§ 417 — Uniform Allowance: Officers; General Provisions

(a) Subject to standards, policies, and procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of each military department may prescribe regulations that he considers necessary to carry out sections 415(a)–(c) and 416 of this title within his department. The Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Navy, may prescribe regulations that he considers necessary to carry out those sections for the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy. As far as practicable, regulations for all reserve components shall be uniform. (b) Under regulations approved by the Secretary of Defense, or by the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, and subject to section 415(a)–(c) or 416 of this title, a reserve officer of an armed force who has received a uniform and equipment allowance under section 415(a)–(c) or 416 of this title, may if a different uniform is required, be paid a uniform and equipment reimbursement upon transfer to, or appointment in, another reserve component. (c) For the purposes of sections 415(a)–(c) and 416 of this title and subsections (a) and (b), an officer may count only that duty for which he is required to wear a uniform. (1) For purposes of sections 415 and 416 of this title, a period for which an officer of an armed force, while employed as a National Guard technician, is required to wear a uniform under section 709(b) of title 32 shall be treated as a period of active duty (other than for training). (2) A uniform allowance may not be paid, and uniforms may not be furnished, to an officer under section 1593 of title 10 or section 5901 of title 5 for a period of employment referred to in paragraph (1) for which an officer is paid a uniform allowance under section 415 or 416 of this title.