Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Commissaries Set Recycling Record

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Did you know that every year the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) sets a recycling goal for commissaries around the globe?

Programs are in place to make sure that all commissaries reduce the amount of landfill waste by recycling appropriate items. It’s dependent on the management of each commissary location to work together to fulfill these goals.

DeCA announced that their commissaries achieved an 83 percent recycling efficiency rate in 2015 compared with 75 percent in 2012. Wondering what that equals in terms of tonnage?

It is 60,000 tons of cardboard, 1,900 tons of plastic and 108+ tons of paper. That is pretty awesome!

There are 245 commissaries worldwide, so you can imagine the amount of diligence it takes to implement change on that level. It’s evident how important is it to help the environment to DeCA because of the hard work they put in from the commissary level.

According to DeCA’s press release, they even had 7 commissaries achieve net zero status through their organic contracts. That means they were successful in turning their organic waste material into compost!

A big congrats goes to the Hawaii commissaries in Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hickam Air Force Base and Schofield Barracks. The other 2 commissaries that did net zero status are Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and Los Angeles AFB in California.

DeCA doesn’t stop there. They have a food bank program that has been helping with their environmental efforts as well as making a local impact. More commissaries (from 110 to 134) participated in the food bank program than last year. As the commissaries rotate out food that is still edible, they were able to donate the items to more food banks (from 77 to 117!) than last year too. Their press release quoted the deputy director of DeCA’s logistics directorate, Randy Eller and he said,

Our food bank program resulted in just under 2.4 million pounds of food diverted from ending up in landfills and being used to feed the hungry.

I love his comparison in pounds. It puts things in perspective.

Your family can jump on the bandwagon and become efficient recyclers like the commissaries too! My husband and I try our best to recycle when we can.

Here are some small ways that helped us manage our disposables:

Separate!
We have separate receptacles for our paper and plastic items. Our housing area has large bins that we place our paper and plastic trash. Separating from the beginning helps us efficiently throw away what we don’t need anymore. Don’t forget to recycle your electronic goods. There can be some harmful material in old TVs and laptops. Also, batteries can be recycled too.

Reuse!
If we need a plastic bag at the grocery store, we save it for additional use. A great example is that we use the plastic to bag up litter from our cat. Also, we use the plastic bags to collect trash from our rooms too. Local commissaries also have plastic recycling bins. Before you start your shopping trip, you can drop off used bags there.

You can also go one up and utilize reusable bags for your grocery shopping! My hometown actually has a plastic bag ban. If you do want to use plastic bags, you pay a fee.

Buy Recycled!
There are goods out there that are made from recycled materials, so buy those items when you can. You can buy recycled paper, plastics and batteries (that’s why don’t forget to recycle them!).

Also, repurposing items are a great way to reduce waste. If you can’t repurpose, donate what you don’t need anymore because your trash can be a treasure for someone else (we’ve heard that before, right?).

See if your family can set a new record with your recycling this year!

Should Commissary Privilege Go to All Veterans?

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Shopping at the commissary is a great benefit of being part of the military community.

Not all veterans are authorized to shop at the commissary however.

Should the Commissary Privilege Be Extended to All Veterans?

The commissary will not allow anyone to shop there without proper ID.

There are certain qualifications that must be met to be granted access. It isn’t up to the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to decide who can shop there.

The Department of Defense Instruction 1330.17, DoD Commissary Program outlines all authorized patrons to include: active duty, Guard and Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients, 100 percent disabled veterans and their authorized family members.

The DoD exercises close scrutiny over patronage of military commissaries to ensure the continued effectiveness of military commissaries as an integral part of the military compensation package.

This privilege is also extended to USPHS Commissioned Corps, the NOAA Commissioned Corps and its predecessors, cadets and midshipmen of the Military Service academies and Wage Marine Personnel. There are certain categories of retired military that also are granted access.

These categories include: all military personnel that are on the official retired list, whether active or reserve, who retired with pay, were granted retirement pay for a physical disability or are entitled to retirement pay even if this pay is waived or pending due to the age requirement. Enlisted men and women that are transferred to the Fleet Reserve of the Navy or Marine Corps Reserve after 20 or more years of active service are also allowed to take advantage of the commissary privilege.

Another group that is also granted access to the commissary includes: officers and crew members of vessels, lighthouses keepers and depot keepers of the former Lighthouse Service that retired. This group includes retired civilian employees of the Coast Guard who were lighthouse keepers of the previously named Lighthouse Service and who retired as civilian employees of the Coast Guard as lighthouse keepers or who were on lightships or other vessels.

Retired wage Marines, including retired noncommissioned ships officers, and those who were on NOAA are also able to utilize commissary benefits. 100 percent disabled veterans who were honorably discharged that have a 100 percent service-connected disability or those that are 100 percent unemployable can use the commissary as well.

Families that are able to shop at the commissary include: dependent children and spouses, serving family members and unmarried former spouses. These benefits are also extended to DoD civilian employees and their families when stationed outside of the United States and outside of its territories. Official DoD organizations are able to purchase goods from the commissary as well.

Some service members will leave with a short time to maintain their commissary benefits. A member that is involuntarily separated from active duty can use the commissary for 2 years after the separation. This also includes members of Select Reserve of the Ready Reserve that are separated and granted access to the commissary for 2 years. Service members that receive sole survivor discharge can shop at the commissary for 2 years after service ends.

Should the Commissary Privilege Be Extended to All Veterans?

A commissary cashier checks groceries at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. (U.S. Air Force/Margo Wright)

Employees of DeCA can purchase goods at the commissary for immediate consumption, such as for lunch while at work. Other civilians that are allowed to shop at the commissary include DoD presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed officers and their families that live on a military installation that has a commissary. DoD civilian employees who are stationed TDY overseas can also use this benefit. Some military personnel of foreign nations can also use the commissary.

In overseas areas American National Red Cross and United Service Organizations (USO) can also take advantage of the commissary privilege. The Armed Services Young Men’s Christian Association can also shop at the commissary overseas. Emergency access may be granted to others overseas.

This is a very extensive list and a few more civilian personnel that can shop at the commissary can be found here under the DoD Instruction. Further information can also be found on this site.

Military service that does not continue through retirement are not allowed to use the commissary. This means even if you served in war and put your life on the line, you cannot use the commissary unless you stayed in until retirement.

In regard to disabled veterans, if the disability is less than 100 percent previous service members cannot shop at the commissary.  Those on delayed entry into the service cannot use the commissary either.

You can contact the Pass and ID office on a military installation to ask if your situation grants access to the commissary or not. The commissary will not allow anyone to shop there without proper ID that specifically states commissary benefits.

What do you think? Should shopping at the commissary be available to all veterans?

5 Tips for Shopping at the Commissary When Your Child Has a Food Allergy

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When you have a family member with a food allergy or on a special diet, grocery shopping can be challenging. You want to shop at the commissary because of the great benefits but doing so can feel a bit overwhelming when you need to find certain foods for your family.

Here are 5 tips for finding the items you need and still saving money at the commissary when your child has a food allergy.

Don’t ever feel like you can’t shop at the commissary because of your family’s special needs when it comes to food.

Here are 5 tips for ways you can find the items you need and still save money at the commissary.

  1. Make a plan. Go to the commissary when you have plenty of time to do so. Walk through each aisle. Read labels. Knowing exactly what is in the food is the best way to figure out what your commissary has and what they don’t. I know in our commissary at Ft. Campbell we do have a small section of foods that are great for those with allergies. Not all commissaries might have them. If you can spend some time walking around you will know what they have and what they don’t and what you will be able to buy there.
  2. Ask for what you need. If you can’t find certain foods that you need, ask to talk to someone about what can be done. Your commissary could have what you are looking for and you just missed it. They could be out of the particular item or they might not realize that people are looking for a certain food. By talking to someone in charge you can let them know what you are looking for and maybe they can add what they don’t have to their inventory. Any foods that will be added will need to be approved by DeCA and the process could take a while but making a request can be worth the time if you can get more foods that you need stocked in your commissary. You can also make a request using the Customer Comment Form online.
  3. Plan for those must-have specialty items. If you can’t find certain foods in the commissary and you still need to buy them, you might need to make a plan. Start off your weekly shopping trip at the commissary to get everything else so you can keep your grocery bill low. Then, make plans to stop at a specialty shop to get the foods you need that the commissary doesn’t carry. You should make sure to check back at the commissary after a few months to see if they have added that product.
  4. Skip the deli. As nice as the deli section of the commissary is, if you have a family member with food allergies, skipping that section would be best. You won’t be able to read the ingredients and you won’t know exactly what is in the food that you buy. You don’t want to end up assuming that a certain food item is safe when it isn’t. You can also ask the deli worker how they prepare the food.
  5. Search and find substitutes. In some cases you will want to pick out an alternative food for one that would cause problems for you or one of your children. For example, instead of bringing home some ice cream, pick out a fruit-based dessert for those in your family with a milk allergy. You can involve your children in the process by allowing them to pick out what that alternative food is going to be.

Finding good and healthy foods when you have someone on a special diet can be a difficult task. With a lot of planning and using these tips, you should be able to find what you are looking for. Don’t ever feel like you can’t shop at the commissary because of your family’s special needs when it comes to food.

How do you save money when grocery shopping for specialty items for your family?

Food Shortages Are Not Standard

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Throughout the year, military families have been experiencing shortages at OCONUS commissaries. It started with a dispute with contracts as well as issues with shipment deliveries at the beginning of this year.

The discrepancies caused a back up and we, at MilitaryShoppers, shared DeCA’s response in April that the commissary shipments to OCONUS locations would still need several more months to catch up to normal levels.

In January, the overseas commissary stock on stores was at a terrible position. Shelves were empty for weeks and DeCA had to make emergency shipments to make sure military families were able to at least get the necessities. DeCA needed time to get the new commissary contract negotiation underway and after the agreement was established, the shipment process also needed time to smooth out.

At this point, the 3- to 4-month timeline that DeCA outlined has expired and OCONUS commissaries should be experiencing similar inventory as years previous.

It’s not common for commissaries overseas to have global shortages. In fact, commissaries are a very important go-to location for families stationed OCONUS.

With that said, it can still be a challenge to acquire certain American goods because of availability to ship and dealing with extensive shipping times. Military families miss the luxuries of what was once easy to buy when stateside. It’s almost an understanding that when a service member gets stationed at an OCONUS location that your family will have a limited supply of groceries.

Even before the major shortage of 2015, military families have been practicing tips and tricks for dealing with an overseas commissary because, let’s face it, we need to be a little understanding about the shipping woes.

Here are 3 suggestions to help you get through your OCONUS commissary inventory struggles.

  1. Try the Local Cuisine. Before my husband was stationed in Korea, he would have NEVER thought about eating Korean food. Well, I probably would have eventually presented it to him at some point, but he was such a picky eater! His assignment to Korea was the perfect way to “forcefully” introduce him to the food and he has since, opened his mind (i.e. taste buds) to different cuisines. Get yourself and your family out to the markets and pick up on the culture. You’ll be thankful for it later!
  2. Stock Up When You Can. When you see a particular food you like in stock that is sparse at times, pick up extras at the commissary and save it. If it’s something fresh, be mindful of the shelf life and use it before it goes bad. That could mean to double up on a favorite dish for 2 weeks in a row to get the most out of an ingredient that’s hard to come by. In addition, you can utilize the freezer to keep applicable foods preserved for awhile. I’m a fan of canned veggies for times that fresh ones might be hard to come by. It also makes for a quick dish when you’re tight on time with dinner too.
  3. Use This Time to Get Creative. Notice that an ingredient is not available at the commissary that is typically in your family’s favorite recipe? Think outside the box and substitute it for another ingredient that is available at your OCONUS commissary. Instead of being frustrated that something is missing, accept the challenge of modifying a recipe and you might be surprised by the taste. The worst thing that could happen is that you don’t like it. At least you tried and can cross that substitution off your list for any future meals.

Hopefully by now, the shortages that OCONUS military families have been dealing with at the beginning of this year has subsided and the commissary you’re familiar with from previous years is back on track.

Have you experienced a commissary food shortage while stationed overseas? How did you deal with it?

10 Changes We’d Love to See at the Commissary

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We love shopping at the commissary, but there are still a few things that each of us would like to see improved upon.

Here are the top 10 changes we would love to see the commissary make.

Extended Shopping Hours. Commissary business hours are not consistent across the board. Some are open 7 days a week while others are closed on Mondays for restocking. The small commissary on NSF Dahlgren is closed on Sundays and Mondays  and only open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the week, with an extra hour on Tuesdays.

Bigger bases have longer hours though. Little Creek commissary in Virginia Beach is open 7 days a week. They have early bird entry at 8:30 a.m. and regular hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (on Sundays they close at 7 p.m. though). We all like shopping at the commissary, but when you need a last-minute item, the commissary may already be closed.

Wider Aisles. If you go to the commissary early in the morning, you’re going to run into retirees and parents shopping with their young children. If you’ve ever tried to pass either of these customers down an aisle in the commissary, you know it’s a hard thing to do. Most aisles are too narrow. There ends up being a line of people waiting to go around someone that is looking at a product or attending to their children.

More Free Samples. Adults and children love free samples. Giving kids something to snack on makes shopping easier as they are busy with their treats. Consumers are more likely to purchase a product once they have tried it as well, which increases sales.

Continually Stocked Shelves. Due to shipping complications, some commissary shoppers overseas have had issues with product availability.  This past year, overseas commissaries were faced with food shortages that led to disappointment among those commissary patrons that rely heavily on the commissary for their groceries.

More Made in America Products. We have an International aisle, so why don’t we have an American aisle? It is really hard to find things made in America. You have to search labels for the country of origin. Some companies proudly advertise it on the front, which makes more of us inclined to purchase it. If, for example, you wanted to buy apple juice made with apples grown only in the United States you won’t be able to do that. They all contain apples from multiple countries.

Bigger Organic Selection. We are all trying to feed our families healthy meals by being better informed on product quality. More and more customers are purchasing organic items and the demand is increasing. Many markets offer large organic sections, having both an organic produce area and an entire aisle dedicated to organic products. You don’t see nearly as much of this in the commissaries.

Coffee Shop Inside the Commissary. It doesn’t have to be Starbucks necessarily, well maybe for some picky consumers it does. Some commissaries have a free cup of coffee station at the entrance, but that is just a tease.  Many military installations have contracts with Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, Dunkin Donuts and more for coffee shops in the food courts, but we’re talking about getting a deliciously brewed beverage right there in the commissary. It isn’t as far fetch either as lucky commissary patrons in California already have this perk.

More Fun Kid Friendly Shopping Carts. Some of the commissaries have spaceship shopping carts or other designs with pretend steering wheels for children to ride in while their parents shop. The problem is that there are only a few of these.

Once your child has spotted one they’ll ask to ride in one each time you venture to the commissary and finding one can be difficult.

Adding a few more to each commissary would be great. Many grocery stores also have child size shopping carts so they can have their own cart to push and feel like they are truly helping shop.

No More Plastic Bag. Plastic bags are already banned in multiple states. It’s time that the commissary joins the crusade to help the environment. Paper bags are a better option and reusable bags are also available for purchase the commissary.

Order Online and Curbside Pickup. There are grocery stores that already offer this perk. It would be great if the commissary did too. It would be especially helpful to people that find it hard to get inside to shop, particularly elderly, disabled and parents with babies and small children. There is a program being tested. Hopefully it is successful and becomes a commissary benefit.

What changes would you like to see at the commissary?

Is the Commissary an Outdated Military Benefit?

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The commissary has a long history of serving the military community. The idea of purchasing goods at-cost came about in 1825 to help Army personnel. It provides a huge relief to the service member when it’s tough to get necessities at a decent price.

The commissary we’re used to today began in 1867, which means the commissary has been operating for almost 150 years, offering groceries and other household goods to military members.

Overseas commissaries started at the end of the 19th century in the Philippines and China. Of course, it’s since multiplied to other OCONUS locations. In addition, the benefit now includes all branches of the military including Guard, Reservists and their family members in addition to retirees. In 1990, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) was founded, which consolidated the commissary program. By forming DeCA, it allows for a streamlined and unified way to supply all commissaries.

The commissary benefit has helped military families generation after generation. My parents still shop at the commissary and my father joined the Air Force in 1979. They manage to get lots of different items at reasonable prices and my husband and I also benefit from shopping at the commissary. I have to mention my grandparents too. Between the three generations, my family encompasses Navy, Air Force and now Army ties!

Savings for military families average at about 30% compared to civilian grocery stores. That percentage offers a pretty substantial discount over brand name products. Although the commissary provides lower prices, big-box stores like Walmart and Super Target can be competitive when compared to the commissary. Another argument is that the commissary doesn’t offer generic goods.

My husband and I tend to stick to the commissary mostly because the grocery goods we commonly get are priced cheaper there. Also, we’re still a relatively small family, so the bulk goods we purchase are all economical. Not to mention when we buy during a case lot sale, we don’t need certain items for months and months! There are so many other reasons why I prefer the commissary. MilitaryShoppers has an awesome list of reasons why you should shop at the commissary.

One of my favorite reasons for shopping at the commissary is the international aisle. It’s one of the only local locations that offer Filipino cuisine, so I can get my cultural fix. My parents drive to their local commissary in Texas for the same reason to stock up on the different Filipino groceries because it’s priced well. It’s difficult to find certain items sometimes! No matter where you’ve been stationed, I’m sure there is a good representation of it at your commissary. I love that there is a chance to try international food without having to be stationed there too.

The commissary continues to modernize by incorporating online resources to help families get the most out of their commissary experience. Military families can sign up for the commissary rewards card and app. The commissary rewards card gives you the capability to redeem coupons online. In addition, they have the Click 2 Go program for select commissaries that allows military families to buy goods online and pick them up at a later date. It saves time and is convenient.

Despite its age, the commissary is still a wonderful resource for the military community. That’s why I keep shopping trips to the commissary on my agenda.

Why do you think the commissaries are a good benefit for military families and retirees?

How to Request Specialty Items at Your Commissary

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I’m going to let you in on a little known detail about the commissary.

Did you know that we can request specialty items?

If your favorite brand or grocery item isn’t found at your location, you are encouraged to request it and there are a couple ways to do so.

Where do you begin?

You can start with picking up a “Your Action Line” customer form available inside the commissary. It’s typically found at the front, most likely where customer service is located. Utilize this form to list your specialty items and return it to the commissary. Another way to leisurely request your specialty items is to submit your request via the Customer Contact Form online.

Commissary stock is done by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Sales Directorate. The Sales Directorate is in charge of the different contracts that are filtered out to your commissary location. Therefore, your request for specialty items, whether filled out online or submitted in store will get sent to DeCA headquarters. Also, the Sales Directorate researches and listens to the community to determine the best products for a particular location.

There is another avenue that can help you receive a specific product at your commissary and that’s working directly with your commissary management. DeCA suggests that you request a meeting with a manager during a shopping trip or you can call your commissary’s management team. Find the contact info for your location by using this link. By establishing a relationship with commissary management on the specialty items you need, it will allow them to relay the request to the Sales Directorate straight.

Whatever method you decide to use, be sure you have the specific Universal Product Code (UPC) of each product.

That’s the unique information typically located under the bar code that would identify your specialty items for the Sales Directorate to possibly work with distribution channels to acquire your requested goods. I would be as detailed as possible in explaining the product like other known names, description, etc. It’s helpful to work with commissary management personally because they can walk you through the process and might be able to offer you any insight in the process.

For commissary customers that are overseas, it’s more of a challenge due to international shipping and the fact that goods need to be in DeCA’s Catalog Master File before it can be added to OCONUS commissaries. since it takes much longer because of rules and regulations that are in place, the product’s shelf life and packing makes it difficult as well, so that’s a huge factor to consider if you are overseas requesting specialty items.

Have you requested a specific product at your commissary? What was your experience with it?

Be Food Safe When Grilling This Summer

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Grilling dinner is a fast and easy way to get food on the table during the hot summer months. But while serving dinner, you want to take precautions to make sure that you aren’t accidentally serving a foodborne illness to your family members and friends.

The Be Food Safe program aims to prevent foodborne illnesses caused from improper food handling through an education and awareness campaign. The program was created through a collaboration of several government agencies–U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Foodborne illnesses such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria are all potential party crashers if people don’t pay heed to proper food handling,” said Chris Wicker, DeCA’s public health advisor in a Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) press release.

DeCA wants its patrons to know that these “potential party crashers” can be easily prevented with proper food safety. Remember those food safety rules from home economics class? Here’s a quick refresher.

5 Food Safety Tips You Need to Remember When Grilling This Summer

1. Start Clean. The first step in food safety is working with clean hands on a clean surface. Always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (hum the Happy Birthday song in your head) before handling food. Always. The Be Food Safe program also recommends cleaning your grill before preparation. When was the last time you cleaned your grill?

2. Keep Marinating Meat in the Fridge. The Be Food Safe program advises that “any food that is marinating should be covered and kept in a refrigerator until ready to cook.” Don’t thaw meat on the kitchen counter. Another food safety no-no is reusing marinade containing raw meat.

3. Don’t Cut Corners When Cooking. Grilled meat must be thoroughly cooked before consuming. Don’t try to rush the process and don’t serve food that isn’t completely cooked. Unsure if your hamburgers are ready? Always use a meat thermometer and then compare the interior temperature reading with this handy dandy chart from FoodSafety.gov.

4. Eat Hot Off the Grill. Keep the food hot by wrapping it in aluminium foil and placing it in a insulated container. The goal is to eat food that is 140 degrees or warmer. Once the food is taken off the grill, be sure to eat it within 2 hours. The Be Food Safe program recommends that you eat hot take-out food within 2 hours of purchase.

5. Keep the Cold Side Dishes and Desserts Cool. Food safety isn’t only for the person manning the grill. Keep those chilly side dishes, such as potato salad and macaroni salad, cool. The Be Food Safe program says that these types of salads and certain desserts need a constant temperature at or below 40 degrees. Always put them on ice inside a cooler when traveling to a picnic and keep them in the cooler when you aren’t eating.

For more information on eating food outside or handling food safely outdoors, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

Are you looking for recipes for grilled food? Search MilitaryShoppers’ recipes page.

Deli, Bakery, Sushi Bar Back at Commissaries This Month

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Commissary bakeries, delis and sushi bars on U.S. installations that were closed over the last few months are finally reopening.

Nayyarsons Corporation held the contract for these, but DeCA (Defense Commissary Agency) canceled two contracts and did not renew one due to performance-related issues. Twenty-two commissaries were initially affected by this with another 22 shortly after that. Some bakeries, delis and sushi bars were temporarily closed while new contractors were sought.

Product shortages were one of the main issues DeCA repeatedly faced with Nayyarsons Corporation’s performance. The company was given a chance to rectify problems, but nothing it did resolved the shortcomings. DeCA operates a chain of commissaries around the world offering groceries to military service members, retirees and their families. The commissary is an important and valued benefit that many rely on. DeCA chose to end business with this company in order to find and maintain quality goods and services from a company it could rely on.

Military Deli and Bakery Services Inc. (MDBS) has been contracted to meet these needs. They already have contracts to manage the same sections in 72 commissaries. Most of those commissaries are on military installations out west, in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Texas and in Georgia. Military Deli and Bakery Services will now have contracts to cover 116 commissaries.

Since the end of February, most commissaries have only had limited deli-bakery functions. DeCA temporarily hired former employees of Nayyarsons Corporation as government employees in order to keep service going. Other patrons, such as those at Fort Carson, were surprised to find their deli closed.

After negotiations, a contract has been signed and families are once again seeing lights on behind the counters in commissaries across the country. DeCA expects sushi bars to be operating once again by the end of this month for those stores that previously had them.

Is your commissary on the list?

  • Alabama: Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base Annex, Maxwell Air Force Base*, Redstone Arsenal*, Fort Rucker*
  • Arkansas: Little Rock Air Force Base*
  • Colorado: Buckley Air Force Base*, Fort Carson*, Peterson Air Force Base*, U.S. Air Force Academy
  • Illinois: Scott Air Force Base*, Naval Station Great Lakes*
  • Indiana: Harrison Village
  • Kansas: McConnell Air Force Base*, Fort Leavenworth*, Fort Riley*
  • Kentucky: Fort Campbell*, Fort Knox*
  • Louisiana: Barksdale Air Force Base*, Naval AIr Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Fort Polk*
  • Michigan: Selfridge Air National Guard Base
  • Mississippi: Columbus Air Force Base*, Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport*, Keesler Air Force Base*
  • Missouri: Fort Leonard Wood*, Whiteman Air Force Base
  • Nebraska: Offutt Air Force Base*
  • New Mexico: Cannon Air Force Base, Holloman Air Force Base*, Kirtland Air Force Base*, White Sands Missile Range
  • North Dakota: Grand Forks Air Force Base*, Minot Air Force Base*
  • Ohio: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
  • Oklahoma: Altus Air Force Base, Fort Still*, Tinker Air Force Base*, Vance Air Force Base
  • Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Area
  • South Dakota: Ellsworth Air Force Base*
  • Tennessee: Naval Support Activity Mid-South (Memphis)*
  • Texas: Fort Bliss*, Sheppard Air Force Base*
  • Wyoming: FE Warren Air Force Base

* Locations with sushi bars

On July 1, 2015, American military commissaries celebrated their 148th anniversary. Shopping has changed dramatically in that time, but one thing has stayed the same, they still sell groceries at cost. DeCA wants to ensure the legacy continues and patrons will be able to purchase quality goods as one of the key benefits service members and families receive.

Hopefully, Military Deli and Bakery Services is the right company to help DeCA keep on track so that we can keep shopping.

Do you use the deli and bakery at your military commissary? How has your grocery shopping changed in recent months?

DeCA Says Pacific Commissaries Will Return to Normal, But Not for Several Months

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Are you stationed overseas? Have you been feeling a bit frustrated with the lack of grocery goods at your installation’s commissary?

Finally, military families stationed at OCONUS locations, particularly in the Pacific, will start seeing commissary shelves fill up again because of an agreement reached between the appropriate groups responsible for shipping goods for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). The agreement made with the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union should be the start of getting the whole shipment process back on track.

Despite the resolution, DeCA has warned military families that it would take some time to smooth out delivery issues and allow overseas commissary inventories to return to 100 percent.

You should still experience some lag time, if you’re located in countries like Japan, South Korea, Guam and Hawaii.

How long exactly will the hold-up last? Hopefully, it will only take 3 to 4 months to get back to full inventory levels.

What caused the problem? The problem began when union disputes occurred with principal parties as well as computer mishaps that caused a breakdown in critical shipment deliveries. As a result, it caused major delays in supplying OCONUS commissaries.

Yikes!

Luckily, DeCA has been doing everything in their power since the delivery disruption, which was apparent starting December 2014 and continued into the New Year. Around that time, DeCA started using U.S Transportation Command to aid in shipping important groceries that would be difficult to find otherwise, including dairy products and certain meats. Those products are airlifted to the needed locations, which will continue until the inventory issues are straightened out.

According to a news release, DeCA Director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu said “we will continue to monitor and manage closely our supply situation in the Pacific and as always, our mission is to ensure our military and their families in the Pacific have access to full commissary benefit.”

So, if you’re OCONUS, be sure to stock up when you can and try and utilize the local grocery stores to the best of your ability. I realize that this situation is a challenge, but at least there is an end in sight now for military families.

Are you affected by this contract negotiation? How? Tell us in the comments section.