In my first unit i bought the unit shirt mainly because it look cool but also it was more comfortable than our current apfus. They didnt make it mandatory but it was highly recommended
SGT Blackburn,
If it is the cost of the shirt and not the fact that they are requiring it to be worn then that is another issue. Let's look at this one point at a time.
First, after an IG inspection at Fort Campbell my brother had to deal with, you can't force Soldiers to purchase unit shirts. Although many commands I have worked with, especially in 82nd, that would make life extremely difficult for not being part of the unit.
As for the cost I can agree because my 82nd shirts were about 15 a shirt which added up quick. For my Soldiers that had problems buying them my Commo Chief or I would buy them so they wouldn't catch the flak.