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5 Military Discounts for Your RV Rental Adventures

07/20/2018 By Kimber Green

Are you renting or taking your RV out this summer for some family fun time?

Make sure you get the most for your money with military savings. There are many RV rental companies that offer military discounts as well as military campgrounds that are a lot of fun for low prices. Here are five recreational vehicle rental companies to consider when planning your RV adventure.

Getting a Military Discount when Renting a Recreational Vehicle

If you don’t own an RV and need to rent one, you’ll be happily surprised to find that many RV rental companies offer military discounts. Some MWR facilities also rent RVs.

Share My Rental is a company that matches would-be RV renters with owners in California. They offer a 5% military discount.

RV Rentals USA gives a 5% discount to military families renting an RV in Texas.

Bates International has special military discounts for renting RVs across America and Canada.

American Dream Vacations is a veteran-owned business that offers military discounts for RV rentals.

Roadrunner RV Rental is also a veteran-owned business that offers military discounts for RV rentals.

Affordable and Convenient Military Campgrounds

Looking for a campground? Check out some of the wonderful military campgrounds to take your RV to this summer. They are operated by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) office of each branch.

The Air Force has more than 60 camping locations around the world. They even have a frequent camper program.

If you plan on taking a few trips with an RV, joining the Air Force’s frequent camper program is a great idea. Membership gives you access to information about camp sites and it also has incentives for visiting them. A wonderful bonus is that you can earn up to 25 free nights of camping at USAF campgrounds.

One campground to try is Birch Lake Recreation Area in Alaska. It has amazing views.

The Army’s MWR has a great collection of campgrounds around the country as well.

If you’re planning on parking your RV at an Army MWR campground, try Fort Benning’s Army Recreation Area in Destin, Fla. I’ve lived in Destin twice and its emerald waters cannot be beat. This campground is situated right on the water with amazing restaurants within walking distance. You can also rent boats from this MWR office.

Related: 5 Simple Recipes for Your Summer Camping Trip

The Navy MWR also has fantastic campgrounds to enjoy with your family. If you find yourself in Florida, the Oak Grove Park in Pensacola, Fla., is a great place to camp.

All the way on the other side of the country is Cliffside RV Park at NAS Whidbey, Wa. This is great place to visit. Your family can explore the area and perhaps see a bald eagle.

All of the MWR campgrounds offer great amenities in a wonderful setting. You can’t beat the rates either.

If you want to venture to non-military campgrounds, make sure you check to see if they offer a military discount before making your reservation. Encore and Thousand Trails offer a 20% discount at RV sites around the country.

I love that you can park your RV at Jellystone Park. Really. There are over 80 Jellystone Parks across the country. They have great amenities including electric and sewer hook-ups, water, 30- to 50-amp service and picnic tables. Don’t forget the military discount.

Tents for Troops is a program where your family can go camping for free. They offer a minimum of two nights stay at RV sites for free. This is possible through the generosity of large organizations that donate the space to active duty military families.

There are so many great opportunities for RV vacations that you’re sure to find the right one for your family.

Where have you taken an RV on vacation?

Why You Should Consider Attending a Yellow Ribbon School

07/18/2018 By Meg Flanagan

Ahhhh, college. New experiences, exciting challenges, and mountains of student debt. A college education is becoming increasingly expensive. If there’s a chance to cut costs, you should jump on it!

All of this makes Yellow Ribbons schools a great choice for military-connected students.

The Yellow Ribbon program offers the opportunity to decrease your out-of-pocket costs for earning a college degree. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

Why You Should Consider Attending a Yellow Ribbon School

The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers outstanding educational opportunities to military-connected college students. For qualifying beneficiaries, GI Bill benefits provide funds to cover the resident tuition and fees at public colleges.

If you’re going to be attending a private college or enrolling as a nonresident at a public university, there might be a gap between the GI Bill and the bottom line. That could leave you footing the difference. An education at a private or out-of-state college is definitely not cheap!

This is where the Yellow Ribbon Program comes in.

At select schools, there is a fund-matching program available to help reduce the total tuition costs.

Yellow Ribbon 101

Students at private schools or attending as an out-of-state resident, are entitled to the lesser value of their school’s tuition and fees or the national maximum funding for an academic year.

To help GI Bill beneficiaries cover a difference between their entitlement and their tuition, schools may elect to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. This is a voluntary program that does not impact your GI Bill entitlement or funds.

Participating schools select how much of their tuition and fees they are willing to cover. Then the VA will match those funds, and send that payment directly to the school. Both sets of funds are then applied to the final bill.

In order to qualify, students must meet specific criteria.

Only 100% GI Bill qualified veterans and/or their designated beneficiaries are eligible. Yellow Ribbon Program funds are not available to active duty service members or their spouses. However, the children of active duty service members may be eligible if their parent is qualified at the 100% level.

The percentage of eligibility is determined by the service member’s service record. To reach the 100% qualification level, and be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, troops must serve at least 36 months on active duty or have served for at least 30 consecutive days before being honorably discharged for a service-related disability.

Yellow Ribbon Fine Print

The Yellow Ribbon Program sounds ideal! Extra money straight from the school and matching funds from the VA. What could be better?

However, there are some caveats.

First, veterans and their designated beneficiaries must qualify for full GI Bill benefits, based on the veteran’s service record. Not all veterans will qualify for 100% GI Bill funding. This is required to be eligible for any Yellow Ribbon Program.

Next, your selected school has to opt-in to the Yellow Ribbon Program. This is a voluntary opportunity, and not all public or private schools elect to participate.

Each school decides their own level of funding and the number of awards available in an academic year. This means that even if your school is part of the program, all funds for this year might have been awarded. You will still be able to apply your GI Bill, but there will not be Yellow Ribbon funds from the school applied to your bill.

Each year, a list of participating schools is released by the VA. Funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Award amounts may vary based on enrollment status and level.

In order to qualify, you must first apply to a Yellow Ribbon school and identify that you are eligible per the GI Bill qualifications.

Receiving Yellow Ribbon funds this year does not guarantee that your school will participate in the future or that they will contribute funding at the same level. However, your school should notify you of changes or if they are leaving the program.

If you do qualify for and receive Yellow Ribbon funding, this is a good program to help make higher education more affordable

Did you participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program when you earned your college degree? What was your experience with this program?

Homeland Security’s Request for DoD to House Detained Immigrants Sparks Online Debate

07/16/2018 By Meg Flanagan

The possibility of detained immigrants living on military bases in the southwest has sparked wide and heated debate among the military community. The opinions range from military spouses offering to teach English to these temporary residents to ones suggesting that those entering illegally should be immediately returned to their countries of origin.

According to Department of Defense statements, DoD have been asked to provide up to 12,000 beds on military bases for detained immigrants.

“The Department of Defense has received a request for assistance from the Department of Homeland Security to house and care for an alien family population of up to 12,000 people. DHS requests that DoD identify any available facilities that could be used for that purpose,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Homeland Security's Request for DoD to House Detained Immigrants Sparks Online Debate

Do you support this plan for DoD to house detained immigrants?

DoD is preparing to receive up to 2,000 immigrants before September 2018. Possible locations and housing arrangements are being scouted now by military leaders. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has identified Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo and Fort Bliss in El Paso as locations available to house unaccompanied immigrant minors.

Possible additional locations in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California are also being considered.

Facebook Post Sparks Debate Among Military Spouses

Many military spouses commented on a Facebook post from Military Spouse magazine stating that military bases might soon be used to house detained immigrants. Approximately 70 comments were made on the original post. However, this Facebook post has been shared at least 18 times from that first post alone.

One military spouse referenced the words on the Statue of Liberty, from the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Many Facebook comments made by military spouses shared a similar mentality.

Several commenters shared specific ways that they would be willing to help, from housing immigrants personally to providing respite child care for immigrant parents or teaching ESL in the temporary housing facilities.

Counter-arguments suggested that people considering immigrating to the United States to stay in their own countries. Some stated that those seeking asylum should not cross U.S. borders without proper authorization and paperwork.

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services department, those seeking asylum must be physically present in the United States at the time of their application. In order to be considered for humanitarian asylum, applicants need to cross over a U.S. border or arrive at a port of entry.

Commenters also suggested that those entering “illegally” or seeking asylum should be immediately returned to their countries of origin.

Will Housing Detained Immigrants on Military Bases Impact Military Families?

Lots of individuals were upset over the possible impacts on military base housing or on-base child care centers.

No mention of placing detained immigrants in military family housing or allowing access to CDCs has been mentioned. Multiple sources state that immigrants will be housed in temporary facilities. Costs incurred by the DoD for providing temporary housing would be reimbursed.

Other comments included references to housing issues faced by veterans and their families, as well as by other Americans facing hard times. Some Facebook commenters suggested that instead of placing immigrants into the temporary shelters, that they instead be used for homeless Americans.

Several individuals raised concerns about security and potential issues. They pointed out that many military facilities are closed, and require a DoD ID card to enter or for non-DoD civilians to be escorted.

They are concerned that immigrants may be accidentally able to pick up confidential information and disseminate it to possible threats to the base or the U.S. military.

All indications from previous reports are that detained immigrants would be housed in temporary shelters separate from military facilities and family housing.

Many commenting threads became heated and insults were exchanged from individuals on both sides of the issue.

Dozens of commenters reflected that, based on some comments, they were disappointed with the reaction in the military spouse community.

Others found hope in the empathy of their peers.

Many found kindred spirits who agreed on common points of view.

Susie Schwartz, the wife of retired Air Force General Norton Schwartz and a vice president at Military Spouse magazine’s publisher Victory Media, chimed in with a call for kindness.

“I hope we can all show compassion for each other,” Schwartz wrote in her Facebook comment. “Within our own community and with others.”

Do you support this plan to house detained immigrants on military bases or are you against it? Tell us in the comments section.

Readers: “DeCA Employees Didn’t Earned the Privilege”

07/13/2018 By Meg Flanagan

DeCA employees were extended the benefit of shopping at military commissaries starting on June 30, 2018. This policy change sparked some serious debate among our MilitaryShoppers community!

There were readers on both sides of the debate.

Some felt very strongly that allowing commissary employees to shop where they work was common sense.

Others disagreed, saying that commissary benefits are a privilege earned through service to our country.

What Our Readers Said About the Policy Change for DeCA Employees

Former service member and current DeCA employee, David Shingleton thought that the move was fair.

“I went to work at DeCA in 2016 and served over eight years in the military and I am 40% service connected disabled,” Shingleton said. “I think being able to shop will help with employee morale and give us a sense of ownership. Many of us at DeCA are veterans that wish we could shop before being allowed to do it as a DeCA employee.”

Shingleton pointed out that exchange employees already have this controversial benefit.

He also said that he wants greater access to those who have served in the military but don’t qualify for commissary privileges.

“Purple Heart recipients, as well as service-connected disabled veterans regardless of rating, should be allowed to shop at commissaries and exchanges,” he said. “Not all will (shop at the commissaries); if they don’t live near a base, it’s not like it will over-run the system and drive up costs like some say.”

George Page agreed with Shingleton. He offered a suggestion to those who disagree with the new policy.

“If you don’t want workers to have the same benefits then restrict the hiring to those that have the same privilege,” Page stated. “I’m an Army vet, 8.5 yrs (service), worked for DeCA off (and) on since the ’80s. Never got to shop there but rules (are) rules.”

Commissary Benefits Extended to DeCA Employees, Not Their Families or Commissary Baggers

There are nearly 14,000 commissary employees worldwide. Approximately 50% are already qualified to shop at the commissary as military dependents or retired service members. This new policy affects the remaining 7,000 civilian employees. It does not apply to baggers, who are technically not employed by DeCA and only work for cash tips.

This new benefit applies only to DeCA employees, not their spouses or children. When they are no longer DeCA employees, they will no longer be able to shop at the commissary.

You can read all the comments about this policy change here.

Commissary employees will only be able to purchase groceries. They are not able to purchase tobacco or other controlled substances. As wine and beer begin to be sold at commissaries in the next 90 days, these products will also be off-limits.

The rationale behind this policy change was to give commissary employees more ownership in the stores where they work. It was also a logistical decision.

They work at a grocery store all day, but get off work and need to drive to a different store to pick up milk or eggs.

Readers Support Extending Commissary Privileges to Purple Heart Recipients

Perhaps restricting commissary employment to eligible shoppers might be a common point of agreement. Another idea was that shopping privileges be extended based on length of service.

“I think it should still be an earned privilege; a reward for say three or five years of employment,” explained Teresa. “Most of our store workers are well over that anyway, but I think they would agree. I also think that those with a service-related disability should have full privilege. It’s not like they decided to just quit (the military). My own family was lucky. (M)y hubby was over 20 years when he was injured so he was medically retired instead of discharged.”

Most commenters felt that extending privileges to commissary employees was unfair. Many readers feel that commissary shopping benefits are earned and shouldn’t be granted to non-eligible commissary employees.

“The PX and commissary privileges are just that. A privilege earned by service in the military,” James said. “It should be by, for, and exclusively military. By adding yet another group we are diluting this privilege.”

“If said employee has not earned that right to shop at the commissary, it should not be given,” said Karin. “It is a privilege, whether I earned it or I’m a dependent.”

Karin also suggested that disabled veterans and certain other groups should be granted access as a result of honorable military service.

“Purple Heart recipients and disabled veterans, sure,” she said. “They have earned it, some by barely escaping that ultimate sacrifice.”

Do you agree with these commissary shoppers saying DeCA employees haven’t earned the privilege to shop where they work? We would love to hear your opinion. Please share it in the comments section.

Spreading the Word-YES! Begins to Catch on with Commissary Patrons

07/12/2018 By Military Life Administrator

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: 49-18

Date: July 12, 2018

Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

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

E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil

Spreading the word

YES! begins to catch on with commissary patrons

By Kevin L. Robinson,

DeCA public affairs specialist

Note: To see customers discussing the YES! program, go on DeCA’s YouTube site for the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eEDwa3S84Y; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XvNn40uPZI; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KgLPv0M9WU;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnSwu09_Bho.

For an overall program video, go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-I80u1Ja5M .

For photos, go to

https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/sets/72157669052988697 .

FORT LEE, Va. – For commissary patrons such as Alexis Bishop, the new “Your Everyday Savings!” (YES!) program makes a good deal even better.

“The YES! program is absolutely amazing,” said Bishop the spouse of a soldier assigned to Fort Lee, Virginia. “The prices compared to [stores off base] are – you cannot even compare – they’re amazing here.

“I know [the commissary] is doing the best that it can to provide for our military and for families. So, I want to thank you for what you’re doing [with] the YES! campaign because it is amazing.”

A few weeks after the Defense Commissary Agency’s June 1 launch of the YES! program, a number of patrons from the Fort Lee Commissary voiced their opinions of it. The program is designed to help make stateside commissaries more competitive with commercial retailers by consistently lowering prices on the items patrons purchase the most. Commercial retailers often lower prices on certain popular goods to attract consumers into their store where higher prices on other items await.

YES! items include popular brands of flavored iced teas, pasta, macaroni and cheese, canned meats, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, baby food, nutritional shakes, potato chips and other selected snack foods, various produce items that will rotate throughout the year, apple juice, vegetable juice, coffee creamer, coffee, energy drinks, soup, paper towels, toilet tissue, bottled water, dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, pet food and various rotating produce items.

Matching or beating the prices outside the gate is the value Chuck Mullins expects when he shops his commissary. “The YES, Your Everyday Savings, helps me when it comes to meeting the price points that the other stores have in town,” the retired Army NCO said. “When I come to the commissary, I expect and look for those better prices. And that’s what I find.”

It’s all about shopping for the best price, echoed retired Navy Lt. Bill Hines, and YES! checks that box for him. “It’s a wonderful program, and we still have to compare prices, which is what I do no matter what store I go into. But if I were to get that same low price every time I come in here [commissary] it would certainly entice me to shop here more.”

It appears that Hines isn’t alone. Through June 30, commissaries have seen a 22 percent bump in the unit volume of products bearing the YES! label over the previous month. They’ve also seen a 7 percent increase in customer transactions linked to item purchases over the previous month. These numbers do not include produce sales. Since June 1, among the top-ranked items for sales in the YES! program have been water, canned meat, bath tissue, coffee, potato chips, pet food, pasta and laundry detergent.

For patrons such as Army 2^nd Lt. Jordan Huff, programs like YES! demonstrate the true value of the commissary benefit and deliver on the military’s promise to support its communities. “A program like this would really show me that the commissary cares,” he said. “It’s basically reaffirming that pledge that they made to service members, and I think we’ll really buy into it. It will be a really good program for us.”

Donna Arms, a family member, checked for the bright orange YES! shelf labels as she shopped with her family and politicked for more dog-related items to be in the program. She admitted that commissary prices were still better than anyplace else she shopped and the new price savings program helps so much when you’re stretching your paycheck.

“There are some awesome deals here,” Arms said. “It [the YES! program] is a better deal because people like me, who live paycheck to paycheck, we have to save pennies everywhere we can go.”

For more information on the program, go to the YES! web page under the “Shopping” link on www.commissaries.com.

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

Stay Connected to Your Commissary Benefit

COMMISSARIES.COM: Visit www.commissaries.com to learn more about the Defense Commissary Agency: check out the latest news, find a store near you, see what’s on sale, create a shopping list, learn of food and product recalls, scan employment opportunities, read frequently asked questions, submit a customer comment form online through DeCA’s Your Action Line and more.

COMMISSARY CONNECTION E-NEWSLETTER: Stay connected with the latest news about your most valued benefit, Hot Links to additional savings, shopping sprees, contests, commissary promotions, events and more, go to www.commissaries.com/subscribe.cfm and subscribe to the Commissary Connection newsletter.

COMMISSARY CONNECTION BLOG: To see regular posts about topics of interest to commissary customers, including commissary news, human interest stories, shopping tips, videos and notifications about programs or events, go to http://commissaryconnection.dodlive.mil/. You can also subscribe to this forum by going to www.commissaries.com/subscribe.cfm.

FACEBOOK: Visit www.facebook.com/YourCommissary, DeCA’s Facebook page, where you can post comments and share news, photos and videos.

YOUTUBE: To see DeCA’s latest videos, visit www.youtube.com/DefenseCommissary.

TWITTER: To see DeCA’s latest “tweets,” visit www.twitter.com/YourCommissary.

PINTEREST: To see DeCA’s theme-based image collections, visit http://www.pinterest.com/YourCommissary.

FLICKR: To see DeCA’s latest photographs, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/.

INSTAGRAM: To see DeCA’s latest photographs, visit https://www.instagram.com/YourCommissary/.

Bringing the Benefit To You

07/12/2018 By Military Life Administrator

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: 48-18

Date: July 12, 2018

Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

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

E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil

Bringing the benefit to you

On-Site sales bring commissaries to Guard/Reserve patrons

By Rick Brink,

DeCA public affairs specialist

Note: To see a video related to the Guard and Reserve On-Site Sale program, go on DeCA’s YouTube site to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhGmjG4l3c. For photos, go to DeCA’s Flickr site at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/sets/72157698976622705 .

FORT LEE, Va. – “Bringing the benefit to you,” is a fitting slogan for the Defense Commissary Agency’s Guard and Reserve On-Site Sale program, which observes its 10^th anniversary this year.

“For the past decade these sales have provided the commissary benefit to those who have earned it, but don’t live or work near a commissary, and its legacy is impressive to say the least,” said Willie Watkins, DeCA’s chief of e-business.

The program has served over 430,700 customers at more than 930 sales events, which have yielded more than $18 million in patron savings, Watkins noted.

The on-site sales have been held in diverse locations ranging from Marietta, Georgia, to Hilo, Hawaii, and Bismarck, North Dakota, and the agency is always on the lookout for more sale opportunities. Here’s how it works:

Sales are cooperative efforts between sponsoring Guard and Reserve units, and commissary store directors who together determine sale locations and dates. A contingent at DeCA Headquarters gives guidance and oversees the process
Sales average two or three days and are open to all authorized commissary shoppers
Sales feature a wide variety of commissary products largely determined by shopper preferences at each location
Customers shop and pay for purchases much like they would at a commissary. There are also preorder and prepay sales – where customers order their groceries on-line and pay for them prior to pick-up at the designated location – and hybrid sales that are a combination of conventional and preorder/prepay
Sales are easy to find. DeCA’s website has a Guard/Reserve page that lists sales locations and dates along with contacts for more information on particular events

The program isn’t content to rest on its laurels. Watkins said they’re looking into the possibilities of joint ventures with the military Exchange services, which could serve as sale sites or sales pick-up locations since they have a number of stores at locations that don’t have commissaries.

“The commissary heritage is one of adapting to meet the needs of its patrons, and so we’re continuing to do that as we continue our tenth year of providing this valued service,” Watkins said.

-DeCA-

Stay Connected to Your Commissary Benefit

FACEBOOK: Visit www.facebook.com/YourCommissary, DeCA’s Facebook page, where you can post comments and share news, photos and videos.

YOUTUBE: To see DeCA’s latest videos, visit www.youtube.com/DefenseCommissary.

TWITTER: To see DeCA’s latest “tweets,” visit www.twitter.com/YourCommissary.

PINTEREST: To see DeCA’s theme-based image collections, visit http://www.pinterest.com/YourCommissary.

FLICKR: To see DeCA’s latest photographs, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/.

INSTAGRAM: To see DeCA’s latest photographs, visit https://www.instagram.com/YourCommissary/.

Parental Leave Policies Extended for Service Members

07/11/2018 By Meg Flanagan

New parents will soon benefit from more generous paid maternity medical leave, as well as primary and secondary parental leave instituted by the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

These new policies were updated as part of the Department of Defense Parental Leave Program and are retroactive to December 2016.

Parental Leave Policies Extended for Service Members

How do you think these generous parental leave policies will impact military families?

Military Extends Parental Leave Policy for Service Members

The updated and expanded parental leave policies apply to birth parents, including same-sex couples, as well as adoptive and surrogate parents.

Maternal convalescent leave and either primary or secondary parental leave may be combined. Non-convalescent parental leave can be used at any time within the child’s first year of life or after adoption.

Parental leave doesn’t have to be taken immediately after birth or adoption but can be spread out as desired by the service member. However, the allocated leave days must be taken consecutively.

Parents can determine if the active duty member will serve as a primary or secondary caregiver. Birth mothers are not automatically categorized as the primary caregiver.

Related: Should Women Be Included in the Draft?

While the coverage is relatively uniform in terms of inclusivity, there are some slight variations across the services. Additionally, the Army has not announced any changes to their parental leave policies at this time.

Air Force

Active duty airmen can now take up to six weeks of maternal convalescent leave. In addition, primary caregiver leave is also six weeks. Secondary caregiver leave is 21 days.

Personnel may only hold one caregiver designation

This policy is among the most generous of all four services that have announced changes.

“We now have not only the most generous parental leave policy in the Department of Defense, we have the most generous parental leave policy in the federal government,” Kaleth Wright, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, wrote in a Facebook.

Coast Guard

Those who serve in the Coast Guard are granted six weeks of maternal convalescent leave. Primary caregiver leave is also six weeks, with 21 days of secondary caregiver leave allowed. This new policy increases the secondary parental leave from 10 to 21 days.

“The strength of our Coast Guard families determines the strength of our Coast Guard,” said Adm. Karl L. Schultz, Coast Guard commandant. “That’s why time off to care for new family members is really a readiness issue. Our members need – and deserve – time to bond with their new child and adjust to new routines so they can return to work ready to keep the nation safe.”

Navy

Sailors are authorized six weeks of maternal convalescent leave. Primary caregivers can take six weeks and secondary caregivers can take 14 days.

“Navy’s parental leave program supports Sailor 2025’s goal of removing obstacles that negatively influence a Sailor’s decision to stay Navy when they are looking to start or raise a family,” according to a statement from the Navy.

Marine Corps

Marines can take six weeks of convalescent leave, as well as six weeks of primary caregiver leave. Fourteen days of secondary caregiver leave is authorized under the updated policy. This mirrors the Naval parental leave policy as the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy.

Extended Parental Leave General Policies

All updated parental leave policies are retroactive to December 23, 2016. Troops may combine maternal convalescent leave with either primary or secondary caregiver leave.

While leave categories may be taken separately or jointly, they must be taken in their entirety within the first year following birth or adoption. Service members can only qualify under one of the caregiver categories, per the descriptions in their service-specific guidance.

How do you think these generous parental leave policies will impact military families?

COMMISSARY FAST FACTS – ISSUE 200 – JULY 2018

07/10/2018 By Military Life Administrator

BIANCHI REMAINS AT HELM OF COMMISSARY OPERATIONS

The Department of Defense announced July 2 that retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi will continue leading the Defense Commissary Agency as a special assistant for commissary operations. Virginia Penrod, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA), will concurrently serve as the DeCA director and CEO. Bianchi will report to her office. Both actions are effective July 1. Since Oct. 24, Bianchi has served as DeCA’s interim director and CEO as well as CEO of the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM). Personnel policies did not permit an extension beyond the 240 days Bianchi had already served as interim director. In the position as special assistant for commissary operations, Bianchi continues leading the day-to-day management and control of DeCA’s business operations, while also continuing his NEXCOM responsibilities. Penrod said it’s important that the Department maintain the momentum achieved by Bianchi’s tenure as DeCA’s interim director at a time when the agency continues to evolve as it looks to improve the patron shopping experience by integrating business practices such as variable pricing and private label brands. Read the full article on the DeCA website, www.commissaries.com.

COMMISSARY BRANDS TOP LIST OF JULY’S SUMMER PROMOTIONS

Commissary brands will be among the hottest promotions in July for patrons looking to save even more money. Starting July 23, commissaries worldwide will begin a two-week sales event focusing on the commissary brands. The commissary brands promotions will feature some of the following products in the store front-end displays and the Wall of Value areas: trash bags of various sizes, disposable bowls, canned vegetables, pie crust, bottled waters, shredded cheeses, vegetable shortening and more. Stores will also promote several TopCare items on aisle endcaps including allergy tablets, vitamins, cold and flu products, heartburn relief and antacids. Read the full article for a complete list of July promotions.

‘YOUR EVERYDAY SAVINGS! (YES!) LOWERS PRICES ON POPULAR ITEMS

Commissary prices on hundreds of popular items are now even lower and easier to spot with the Defense Commissary Agency’s new “YES!” program. Short for “Your Everyday Savings!,” YES! items include popular brands of flavored iced teas, pasta, macaroni and cheese, Spam, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, baby food, nutritional shakes, potato chips and other selected snack foods, apple juice, vegetable juice, coffee creamer, coffee, energy drinks, soup, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, avocadoes, paper towels, toilet tissue, bottled water, dish soap, fabric softener and pet food. For more information on the program, go to the YES! web page under the “Shopping” link on www.commissaries.com.

Kevin L. Robinson

Public affairs specialist (media relations) Defense Commissary Agency Fort Lee VA 23801

Email: kevin.robinson@deca.mil

Phone: (804) 734-8000 ext. 4-8773

Website: www.commissaries.com

Commissary Connection Blog: http://commissaryconnection.dodlive.mil/

Commissary Connection E-Newsletter: www.commissaries.com/subscribe.cfm

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You Can Buy Commissary Gift Cards at the NEX

07/09/2018 By Michelle Volkmann

You can now buy commissary gifts cards at 43 NEX locations.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) announced this decision saying they “teamed up to make it more convenient for you to share the gift of groceries with the authorized commissary customers in your life!”

“NEXCOM and DeCA teams have provided a win-win for our shared patrons. This coordinated effort seeks to provide our deserving customers additional convenience, and throughout the year our teams will be continuing the collaboration on other joint opportunities and events for our service members and their families,” said Retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi, NEXCOM CEO and DeCA Interim Director and CEO in a press release.

Until recently, you could only purchase commissary gift cards at the commissary or online from DeCA’s website.

Now the cards are in the NEX, near the front registers. When you purchase one, tell the cashier how much to load onto the gift card. The minimum is $5. The maximum is $300.

These gift cards can only be redeemed by an authorized commissary patron, which means the person receiving the gift card must have commissary privileges. If you’re thinking about giving one as a thank you gift to your child’s caregiver at the on-base Child Development Center, double check that he or she is able to purchase items at the commissary. Government employees do not have commissary privileges unless they are a military spouse or retired service member.

Here are five more things you need to know about commissary gift cards:

Expiration Date. The cards expire five years from the date of purchase.

Gift Card Balance. You can check the balance of your gift card by calling 877-988-4438.

Handling Fee. If you purchase the gift card online, there is a handling fee. There is not a fee is you purchased the gift card at the commissary or NEX.

Overseas Shipping. Gift cards can be mailed to APO, FPO or DPO addresses. This is great when your husband is deployed and you know he needs snacks. You don’t have spend time and money buying the snacks and shipping them in a care package. You can send him a commissary gift card and he can pick out what he wants from the closest commissary.

No Limit. There’s not a limit on how many gift cards you can purchase at once. But if you’re the FRG president and you need 10 gift cards with $100 on each card for your command’s Thanksgiving social, it may make more sense to order the cards online.

This decision by DeCA and NEXCOM to sell gift cards in the NEX is just one in a series of promotions that are linking commissaries and exchanges.

First DeCA allowed patrons to use their Military Star Card at commissaries. Prior to this, patrons could not use their Military Star Card at the commissary. Then DeCA and AAFES did a joint promotion for April’s Month of the Military Child. In May, some commissaries co-hosted a sidewalk sale with their nearby exchanges.

What does these joint promotions and sales between the commissaries and exchanges mean for DeCA’s future?

Honestly, it’s too early to tell, but it looks like the line between DeCA and the exchange is becoming blurred. Will these combined promotions increase sales at commissaries? Maybe.

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The Sweetness of Red, White & Blue

06/27/2018 By Michelle Volkmann

Top 10 delicious recipes for Fourth of July

Red, white and blue desserts are guaranteed to impress your guests.

Red. White. Blue. These 3 simple colors put together evoke emotions of the American spirit, ignite the passions of a patriot and the need for a mouth to chant U-S-A. This week we celebrate Independence Day.

More than 326 million Americans will commemorate the birth of our nation by waving handheld flags at community parades, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs with their neighbors and under the darkness “oohing” and “ahhing” at the bright flashes of fireworks.

I always associate the Fourth of July with flag-themed desserts.

The dessert doesn’t necessarily have to be an edible flag, but if you want to impress your guests, it helps to be creative. Thankfully strawberries and blueberries are in season this month and make flag creation affordable and delicious.

Here are my top 10 recipe recommendations for red, white and blue treats.

Fourth of July JELL-O

Using a package of berry blue gelatin and a package of strawberry gelatin, you can easily create blue and red JELL-O cubes. This dessert is perfect for a party with lots of little fingers. JELL-O is especially delicious when it’s cubed. One note: Plan ahead to have enough time to allow the JELL-O to set.

Patriotic Gelatin Salad

We all know that Independence Day is July 4th, but I don’t limit the festive food to one single day. My family enjoys eating Fourth of July desserts throughout the entire month. For that reason, I skip on making Patriotic Gelatin Salad on the holiday, but make it for a neighborhood potluck on a week when I have extra time and the patience for the steps of dissolving gelatin, placing that layer in the fluted tube pan and then chilling it for more than 30 minutes before adding another layer.

Firecracker Red, White and Blue Cake

This cake is red, white and blue on both the inside and out. You prepare the cake batter as directed on the box before dividing it into 3 bowls (one for red food coloring, one for blue and the other is the white batter). Once the cake is baked and cooled completely, you drizzle the white frosting back and forth around the cake in a striping pattern before drizzling blue and red frosting on it. Make sure all 3 colors of frosting can be seen on the cake.

Red, White and Blue Strawberry Shortcake

My childhood best friend Kelly’s birthday is July 3. Guess what type of birthday cake she had every year? This Red, White and Blue Strawberry Shortcake. I always liked how the sliced strawberries are arranged as the stripes to create the American flag. Always serve this cake chilled from the refrigerator.

Patriotic JELL-O Cake

Another cake that is served chilled is this Patriotic JELL-O Cake. In this recipe, you prepare and bake 2 round white cakes as directed on the box. Once the cakes are cooled, you pierce each cake with a fork. Then take 2 boxes of dissolved JELL-O (red and blue) and pour one type of JELL-O over one cake. Repeat with the other type of JELL-O on the other cake. Refrigerator at least 2 hours before assembling and spreading frosting between the layers and on the outside of the cake. Expect your friends to be impressed with the swirls of red and blue inside the cake.

What’s your favorite dessert to serve on the Fourth of July?

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I always associate the Fourth of July with flag-themed desserts.

Here are my top 10 recipe recommendations for red, white and blue treats.

What’s your favorite dessert to serve on the Fourth of July?

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