Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Commissaries and Exchanges Start Linking Promotions, Sales

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DeCA and AAFES are working together to maximize their reach by linking their promotions and sales during April.

One hundred qualified patrons will win $300 in free groceries from their on-base commissaries. Altogether $30,000 in gift cards will be given away to commissary and exchange patrons during these promotions.

Joint Promotions Benefit AAFES, DeCA Patrons

This decision to link promotions between the commissaries and exchanges, including online exchange sites, follows an earlier move that allows Military Star Card members to use this card in either location. Prior to this, patrons could not use their Military Star Card at the commissary.

In order to enter the Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes, patrons must make 2 purchases each at the exchange and commissary between April 1 and April 30. This contest is open to Military Star Card users worldwide. Shoppers can make qualifying purchases at Army and Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard exchanges; ShopMyExchange.com; MyNavyExchange.com; ShopCGX.com; exchange concessionaires and the commissary.

This promotion makes the connection between quality nutrition and scholastic success for military children.

“Nutrition is foundational to military children’s educational success, and $300 in free groceries from your local commissary would certainly help build on that foundation,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, exchange senior enlisted advisor, in a press release. “We are honored to partner with the commissary to recognize the contributions of military kids worldwide with this sweepstakes.”

The Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes is being held in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child. This annual event held during April honors the sacrifices of military children.

Military exchanges support military children year round through their You Made the Grade program. Military children receive a coupon booklet in exchange for an overall “B” average on their report card.

AAFES and DeCA Support the Month of the Military Child

In further support of the Month of the Military Child, there are additional events and promotions at both exchanges and commissaries on military bases around the world.

A coloring contest will be held at participating commissaries throughout the month of April. Patrons can inquire at their local commissary for more information about this contest.

There are also several ongoing sweepstakes beyond Fill Your Fridge. Exchange patrons can enter for these sweepstakes by logging into their ShopMyExchange account. Prizes include toys, backpacks and exchange gift cards.

Additionally, military children 18 years old and younger, can earn a free snack at select military exchange food courts. On April 18, military children should wear purple to their military exchange food court to qualify for a free treat. This could include side item, fountain beverage or dessert.

More Cross Promotions in the Future

Working together, DeCA and AAFES have the potential to increase the benefit to their customers. Through the Military Star Card connected Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes, patrons have the chance to win nutritional food. The additional sweepstakes for toys, backpacks, and gift cards offers patrons an additional way to show support for military children this month. Military children can also earn rewards for good grades year round!

AAFES and DeCA’s new cross-promotions show support for military children. In addition, expanding options for patrons to use Military Star cards at both locations increases the shopping options on base.

Exchange and commissary patrons should anticipate further collaborative promotions and sales.

What do you think of the collaboration between the commissaries (DeCA) and the exchanges (AAFES) for the Month of the Military Child?

Military Exchange Online Shopping Opens to Veterans

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Nearly 20 million honorably discharged U.S. veterans will soon have the opportunity to shop online through the Army and Air Force Exchange service. This change in policy comes after years of pressure to open shopping to all those honorably discharged men and women.

As of Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, all honorably discharged U.S. veterans will be able to shop the exchange online.

This new privilege will only extend to online shopping however, not shopping in the physical exchange. Through the website, veterans will be able to purchase any items except for uniforms, alcohol and tobacco products.

The exchange estimates that this could bring in between $226 million and $1.13 billion in annual sales. An increase in sales also means an increase in funds for MWR programs.

Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) receives the majority of its funding from exchange dividends. The more sales the exchange has, the more programs MWR can offer. MWR programs are in place to support the “readiness and resilience for Soldiers and Families.” Programs include child and youth services, libraries, entertainment, sports and fitness, automotive skills, crafts and more.

Recently, exchange dividends have been low and MWR has not had the funds to support their usual programs. The Army has had to use some of this money to improve its daycare centers since budgets have been cut so much. The low sales have been due to the decline in the active duty force and base closures as well as the ending of tobacco product discounts and smaller profits from cheaper gas being sold. Opening online sales to all honorably discharged veterans is expected to quickly solve this problem.

Veterans will enjoy saving on average 20 percent over commercial stores while those families with base access will be enjoying better MWR programs. It’s a win-win situation for all.

This has been a two-year effort to open online shopping up to honorably discharged veterans. In the fall of 2016 the Defense Department’s Executive Resale Board voted unanimously to open online shopping to veterans and the Deputy Defense Secretary approved it.

AAFES has been preparing for the expansion of shoppers by improving the website, call centers and warehouse and distribution systems. They are working with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense Manpower Data Center to determine a way to verify that exchange shoppers are in fact honorably discharged veterans.

Shopping will only be available to veterans online and only for the exchange.

There are currently no plans to open shopping at the commissary up to honorably discharged veterans. This is because the commissary is run differently than AAFES. The Defense Commissary Agency receives a $1.4 billion operational subsidy annually that is funded by taxpayers. An increase in shoppers at the commissary would result in a higher cost for taxpayers in accordance to the current system. DECA therefore, is not considering adding veterans to the list of eligible shoppers.

Honorably discharged veterans however are excited to able to shop at the exchange online, even if they can’t also shop at the commissary. The Army and Air Force Exchange service has received outstanding support for this program and is anticipating a huge turnout of veteran online shoppers on Veterans Day.

You can keep up with announcements as the date for launch of this program approaches and learn how you can establish your identity as an honorably discharged veteran through their website.

What do you think of this policy change for the military exchange shopping privilege for veterans? Are you a veteran that will be shopping online this Veterans Day?

3 Commissary Myths that Need to Be Busted

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For the past 2 years, there’s been a lot of talk about possible changes to the commissaries. The talk has come from all directions. There was talk about possible changes from Congress. There was talk about possible changes from the consultants hired by the Defense Commissary Agency. There was talk about possible changes from commissary employees and shoppers.

Now commissary shoppers may be asking themselves which (if any) of these commissary changes are happening. Here’s a little hint: only 1 of the proposals is scheduled to happen in 2017.

What about the other possible changes? For now, these recommendations move to the land of myths and rumors.

Here are 3 myths that you may hear commissary shoppers talking about.

Commissary myth #1: DeCA is merging with the military exchanges.

If you thought this was happening, it was because the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission presented a proposal with 15 recommendations to modernize the commissaries. One of those recommendations was a proposal to combine the commissary and exchange systems into a single defense resale organization. This proposal was intended to reduce the overhead costs of operating the commissaries and exchanges separately.

When MilitaryShoppers wrote about this proposal nearly 2 years ago, readers said that this proposal was a terrible idea. Repeatedly, readers wrote this comment:

“Do not combine. We would lose our privileges.”

For now, the commissary and exchange are not combining.

The statement that DeCA is merging with the exchanges is a myth, according to DeCA officials. They also said

“DeCA leadership continues to explore different levels of cooperation with the military exchanges. To the extent the Defense Department plans to implement any of those options in future, DeCA is committed to ensuring that employees are well-informed and equipped with information to understand any potential impacts.”

Commissary myth #2: DeCA is exploring a privatization pilot program.

Privatization is happening, right? Wrong, according to DeCA officials.

“Upcoming pilot programs will not be exploring potential privatization (i.e., a private sector company taking over DeCA operations). Privatization was not a part of the changes proposed in the 2016 NDAA and is not planned for DeCA at this time.”

The proposal to privatize the commissaries was discussed repeatedly over the course of the last 2 years. At one point, several large unnamed retailers were approaching DeCA and expressing their interests in running the commissaries.

Like the recommendation to merge the commissaries with the exchanges this idea was met with many vocal opponents. They argued that privatization is not the answer to Congress’s budget concerns. Skeptics argued that privatization wouldn’t save the taxpayers money and would lead to price increases for commissary patrons.

Privatization is off the table. For now.

Commissary myth #3: DeCA’s mission is changing.

“DeCA’s mission has always been to offer the right products at the right prices as a critical benefit to its patrons,” DeCA said on its website.

One proposal, a private label brand, is happening and DeCA is confident that is program will “offer more flexibility in how DeCA delivers that benefit, and positions the agency to be more cost-effective, efficient and better able to protect the benefit for future generations of patrons.”

Congress wants DeCA to be cost-effective and efficient. Veterans want to keep this military benefit without increasing the prices or surcharge. Military families want groceries at a competitive price compared with civilian grocery stores.

We all want the same things for our commissaries. Will the private label brand be enough to save the commissary benefit without raising prices or reducing the benefit?

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Are you hearing any other rumors about changes to your commissary? Tell us in the comments section.

DeCA Hosts Healthy Lifestyle Festivals in July

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There’s always a lot of emphasis on adopting healthy habits during the New Year. But you don’t need to wait until January 1 to start a new fitness routine or incorporate more fresh produce into your meal planning. You can pledge to make healthy lifestyle changes today.

Supporting the military community’s health and wellness goals is the focus of the Defense Commissary Agency’s military resale partnership event, Your Healthy Lifestyle Festival.

This annual event features discounted prices on produce at commissary farmers markets, savings on workout equipment and apparel at exchanges, health screenings at local clinics and fitness events hosted by the post morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) activities, according to a DeCA press release. Commissaries worldwide will be hosting healthy lifestyle festivals between July 1 and July 31.

“We heartily support DoD’s many initiatives to improve the health and wellness of service members and their families. Supporting this fest is a great way to continue that tradition,” said DeCA Sales Director Tracie Russ. “Together, the military resale community helps reinforce the installation as the No. 1 destination for partnership events.”

The healthy lifestyle festivals vary slightly from base to base. This event, which is a collaborative effort of commissaries, exchanges, MWR services and our industry partners, may include exchange sidewalk sales, MWR fitness events, demos, music, free nutritious food samples, prize giveaways, discount coupon offers, health and wellness information and children’s programs. Event details will be announced through the local military installation’s media, such as a base newspaper or a Facebook page.

The healthy lifestyle festivals will shine a spotlight on the commissaries’ worldwide farmers market program.

“Our patrons are in for a treat when it comes to the quality produce offered at our farmers markets,” Russ said. “Thanks to the creativity of our store personnel and industry partners who inject plenty of imagination and excitement into our farmers markets, combined with the exchange sales and the MWR fitness events, this festival will be a must-attend for our military customers.”

In the past, commissary shoppers have said that quality fresh produce is a priority for them. They want to buy locally grown produce at their commissaries. The healthy lifestyle festival is a way for commissary patrons to see what types of fresh produce are available at their commissaries that they may be overlooking.

Last year’s festival was the first of what has become an annual event combining the best of the military community’s efforts to help improve the health and wellness of service members and their families, according to the DeCA press release.

The majority of the healthy lifestyle festivals will be held on military installations this month. Commissary shoppers can find the participating military installations and dates on Your Healthy Lifestyle Festival page.

A few locations scheduled their event in June to avoid calendar conflicts, DeCA said in a press release.

Here is the list of bases that already had their healthy lifestyle festivals: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; Chievres Air Base, Belgium; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; Izmir Air Station, Turkey; Los Angeles Air Force Base; Naval Station Mayport, Florida; Naval Base Pearl Harbor Commissary, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Naval Shipyard Portsmouth, Maine; and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California.

Click here for the complete list of dates for healthy lifestyle festivals at commissaries worldwide.

Commission Recommends Combining Commissaries, Exchanges

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Commission Recommends Combining Military Commissaries, Exchanges

What proposed changes do you support for the commissaries?

The commissary. It’s one of those bread-and-butter military perks that comes with having your military ID. The commissary is where military families, old and young, get their milk, meat and cereal. It’s used by active duty families and retirees alike. Shopping and saving money at the commissary is one of the benefits available to our military community.

The commissary also seems to be one of the first benefits discussed every year when Congress, the Department of Defense and lobbyists are debating ways to trim the defense budget. This year isn’t any different.

Tucked in the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission’s 15 recommendations to modernize the military is a proposal to combine the commissary and exchange systems into a single defense resale organization. The commission’s final report was released in late January. You can read the entire report here.

Currently, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) operates commissaries that provide groceries to authorized patrons (you and me and anyone else with a valid military ID) at cost with a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. DeCA promotes that commissary shoppers “save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings that amount to thousands of dollars annually when shopping regularly at a commissary.”

On the flip side of military retail coin is the DoD operated exchange system that includes the Army Air Force Exchange System (AAFES), the Navy Exchange (NEX), and the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX). Exchanges have everything from beer to military uniforms and sell their merchandise at a profit. The benefit of the exchange is no sales tax.

Keep in mind that the “gross profits (from the exchanges) are used to support the exchange system, covering operating and other expenses; recapitalize facilities and systems; or are provided as dividends to fund MWR programs.”

When you’re stationed overseas, both the commissary and exchange are vital to your quality of life. Both retail organizations hire military dependents and veterans.

Together, commissaries and exchanges provide goods and services with total annual sales of more than $17 billion in 2013.

Based on an in-depth study that included town hall meetings and quality of life surveys, the bipartisan Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission unanimously recommended a consolidated resale organization.

A consolidated resale organization, with combined resources, increased operational flexibility, and better alignment of incentives and policies, would improve the viability and stability of these systems. It would sustain the benefit while reducing the combined reliance on appropriated funding over time. The increased flexibility and opportunities available to a consolidated organization could enable a deeper level of cooperation to improve quality and drive the efficiencies recommended by numerous studies. The many similarities, overlaps, and redundancies in processes, staffing, and support infrastructures favor the consolidation process. Establishing an executive structure and means of oversight that ensures alignment with the needs and goals of Service members and the Military Services is critical.”

–the 2015 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Final Report

The proposal also said that a portion of profits would continue to support MWR programs and the commissaries would keep their current 5-percent surcharge. The surcharge was set at 5 percent in 1983.

This consolidated system would “allow the sale of convenience items in commissaries at a profit, including products and services typically found in commercial grocers.” Food and other “essential items” would still be sold at cost.

The report also said “This expanded commissary product line would include beer and wine, but those sales must align with DoD’s efforts to deglamorize alcohol and reduce its abuse.”

Basically in a nutshell, this proposal is intended to reduce the overhead costs of operating the commissaries and exchanges separately. It’s not expected to affect the costs of shopping at either store and if approved, this consolidated system may make shopping on-base more like shopping at Walmart.

Now it’s your turn: What proposed changes do you support for the commissaries?