active component commander. The memo should identify the operational need, the work environment that requires the item, and the specific sizes.1Headquarters RIO. Officer Uniform Replacement
Where to Submit the Package
Submission routing depends on your status. Sending the form to the wrong office delays payment.
- Individual Reservists submit through myPers. Go to the Officer section, choose Compensation from the drop-down, and enter “Uniform Replacement” in the subject line. If you cannot access myPers, contact your detachment or the Total Force Service Center.
- Enlisted IMA members selected for OTS submit through myFSS.
- Active duty officers route the signed form to their base Financial Management office. Many installations accept digital submissions through secure email or an internal portal.
For reserve officers, once the request reaches the HQ RIO Reserve Pay Office, status updates come back through myPers.1Headquarters RIO. Officer Uniform Replacement
Keep a personal copy of everything: the signed 1969, the AF Form 938, and any justification memo. Months later, if a question comes up about whether you already claimed an allowance for a given tour, your file answers it faster than the system will.
After You Submit
Processing time varies by component and installation, but most officers see payment within one to two pay cycles. The reimbursement lands on your Leave and Earnings Statement. Uniform allowances are generally not treated as taxable income, so the amount should appear as a separate credit rather than folded into base pay.
When finance or the Reserve Pay Office rejects a form, it is usually for one of a few reasons: dates on the certification do not match the orders, a duplicate claim is already on file, the commander signature is missing, or Block 9b was signed when 9a applied (or the reverse). Check the orders reference and the correct 9a or 9b box before you send, and most rejections disappear.
One Boundary Worth Knowing
AF Form 1969 covers the officer uniform allowance. It does not cover the civilian clothing allowance paid to officers assigned duties that require civilian attire at a permanent duty station outside the United States. That entitlement is claimed through a different process.2Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Civilian Clothing Allowances And Individual Reservists are normally ineligible for uniform replacement payments unless they serve on active duty orders for at least 91 consecutive days; the initial request is payable only once in a career or period of active duty, and a follow-up request requires 91 days on a new set of orders.1Headquarters RIO. Officer Uniform Replacement