Crisp leaves, fuzzy sweaters and cool weather! At least, that’s the plan for many military families. But even if you’re stationed somewhere subtropical or in the desert, you can still dive into fall!

Fall Into Fall at Your PX & Commissary

You can get set for autumn weather, no matter where you’re stationed, right at your base’s Commissary and PX!

Pretty Door Decor

Start strong, right at your front door!

Grab a gorgeous fall Welcome wreath, available online or in-store at select Exchanges. I love the colorful leaves, cheerful sunflowers and country-chic font. It almost looks homemade!

Or if you’re feeling a little less cute and a lot more spooky, add some Halloween decor to your door. There is a great eyeball wreath that will make you cackle in ghoulish delight. Or the ever classic bone-wreath. For something cuter and less scary, a neon-colored witch theme door wreath is perfect!

Get Cozy

The Exchange is a great place to shop for fuzzy, warm fall sweaters.

Since fall days can start and end cooler, but get warm in the middle, a wrap sweater is a great option. You’ll be able to stay warm when there’s a chill in the air, but get comfier if the day heats up.

For the gentlemen, pick up a half-zip sweater. It’s perfect for apple picking and fall festivities, too.

Soothing Sippers

Your Commissary is the best place to grab all the best hot fall drinks.

Pick up hot cocoa mix and some whipped cream. Pout yourself a nice hot mug of cocoa, topped with a little cream and maybe some sprinkles.

Or get your morning started with pumpkin spice flavored coffee. This fall favorite is available in bags or as Keurig-compatible pods.

A good book seems to call for a cup of tea. You can get all the best brands at the Commissary! From Tazo to Celestial Seasonings.

Get Slow Cooking

Nothing says fall quite like a hot, homestyle meal. You can make your own yummy dinner with almost zero effort!

Stop at the Exchange to grab a slow cooker. I like the set it and forget it ease of programmable options. Set the time to cook at a particular setting, then it will automatically switch to “warm” until you manually shut it off.

Next, swing into the Commissary for some essentials. Grab your favorite broth – beef, veggie or chicken – plus onions, carrots, herbs and other hardy veggies. Chop and combine everything into your slow cooker for a hearty fall veggie soup!

Or brown some ground meat and add some beans for a creative take on chili.

The sky is the limit when it comes to slow-cooked meals: whole chickens, soups, stews, chili and even breads or desserts!

Go Apple Picking & Bake a Pie

You’ve gone to the orchard, but now you have a ton of apples. There’s only so many a person can eat. But apples are also great for cooking!

Pick up a new pie plate at the Exchange (or some single-use tins at the Commissary) and get baking! Slice and dice those apples, add in some sugar and spice – it’s everything nice – before you slide it into a buttery crust.

No apples? No problem! Pick up some fresh apples at the Commissary. Or grab a can of pre-mixed apple pie filling.

Whatever kind of pie you’re baking, top it with ice cream for a classic fall treat.

Scent-sational Fall

I love when I come home and my house smells like fall. All cinnamon-y and warm.

Grab wax melts and candles at the Exchange.

Candles are great for setting the mood over a warm, cozy dinner or for a night in. Pick tall white unscented candles for a date night at your house. You don’t want anything competing with your yummy food smells!

For your fall night in, grab candles in your favorite fall scents. Yankee Candle makes super amazing, long-lasting candles in a ton of fall fragrances.

For all-day scent, try plug-ins and wax warmers. These no-flame options deliver tons of incredible fragrance 24/7. All you need is an outlet!

Just Add Pumpkins!

Just starting to get in a fall frame of mind? Get yourself some pumpkins!

The Exchange has a ton of pumpkin decor, ready for you to showcase in your fall-theme home. I love the white pumpkins – they’re perfect for using a paint pen and channeling all my Pinterest ideas.

Ready for the next level? Head to the Commissary for the real thing! Pick up a carving kit, too. Settle in for a day of pumpkin carving with your family! Nothing says fall like jack-o-lanterns.

How do you decorate and celebrate fall? We’d love to try your best ideas!

Pssst, you guys. Yeah, you! I need to share a sneaky secret that you’re probably, maybe, missing at your local Commissary.

Two words: store brands.

Over the last year or so, DeCA has rolled out store and partner brands. These are high quality, lower-cost pantry staples that every family buys often.

Let me tell you: I’m hooked! I know the Commissary is often known for carrying brand names at slightly less than stores out in town. But I’ve almost totally switched from those big names to the Commissary brands!

MilFams Save More Cash When You Buy Commissary Store Brands

Since I switched over to store brands, I’ve seen my savings increase! And I’m not buying anything unusual or that we don’t need. Instead, I’m making smart swaps to save some cash.

Even though the per item difference might just be a few cents, maybe a dollar, those small amounts definitely add up over time. Just one shopping trip can save me over $5, even when compared to using coupons.

What Brands Are Store Brand?

It’s pretty easy to spot store brands in other places. Target has UpandUp. Giant and Stop & Shop have Nature’s Promise.

But spotting the Commissary’s store brands might be a smidge harder.

When you’re shopping look for:

• Freedom’s Choice: food items, like canned goods and baking products
• Homebase: paper products and non-food household goods

These are the private label brands, directly owned and produced by DeCA. You can find these labels on all sort of great products. Seriously: so many staples!

There are also partner brands. These are brands that you might see at other stores, but are priced like store brands. You can find:

• Full Circle Market: organic, non-GMO and USDA organic items across the spectrum
• TopCare: health and medical items, like bandaids and floss
• Tippy Toes: baby care, like diapers and wipes

There are also pet food and birdseed brands available to shoppers at some locations.

What Store Brands Does a Real MilFam Buy

Some of my favorites are toilet paper and canned products, like beans and tomatoes. See? Pantry staples!

I’m constantly adding canned diced tomatoes to my everyday recipes. They’re a great addition to soups, pasta sauce and baked chicken. Yum!

My family has also been on a major healthy, organic food kick. So we’re cutting back on meat-eating and switching to mostly fruits and veggies. Lately, I’ve been absolutely loving the Full Circle Market organic canned beans.

They’re so much cheaper than comparable brand name organic beans! The quality is really great, too.

My kids are obsessed with eating the organic chickpeas, straight up with no seasoning. Plus, beans of all sorts are yummy additions to chili or to a vegetarian rice bowl.

As a baker, I’ve switched completely over to Freedom’s Choice flour and sugar. There’s no real difference between these pantry staples and the name brand products! Plus, that extra money allows me to buy more baking goods and make bigger batches of cookies. My kids appreciate that.

We switched over to the Homebase toilet paper when it first rolled out. It’s a good bit cheaper than the name brands the Commissary carries. There’s enough of a difference that I’ll gladly swap my triple thick, but pricey, TP for the two-ply Homebase rolls. No questions asked!

Shop & Save with Store Brands

Yes, I do still add non-store and partner brands to my cart. There aren’t equivalent products for everything I need available. At least, they’re not available right now, at my location.

There might be slightly different products available at your duty station!

But when I have the choice, I’m going with store brands. Hands down, every time.

It’s just smart, financially, to pick something just as good but with a lower price. All that money I’m saving goes straight into our vacation fund account! We’re planning a great trip, partially financed with savings because we’re shopping the Commissary’s store brands regularly.

What’s Stopping You From Switching to Store Brands

My family isn’t particularly choosy about brands, which is lucky. But I know that some families might be.

You might have grown up always buying the name brand or a particular brand. But here’s the thing: do canned diced tomatoes really taste that much different? What about flour?

Personally, I can’t tell the difference between Progresso and Freedom’s Choice once they’re out of the can. And I actually did a taste comparison before fully making the switch over.

Before you rule out store brands just because you’ve “always” bought the brand names, do a taste test. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised! I know I was.

When you’ve switched over on those pantry staples, you might even be able to splurge on some special, more pricey grocery items. I know that I love having a little more flexibility to grab gourmet olives and fancy bread.

Have you made the switch to the Commissary’s store brands? Sound off in the comments!

Tell them how you really feel, more quickly and easily than ever before! Your DeCA Commissary wants your honest feedback and they’re rolling out a new survey tool to help you share your thoughts.

As of July 21, Commissary customers worldwide can take a quick survey after every visit. At the bottom of your next Commissary receipt will be a link to the new ForeSee survey.

Share Your Thoughts on the New Commissary Survey

ForeSee has replaced Survey Monkey as the preferred survey tool for DeCA. Previously, customers were able to take a Customer Satisfaction Survey once annually.

“ForeSee is a robust survey tool that’s used by NEXCOM and many other commercial retailers to gain real-time customer feedback,” said retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi, DOD special assistant for commissary operations, who is also CEO of the Navy Exchange. “DeCA is committed to delivering a premier customer experience in every store and this is a powerful tool to help us do that.”

Following your next Commissary trip, you’ll have seven days to complete the new survey. You can access your survey at https://mydeca.me/receipt.

Take the Commissary Survey

After you visit the Commissary, check the bottom of your receipt. You’ll need the purchase ID and station number to complete the survey. Once you’re inside the survey, you’ll be able to rate your experience across a variety of categories.

Share your thoughts on a variety of aspects, including customer service and overall experience. You can complete a survey within 7 calendar days following every trip to the Commissary.

Survey Results Driving Commissary Practices

With an easier survey available to customers, DeCA policymakers will be able to tackle issues while still keeping what works.

“ForeSee converts our customers’ ‘voice’ into actionable insights to improve customer satisfaction,” Mary Michael, chief of the agency’s business analytics team said.

Previously, DeCA had asked customers to complete a satisfaction survey once every year. This data provided a baseline of customer experiences over the course of one year, but didn’t allow DeCA to track operations regularly.

The ForeSee system, with ongoing availability, should allow DeCA to monitor customer satisfaction and experiences on a more routine basis.

“Instead of snapping a chalk line once a year, as we do with our annual Commissary Customer Service Survey, we’re going to be able to get feedback on a daily basis and the store managers will be able to act on it,” Bianchi said. “We’ll be able to see it. It will be useable data. I am excited about that because that will allow us to transform more quickly while adapting to feedback that we’re getting from our customers.”

Comparing Commissaries to Local Grocery Stores

One big bonus is that ForeSee will allow the Commissary to be directly compared to off-base competitors, like big chain grocery stores.

“Another benefit is that it allows us to compare the performance between commissaries and the commercial grocers that use ForeSee,” Karl Crosson, DeCA’s statistician, explained.

DeCA will be able to view results from other grocery stores also using ForeSee. This will help the Commissary to make changes in order to be more competitive with customer service and overall experiences of shopping on-base.

This survey is the first of three new customer satisfaction measures that DeCA is set to begin in the neat future.

Down the road, the ForeSee platform will allow additional surveys to be shared with customers. In addition to the receipt survey, you might also see targeted social media surveys or links to surveys on commissaries.com.

ForeSee Only Works Because Of You!

While this new ForeSee survey will be able to provide more frequent feedback for improved accuracy, those results will only populate if Commissary shoppers take the survey.

After your next Commissary trip, hop onto the survey and share your feedback with DeCA!

Be on the lookout for additional ways to share your thoughts about the Commissary via social media platforms or at commissaries.com

Be sure to accurately complete each survey, every time to check-in. Your honest feedback is what will be driving future changes to your local Commissary! Sharing the positives as well as the negatives could help your next shopping trip be more pleasant.

Will you be taking the ForeSee Commissary survey? What types of comments might you share? Sound off in the comments with your take!

September Highlights Awareness of Foodborne Illnesses

NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel:  (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105  DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105 

FAX: (804) 734-8248  DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

Release Number:         68-19                                                                                                                        

Date:                              August 29, 2019

Media Contact:             Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

Tel.:                                (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773

E-mail:                           kevin.robinson@deca.mil

Food safety month

September highlights awareness of foodborne illnesses

By Kevin L. Robinson,

DeCA public affairs specialist

Note: Go to YouTube for a video related to food safety month. Go to the website to read the release online.

FORT LEE, Va. – Every year, an estimated 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses, resulting in 3,000 deaths and nearly 130,000 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

In observance of Food Safety Education Month in September, the Defense Commissary Agency joins the CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service, the Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations to help prevent foodborne illnesses by increasing awareness of improperly handling food items.

With so much at stake it takes everyone – producers, retailers and consumers alike – to help prevent foodborne illnesses, said Army Lt. Col. Angela M. Parham, director of DeCA’s Public Health and Safety.

“Commissaries have military veterinarians and store food safety specialists inspecting food sources, deliveries and products on the shelves to help ensure they’re free of potential contaminants,” Parham said. “However, when our patrons leave the store they also have a responsibility to handle their groceries properly and protect themselves from foodborne illnesses.”

Bacteria and viruses are the leading causes of food poisoning, according to FoodSafety.gov, and there’s plenty that people can do to help protect themselves from them, Parham said.

“As advocates of ‘Be Food Safe’ guidelines we want commissary patrons to understand how they can reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses when they leave the store,” she said. “Just by washing your hands before, during and after handling food you can help prevent a lot of problems.”

The “Be Food Safe” message, developed by the CDC and the USDA, is simple: clean, separate, cook and chill. They are the basis for the following safe handling techniques:

Clean

• Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat, poultry or seafood.
  • Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to prepare the next item.
  • Food contact surfaces can be sanitized with a freshly made solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.

Separate

• Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Never place cooked food or foods that are eaten raw, like salads, on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.

Cook

• Cook poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F as measured with a food thermometer.

Chill

• Chill food promptly and properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours (or one hour if temperatures are above 90 F).

Parham recommends commissary patrons bring a cooler during a long trip to and from the store to help prevent foodborne illnesses by maintaining proper temperatures of foods.

“Going from the shelf to your home can be a breeding ground for potential problems if you’re not careful,” she said. “It’s vital to prevent cross contamination by ensuring different perishable foods are separated in the shopping cart or in the car.”

A few more tips for handling food safely can be found at www.homefoodsafety.org:

• Use hand sanitizer to wipe hands and the handle of the shopping cart.
• Clean hands before sampling food. Either bring moist towelettes or carry a bottle of hand sanitizer to use before you taste.
• If you use reusable grocery bags, wash them often.
• Check food packages for holes, tears or openings. Frozen foods should be solid with no signs of thawing.
• Check for a loose lid on jars whose seals seem tampered with or damaged. Report a defective cap to the store manager.
• Avoid buying cans that are deeply dented, bulging, rusting or have a dent on either the top or side seam.
• Use plastic bags to separate raw meat, poultry and seafood before placing them in your cart to avoid contaminating ready-to-eat foods like bread or produce.
• When shopping, select perishable foods last before checkout and group them together.
• Take groceries home immediately and store them right away. If on an extended trip, bring a cooler with chill packs for perishable foods. Perishable foods must be refrigerated within two hours and only one hour if it is over 90 F outside.
• Keep perishable foods out of the hot trunk in summer and place in the air-conditioned car instead.  

The DeCA website is a good resource for food safety. To find the latest food safety alerts and product recalls affecting military commissaries, visit the News Room on commissaries.com and select the box that says “Food Recall.”

For more on food safety awareness, go to the CDC website. Information on food handling techniques is also available at Eatright.org.

-DeCA-

     It’s Sidewalk Sale Time at DeCA Commissaries around the world. The events take place in August and September. Visit the Sidewalk Sale Schedule to find when your commissary is having a sale. Most stores will have a two or three day outdoor sale depending on weather.

    “If you need to save money on items for school lunches or after-school snacks, you cannot afford to miss these sidewalk sales,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka N. O’Neal, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “These events are like experiencing a warehouse club store right outside the commissary.”

     The sale will offer savings on case and club-pack items similar to those you would find in commercial club stores like Sam’s Club or Costco. Savings vary but you can save up to 50% off regular prices on some items. Each commissary selects what items are available. According to Kevin L. Robinson, Public Affairs Specialist, Defense Commissary Agency, “Generally these sales will have detergents, paper products, cereal, box drinks, soda, tea, pet food, cheese, yogurts, body wash, bar soap, shampoo, baby wipes, diapers, and frozen meat. For the fall event, the frozen items are concentrated on frozen hamburgers, chicken, sausage, and ice cream.”

     There will also be items from the following categories:

•       Pet supplies to include bagged and canned food, treats and cat litter 
•       International foods such as Italian, Asian and Hispanic items 
•       Cookies, brownies, pancakes and muffin mixes 
•       Canned fruit and vegetables 
•       Sandwich, storage and freezer bags; paper products and cleaning supplies such as bathroom tissue, fabric sheets and laundry detergent 
•       Health and beauty care including diapers, wipes, soaps and body lotions

     Several commissaries will partner with exchanges for certain promotions linked to this event. In addition to the case lot formats like those found in commercial club stores, commissary sidewalk events also offer “mix and match” packages of similar items in bulk-size cases.

     “Shopping your commissary is always a good deal, but the opportunities to save more during commissary sidewalk sales make a good deal even better,” O’Neal said. Sidewalk Sales take place in the Spring (April-May) and the Fall (August – September) each year.

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

Military resale patrons can save money on their critical supplies

By Kevin L. Robinson, DeCA public affairs specialist

FORT LEE, Va. – The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, community had no clue before the Independence Day holiday that their celebratory fireworks would be overshadowed by two earthquakes on consecutive days, July 4-5.

Although the commissary reopened in less than a week, and electricity and water were restored to most of the base shortly after the second earthquake, it would be weeks before any sense of normalcy returned to the sprawling desert base.

In September, National Preparedness Month highlights the importance of being ready for emergencies. It’s a message service members and their families should take to heart, said Tracie Russ, the Defense Commissary Agency’s director of sales.

“It’s not a question of ‘if’ bad weather will strike or an unplanned event will leave you without electricity or water,” Russ said. “So apply the lessons of Preparedness Month and take advantage of your commissary and exchange benefits to save money as you prepare your survival kits.”

From April through Oct. 31, DeCA’s severe weather preparedness promotional package is offering various items for those survival kits at reduced prices. This package includes: beef jerky and other assorted meat snacks, soup and chili mixes, canned goods, powdered milk, cereals, batteries, airtight bags, weather-ready flashlights, tape (all-weather, heavy-duty shipping and duct), first-aid kits, lighters, matches, lanterns, candles, hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes. Specific promotional items may vary from store to store.

The theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month is “Prepared, Not Scared.” The month is separated into four activities: Sept. 1-7 – save early for disaster costs; Sept. 8-14 – make a plan to prepare for disasters; Sept. 15-21 – teach youth to prepare for disasters; and Sept. 22-30 – get involved in your community’s preparedness.

Generally, emergency preparedness officials suggest having a disaster supply kit that includes the following items:

• Water – at least one gallon daily, per person (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)
• Nonperishable foods – canned meats, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, raisins, cereal, crackers, cookies, energy bars, granola, peanut butter, and foods for infants and the elderly (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)
• Paper goods – writing paper, paper plates, paper towels and toilet paper
• Cooking items – pots, pans, baking sheets, cooking utensils, charcoal, a grill and a manual can opener
• First-aid kit – including bandages, medicines and prescription medications
• Cleaning materials – bleach, sanitizing spray, and hand and laundry soap
• Specialty foods – diet and low-calorie foods and drinks
• Toiletries – personal hygiene items and moisture wipes
• Pet care items – food, water, muzzle, leash, carrier, medications, medical records, and identification and immunization tags
• Lighting accessories – flashlight, batteries, candles and matches
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA weather radio, if possible)
• Duct tape, scissors
• Multipurpose tool
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates and insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Maps of the area
• Blankets or sleeping bags

            Commissary patrons can go to commissaries.com for web links to a variety of disaster preparedness resources.

For more information about National Preparedness Month, go to Ready.gov where there are also links to more resources such as the Hurricane Seasonal Preparedness Digital Toolkit. Military families can also find information on emergency procedures specific to their service.

-DeCA-