Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

What You’re Missing When You Don’t Use Your Commissary Rewards Card

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Do you have a commissary rewards card?

I do and I completely forgot to use mine this week when I went grocery shopping at my commissary.

At the checkout, the cashier asked if I had a commissary rewards card. When I told her I forgot about it she said that’s unfortunate because some of the things I bought had coupons on it. Well at that point I really felt like I had missed out.

I went home and put my groceries away. Then I logged onto the commissary rewards card site to see which coupons I missed. Sure enough, Charmin, Bounty, Swiffer and Tide were all on it and worst of all, I missed out on a $4 off coupon for Zyrtec.

I don’t want that to happen again so I downloaded the commissary rewards card app right away. If I had that app on my phone already, I could have clicked those coupons right there in my commissary and saved money instantly. That’s money I could have spent on coffee on the way home. Lesson learned.

I use to be really good about clipping coupons. I would make my grocery list for the week and see what coupons matched up with what was on the grocery list. I also use to Google coupons for bigger items and print them to take with  me.

That was before I had kids and had the time to do it.

One day I discovered the commissary rewards card and that card made saving money quicker and easier. With the commissary rewards card you don’t have to clip coupons or print them. You simply tap the coupons you want and they are added to your card. At the checkout you just hand your commissary rewards card over to the cashier and they swipe it. Easy savings.

The commissary rewards card app makes it even more convenient. When I use the commissary rewards card, I always log on with my laptop. Now that I have the app, I can do it anytime and anywhere as my phone is pretty much always with me.

I don’t purchase the newspaper to clip coupons anymore, but I do see coupons pop up when I’m on my laptop from time to time. I also get them in my email occasionally. It’s great that I can still use those along with the commissary rewards card. You can’t use double manufacturer’s coupons at the commissary, but you can save money by using other coupons you find with the coupons you get through the commissary rewards card.

If you don’t have a commissary rewards card, it’s simple to get one. Just ask the cashier at the checkout and he or she will give you one for free. It’s easy to register it and get started using it right away as well.

Pro-tip: Walk up to a cashier at the beginning of your shopping trip to get one. You can register it while you shop and quickly look through the coupons to see what matches up with the items on your grocery list.

You don’t have to go through every item if you don’t want to. You can search by category or by specific product. If you go ahead and do this, you can save money right away.

Do you have a commissary rewards card? Are you saving money each shopping trip or are you missing out? There are great savings opportunities with the commissary rewards card and it is quick and easy to use it.

If you don’t have one, I recommend that you pick one up on your next stop to the commissary.

Want more information about the commissary rewards card? Read this article by clicking here.

Understanding the Dress Code at Your Military Installation

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As I moved to close the car door, I happened to look down. Uh-oh. I was wearing athleisure leggings. I did a quick mental calculation.

Color of the leggings + intended use (regular wear vs. athletic pursuit) + other clothing

This could determine whether I am asked to leave the exchange or whether they let me slide, for today. Luckily, I was wearing a normal shirt, the leggings were black and I had on flats. If I had been wearing a race finisher shirt, the story could be totally different!

Every military base has very clear guidelines about what you can and cannot wear in each building or location. Understanding the expectations at your base could make your time there much easier.

Understanding the Dress Code at Your Military Installation

Athleisure wear is becoming the norm for many, but it is still considered unacceptable attire for many on-base buildings and businesses.

Understanding the Dress Code at Your Military Installation

Where to Find the Dress Code

Every military building has the dress code prominently displayed, usually near the front door. Typically, the dress code is a poster-sized color graphic the includes demonstrations of correct and incorrect attire. Following a dress code, for service members, civilians and dependents, shows a level of respect for the installation. It also promotes good order and discipline.

Each branch of service has slightly different expectations and dress codes.

Things that might pass muster on an Air Force base will not fly at a Marine Corps installation.

Clothing guidelines are often building or activity specific. The outfit that you wore to the gym is likely not going to be acceptable at the commissary, PX, post office, hospital, library, consolidated club or anywhere else on base. Generally, gym clothes or workout gear is limited to the fitness center. While there is more latitude at the gym in terms of attire, most dress codes require that outfits remain modest without revealing undergarments.

Base to Base Differences

Just like each service might have slightly different dress code expectations, each individual duty station interprets the rules too. While the general dress code is the same service-wide, some bases are more strict and others more relaxed.

Military bases that are on the West Coast and in Hawaii are notoriously more relaxed. Flip flops and athleisure wear are more standard there and seem to be allowed without comment at installation buildings. Some overseas locations, like Okinawa, also seem to follow a more relaxed dress code.

However, the closer you get to the service headquarters and to Washington, D.C., the more strictly the dress code is enforced. Things that were allowed in southern California might not be considered acceptable in northern Virginia.

As you are PCSing, connect with a local spouses’ Facebook group and ask about dress code enforcement. You’ll want to know in advance whether your leather flip flops could cause a scene.

General Guidelines

Across all services and installations, there are some general rules to follow.

Ripped, torn or otherwise overly distressed clothing is not considered acceptable. Those distressed jeans might be OK, but clothing that has clearly been through the wringer should be left at home.

Hats and ball caps need to be removed inside all buildings. This includes other hat-like head coverings too. The exception would be items worn for religious reasons. However, this rule seems to be relaxing at many locations.

Revealing items, for men and women, are a faux pas at military installations. For women, this includes clothing that shows too much cleavage, skinny tank top straps, midriff-baring tops and short skirts or shorts. Men should avoid overly baggy pants that reveal underwear and must wear a shirt. Most military installations also have language in the dress code, for men, about properly fitting shirts.

Bathing suits and swimwear should be covered when not at the actual beach or pool. This includes using the beach-side stores and restaurants. Remember to bring a cover-up or a change of clothing with you.

Athleisure wear is becoming the norm for many, but it is still considered unacceptable attire on military installations. There may be wiggle room depending on your location or the specific outfit.

Flip flops and sandals could violate the dress code, based on the specific installation’s interpretation of the rules. Generally, shoes with a back strap or closed toe are considered appropriate.

If You’re Asked to Leave

First, don’t make a scene. This will only draw more attention to you and could escalate the situation. Instead, calmly ask to speak privately with the store manager or another person in authority.

Next, when you are in a quiet spot, ask for a brief explanation of why you are being asked to leave. If their explanation makes sense, based on the dress code, it is better to comply. You could let the store manager know that you are new to the base or the military in general. Including an apology along with your explanation could help soften things. They might be willing to let it slide today, with a reminder for future visits.

On your next visit, remember to follow the rules more carefully.

Read “Decoding the Commissary Dress Code” to understand the dress code at your commissary.

Will You Use the ‘No Bagger’ Lane at Your Commissary?

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Every Sunday hubby and I peruse the aisles of the commissary. We cross items off our list, but inevitably end up in the checkout lane with way more than we had planned on buying. Somehow the 3 teenagers who call our house home never fail in depleting our pantry.

We toss our canvas bags up onto the conveyor belt and try to put like items up to be bagged together: first the refrigerated stuff, then the boxes and cans, followed by produce, and then all of the fragile items like bread and eggs.

In an off-base grocery store, one of us would be quick to take up a fighting position down at the bagging area, carefully arranging our groceries to facilitate the quickest dispersal into our cabinets and refrigerator.

At the commissary bagging our groceries has never been an option…until now.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) began a test run of checkout lanes with no baggers in January after receiving customer feedback requesting it. At 121 commissaries shoppers have the option to choose a lane where they bag their own groceries. Differing from the self-checkout lanes, which have long since been available, these lanes will still have a dedicated cashier to ring your groceries up for you.

I haven’t seen this option at our commissary, but even so, I’m a little torn about the idea.

While my husband and I like bagging our own groceries at off-base grocery stores, tipping a bagger at the commissary is a military community tradition.

Baggers have been a part of the commissary “experience” for as long as I can remember. Even growing up overseas as an Air Force brat, I remember the nice ladies and teenagers who walked with us out to the car and helped to load the bulk of our weekly foraging.

What I didn’t know as a kid is that all commissary baggers, most of whom are retirees, military spouses and military dependents, are independent contractors.

As such, they do not add to the cost of running the commissary in any way, but that doesn’t mean, of course, that they offer their services for free.

Admittedly, there was a time, back when we were a younger military family, that even a few extra dollars each week had an impact. I can’t tell you how many times I had to to scrounge for quarters or crumpled up dollar bills to tip the nice kid who loaded up the back of my car while I tried to wrangle my kids into their car seats. I am sure there was more than one occasion when I was angry and frustrated at having to offer some kind of payment, even though, technically, it’s not required. And it would have been a commissary etiquette faux pas to ask them not to bag my haul.

But now, thanks to many years of hard work and progression in our chosen careers, hubby and I can certainly afford to pass a five-spot to the retiree or high school student trying to make a few extra bucks during the weekend shopping rush.

When you consider that the average check out experience probably runs about 10 to 12 minutes, I’d wager baggers are making about $10 to 15 per hour, a reasonable wage considering most of their work is done over just a couple of days a week.

I like the idea of being able to pack my groceries the way I want them packed.

Even just the few minutes it saves after we arrive home is welcomed. But the thought of not having the baggers available, of potentially ending that tradition, makes me a little sad.

I am all for progress, but the idea of potentially eliminating a job opportunity for folks within our military community to continue to serve in our community just feels wrong.

Baggers are a long-standing tradition of military commissaries. Is it time to send them packing?

More Commissary Brand Items Available to Shoppers

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The commissary is a consistent source of quality products at good prices. Shoppers know that they will be able to find the essentials, like milk and bread, as well as specialty products, like German potato dumping mix or Korean chili paste.

Now the commissary has even more value in store as they continue to roll out their store brand products.

Private Label Price Perks

Store brand, also called private label, products are offered at lower prices to customers. Stores offer brands developed in-house or through labels created with their retail suppliers. This helps to cut out the middleman and provide quality products at lower prices.

Major grocery retailers, like Giant, Walmart and Target, have offered private label products for years. These brands often span the spectrum of grocery items and dry goods, like toilet paper or disposable plates and utensils.

Recent surveys and studies indicated that commissary patrons were shopping off base in order to take advantage of sales and lower prices on store brands at major retailers. Approximately 20% of sales at these retailers involved their own private label brands.

3 Brands for All Commissary Products

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) has produced 3 store brand labels, with their private label supplier SpartanNash, to encompass different major product types.

Freedom’s Choice is for food items. Right now, many commissaries are carrying bottled water and cheese under the Freedom’s Choice label. Other items available at stateside commissaries include cheese, rice and dry beans, shelf-stable juices, water enhancers and powdered soft drinks,

HomeBase is for non-food products, like household items and cleaning supplies. Commissaries are currently selling HomeBase brand paper plates and trash bags. Some stateside commissaries are also stocking foam and plastic plates, paper towels and bath tissue.

TopCare products cover medical and first aid products, dietary supplements and beauty needs. Many stores already have TopCare antibiotic ointment and acid reduction medication on the shelves. TopCare is not a DeCA exclusive brand.

Quality and Price

The commissary stands behind their new store brands, with rigorous testing to national standards. All edible products meet or exceed USDA wholesomeness standards. All products undergo extensive testing for quality and performance, according to the FAQ section on Commissaries.com.

Each product features a money back guarantee on their label.

TopCare, HomeBase and Freedom’s Choice are offered at prices that are competitive with national brands and products.

Product Roll-Out

Many stateside commissaries are already stocking many Freedom’s Choice, HomeBase and TopCare products. Approximately 400 products were anticipated to be on CONUS store shelves by the close of 2017.

Overseas commissaries are approximately 6 weeks behind stateside stores in stocking in-house brands on their shelves. This is due to time delays as a result of shipping products to military bases in Europe and Asia.

Products will continue to be added to the 3 core store brands over the next few years. DeCA’s goal is to produce 3,000 to 4,000 products in the Freedom’s Choice, HomeBase and TopCare lines.

As products continue to roll-out, the items available will vary between commissaries. This is based on size and location of individual stores. As noted, OCONUS commissaries will see new commissary brand items about 6 weeks after they appear in stateside stores.

Have you tried the commissary’s new brands: Freedom’s Choice, HomeBase and TopCare? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Keeping Supplements Safe for Service Members

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It’s impossible to turn on the television, listen to music or read online publications, without happening upon an ad for some kind of dietary supplement. Even a trip to the exchange or commissary offers supplement options, including full-fledged GNC stores operating on many military installations.

And it’s not like we just have one or two options. There are hundreds if not thousands of supplements to choose from. Some promise help with weight loss, others with building muscle mass. There are supplements for better sleep, better digestion, stress relief, bone and heart health, and even better sex.

Given all the promises that these products have to offer, it is understandable why so many service members would turn to supplements. Long hours, expectations for physical and mental endurance, and competition for promotion and awards pushes many to consider any option for even a small competitive edge.

But how can a service member be sure that the supplements they are taking are safe?

And how can service members ensure that the supplements they are taking don’t contain any one of a number of restricted substances banned by military guidelines and tested for in routine urinalyses?

The common sense answer is, talk to your doctor and do your research before buying and taking any dietary supplement.

Many of us will search of any number of supplement information online before talking with our doctors. Have you searched online for this information? Try it now. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Chance are, any online search produces hundreds and hundreds of pages, most touting the benefits of said supplement. Before and after pictures offer proof of a supplement’s effectiveness and countless endorsements make it appear that you’ve found the miracle pill that will make you run faster, grow stronger or stay sharp for hours on end.

Should you trust these claims? How much is marketing fluff designed to make you spend your money on a magical pill?

You might not know it, but there is a trusted source you can use to find out more about the supplements you are taking and how to use them both effectively and safely. It’s called: Operation Supplement Safety.

After several instances of harmful supplements being sold on military installations, the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs put out a request for the creation of a dedicated resource for members of the DoD community. In 2012 Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) was born.

OPSS was created by the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP), a Defense Center of Excellence department at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Its mission is to both educate and protect members of the DoD community by providing “evidence-based, up-to-date information on dietary supplements.”

And its efforts to promote awareness and safety are further enhanced by its industry partnerships with agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

As part of OPSS’s ongoing efforts and community partnerships, the supplements sold in commissaries and exchanges must be vetted against a list of supplements and ingredients included on the DoD’s list of banned or prohibited substances.

This means that if you buy on-post or online through the exchange, you can trust the products you are buying.

Additionally, the OPSS website is a treasure trove of information on how to use supplements safely and effectively. For example, want to know how to safely use caffeine to help “boost your mental and physical performance?” Check out this infographic created by OPSS.

Want to check the ingredients of your supplements against the banned ingredient list? Here’s a chart that lists all of these substances and the dangers associated with them.

We still live in a time of buyer beware, but it’s nice to know that when it comes to our health, there is one place we can trust to get the information we need.

Do you buy dietary supplements? Why do you buy and take them?

10 Ways Busy Military Families Can Eat Healthy Meals Together

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January is a great time to revamp your family meals.

Military families are often very busy and eating healthy meals together should be one thing we all fit in time for.

Many people have New Year’s resolutions to be healthier. I’m one of those and you probably are as well. Being healthy starts in the kitchen with good food to fuel your body. Here are 10 tips to help your busy family eat healthy meals together.

10 Ways Busy Military Families Can Eat Healthy Meals Together

Plan your meals for the week. Consider what activities your family has going on during the week so you know how much time you have to cook and eat a healthy meal.

Buy fresh ingredients. Try to do your grocery shopping along the outer rim of the commissary where all the fresh ingredients are. Stay away from sugary, high sodium and high fat products masked by clever marketing on boxed goods in the center aisles.

Try a home delivery service such as Blue Apron or have your groceries delivered to your home from your local grocery store. There will be periods where you don’t have time to run to the commissary. There will be moments where you run out of ideas of what to cook. In these instances, a home delivery service can be a great option for healthy meals that you can make at home.

10 Ways Busy Military Families Can Eat Healthy Meals Together

Making healthy meals for your military family starts in your kitchen.

Cook together. This is especially important for children. Research has shown that children eat healthier when they are part of the cooking process. They are also more likely to try new things and they build confidence in the kitchen while learning new skills.

Use your Crockpot or Instapot. Both of these are game changers for busy military families. You don’t always have time to cook healthy meals on busy nights. This is when planning ahead comes into play. When your family has a lot going on, a Crockpot or Instapot dinner can save the day and your sanity.

Shake things up. Eat on the patio if it’s a nice night. Make a picnic in the living room one afternoon. Pack a lunch and go to the park.

Make time to eat healthy meals together. You might all have different activities going on, but you still have to eat. Try to schedule dinner at a time that everyone can be together. This might mean that on one day you eat at 4 p.m. and on another you don’t eat until 7 p.m. Many families do that.

It’s eating together that is important, not the time that you eat dinner.

Dinner time is a special time where family members get to catch up on each other’s day.

Try new things. We all get into the rut of making the same things over and over again. I have an entire bookshelf of cookbooks but find myself making the same recipes. Recently I’ve started watching cooking videos on Facebook as well as looking up recipes on Pinterest. Pick up a new cookbook, ask friends for recipes or look up new meal ideas online.

Do a recipe swap with friends. This goes along with trying new things. I’ve been in groups that have made cookbooks. See if one of the clubs your child is in has made one. Talk to your friends or coworkers and see if they would like to swap healthy recipes. You can make your own file or download a recipe app for your phone.

Commit to eating healthy meals. All of the tips above mean nothing if you don’t actually follow through. Sure it’s OK to go out to eat every now and again or to have a night you order pizza in. Don’t let that turn into a habit. Remember your New Year’s resolution to eat healthy meals and to be a healthier person.

Tired of the same boring meals? Browse MilitaryShoppers’ recipe database for fresh ideas for your meals this month.

Are You Worried About DeCA Collecting Your Information?

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A multitude of companies gather data on you daily, so would it concern you if DeCA collected and sold your information as well?

Whether you realize it or not, your personal information is taken constantly. Rewards cards at businesses collect information on your shopping habits so that they can better adjust their marketing to products you would be interested in. The majority of information obtained on individuals is sold to third party companies for market research. DeCA is one such company.

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Military.com requested the information DeCA collects on military patrons’ use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAPS) and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) at commissaries. This request was denied by DeCA’s lawyers.

Specific information of shoppers was not requested. The request was simply for demographics of SNAPS and WIC users that shop at commissaries.

Lawyers however claimed that they didn’t have to share that information because of a law that states if information is sold to a third party then FOIA does not apply. The 2 companies they are referring to are Nielsen Holdings Plc and IRi.

Lawyers from DeCA were quick to say such information is not collected on shoppers anyway. They say that only product movement and sales information is collected when military IDs are scanned at the register. DeCA says they do not sell patrons’ personal information. They only collect demographic information. WIC and SNAP use therefore is not collected.

DeCA is giving contradictory information. They say they don’t collect personal information, only demographic information. The information they collect when military ID cards are scanned at the checkout include information from DEERS such as: ID number, rank, military status, branch, age, household size and the ZIP code of the service member’s home as well as their duty station. All of this is stated on a commissary fact sheet. This sounds pretty personal, especially recording your ID number.

What frustrates some people is that there is no way to opt out of sharing this information when you shop at the commissary.

Transparency is also a concern. Why is DeCA trying to prevent sharing this information? Is it because they actually do collect personal information?

If they do not collect this information, how are they reporting the military use of SNAP and WIC? The Department of Agriculture publishes data about where food stamp benefits are used each year. Commissary usage is included in that information.

In 2014 more than $84 million of SNAP benefits were spent at military commissaries according to a report filed by the Department of Agriculture. They estimated that between 1% and 2% of active duty used food stamps in 2012, the most recent data.

In the same year, the USDA estimated that more than 1.5 million veterans used SNAP. That’s about 7% of veterans. If DeCA doesn’t collect information on SNAP use, then how does the USDA have this information?

Does it bother you that DeCA collects your information, whether personal or simply demographic?

Remember you cannot opt out of having your military ID card scanned at the commissary.

Does it bother you more so that DeCA isn’t being transparent with providing this information to the public or that you cannot opt out of sharing it? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

How do you feel about this complicated situation with DeCA?

Readers Split Over Veteran Shopping Privileges

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Just this past weekend as we were browsing the aisles at the commissary an announcement was made over the store intercom alerting shoppers to the fact that military Exchanges’ online shopping will soon be available to all veterans. It’s a newly added benefit that has seen a tremendously positive response.

But what about commissary privileges?

A MilitaryShoppers article looked at who is authorized to shop at the commissary and opened up discussion about whether commissary privileges should be extended to all veterans.

Cathy B suggested that commissary privileges “should be granted to all those veterans rated under 100% on a limited basis of 12 shopping trips a year plus a bonus trip during November in honor of Veterans Day.”

Carl felt differently. “Someone who did 4yrs should not get the same privileges as someone who did 20 or 30 yrs,” he wrote.

Reading through the comments, it’s easy to see that this is a hot topic for our readers and rightfully so. Shopping at the commissary does offer considerable savings on most products. Let’s address a few of the most common points of contention and some misconceptions.

Disabled Veteran Benefits

While it’s true that veterans with a 100% disability rating from the VA can shop at the commissary, veterans who receive at least a 30% disability rating from the military, are considered medically retired and do retain commissary benefits.

The 2 disability ratings are different. One is given by the VA and one by the military service itself. So many disabled veterans, especially those whose employment options are limited due to any service-connected injuries or conditions, are already granted privileges.

All Veterans Should Get to Shop

This is an idea express by many readers, but there are some logistical and economic factors that make a blanket open door policy difficult.

As some of our readers mentioned, how do we grant access to those who do not retain ID card privileges?

While the Exchange opened shopping to all veterans, that benefit was only extended online. And the Exchange is a self-sufficient, profit-positive business model that benefits from an increase in the size of its customer base. The more buyers you have, the greater your power to leverage those buyers when negotiating prices with manufacturers and suppliers.

The commissary is a taxpayer subsidized model. The bigger the customer base, the greater the subsidy required to continue to stock shelves and pay employees.

And where would we draw the line? Technically, if you’ve served a day, you are a veteran.

Does one day of service entitle you to benefits?

What if you’ve never been deployed?

Who would make that determination?

Are There Other Ways to Make it Work?

Some readers suggested that a special ID card could be issued or “benefit cards” like what the National Guard and Reserves use for their “once a month” shopping privileges prior to 9/11. This might be a viable option, but there would be additional costs associated with creating and maintaining the records necessary to make a program like this work.

Another suggestion made was to charge a fee, much like the national warehouse stores. This fee might prove an additional revenue stream to help close commissary budget shortfalls.

But it is important to consider what a huge influx of potential customers would do to the shopping experience. More shoppers creates additional strain on gate security and road resources. Parking, while usually ample, is limited, as are shelf space and checkout lanes.

An influx of customers could potentially see frequent outages of staple products and longer checkout lines. Which in turn, devalues the benefit being offered to those who are currently entitled to receive it.

I wholeheartedly understand why so many want to share the commissary benefit with all veterans. It is a sentiment born out of loyalty and a sense of community.

Should we see a revamped profit-earning business model like the Exchange emerge opening up commissaries to all veterans would make sense.

However, when you consider the financial and logistical impact, it becomes clear that opening the commissary doors to all veterans is just not a feasible option at present.

Want to have commissary specials and military discounts delivered to your inbox? Sign up for MilitaryShoppers newsletter today.

Commissaries Stock Shelves with Local Products in Hawaii and Beyond

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For customers of Hawaii’s commissaries, buying local is getting easier and easier. Commissaries around the Hawaiian Islands and beyond are stocking the shelves with local products.

At the annual American Logistics Agency (ALA) Hawaii  Expo, local businesses have the opportunity to showcase their unique products to military buyers. In the two decades of expos, many Hawaiian foods and products have already made their way to military consumers.

Military buyers are looking for unique items at these shows.

“I’m not looking for what I already have,” said Brad McMinn, director of the Schofield Barracks Commissary.

Local Companies, Big Opportunities

Diamond Head Seafoods, owned by Hawaiian local and military veteran Mike Irish, has been working with the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) for 20 years. From a small start with just a few products, Irish has progressed to running the seafood counters around Hawaii.

“I thought they didn’t like my products,” he admitted. “But I just kept trying. The second year they took five products, the third year nine or 10. As they got to know who I was and learned that I was committed to the commissaries, they grew more committed to my products and company.”

Currently, military shoppers can also find Irish’s sauces and condiments in commissaries on the mainland.

Thomas Kerwin of Aloha Gourmet also hopes to expand his product line in Hawaiian commissaries. This year, he brought cookies, coconut shreds and dried mangoes dipped in chocolate.

“We come to this show every year to showcase our items and meet with the buyers,” he said in this news article. “We may not get all of the products we show onto shelves, but even if it’s just one or two, that’s enough.”

Other companies are looking to break into the military market.

“We believe, given the opportunity, the military community will support us and this product,” Mike Choy, co-owner of  Ilio Products, commented. “They’re part of the community and they care about Hawaii and environmental issues. A part of our proceeds goes to organizations that support our coastlines.”

Choy brought an all natural, human grade line of venison dog treats, Go Go Pet’s Stressless Venison Premium Treats, to the expo. The dog treats are made from local deer on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Deer live on these islands without any natural predators, leading to overpopulation. Culling the deer helps keep the populations in check. Turning the meat into dog treats avoids waste.

“Our goal is to get our message out about how different and special (this product) is,” Choy said. “We’ve already thought about maybe having demos at (military exchanges and commissaries) or having an informational video run next to the product display.”

Possibility to Expand Beyond Hawaii

Choy and other vendors have a good chance of having products picked up by commissaries and exchanges on O’ahu. According to a report by Hawaii News Now, over 350 products were selected at the 2016 expo. Of these, 27 products were from companies that have not previously worked with DeCA. Fifteen new companies and 200 new items were added to the combined military exchanges.

Over the last two decades, almost 3,000 local products have made their way to military consumers at the commissaries and exchanges.

The ALA works with DeCA and the exchange systems throughout the military to help place and promote their members’ businesses and products. Given this large network, products have the possibility of expanding to stores worldwide.

“(T)housands of products have been marketed at the Hawaii show. Many of them are sold throughout the commissary network worldwide,” said U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono.

If you are looking for local products at your commissary or exchange, ask an associate. Often they can help direct you to these products. Many commissaries and exchanges also have a section featuring local products. Take the time to browse this section the next time you are at the commissary.

Which local products are featured in your commissary? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Tips for Teaching Your Kids While Shopping at the Commissary

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After school, the race is on! Will you be able to get everything in and get your groceries before bedtime?

When you follow a few pro tips at the commissary, you can build a little bit of learning into your shopping trip. Best of all? You can work on skills for all ages and stages!

How to Make Grocery Shopping at Your Commissary a Fun and Educational Experience for Your Child

When Your Child Is a Toddler

Children at this age are learning so much about their world. Everything is new, fun and exciting.

Color hunt: Challenge your child to find certain colors in each aisle, sort of like I Spy. Say: “I’m looking for something yellow.” Then, work together to find it.

The produce aisle is a great place to play this game. Let your child pick their favorite color, then find fruit and veggies to match. Select a few colors to build a produce rainbow that’s 100% good enough to eat.

Old MacDonald: There are many cartoon characters and pictures all over the grocery store. Work together to build a farm or zoo, full of fun animals. Challenge your child to make the sound of each animal you find.

Fruity shapes: In the produce aisle, use the time to teach your child shapes. Look for circles (oranges, tomatoes, blueberries), triangles (carrots), ovals (lemons, avocados, potatoes), squares (boxes of salad greens) and any other shape you can think of.

When Your Child Is in Preschool

At this age, children are learning numbers, patterns, letters and may even be starting to understand early reading skills.

Commissary navigators: Have your child sing out the aisle number and then tell you what is located there. For example: “Aisle 5 has cereal and breakfast things.” Challenge your child to remember what was in other aisles, the order you went in or which aisle you started in. This helps build number sequencing, memory skills and navigational techniques.

Little chef: Let your child pick a dish to make and help her find a recipe at home. Something simple, like salads, sandwiches or tacos, works well.

Together, make a visual list of the items she needs. Then let your child choose the ingredients at the commissary. As she goes through the store, have her write down which aisle she found each item in.

At home, work together to assemble her dish. This builds healthy eating habits, sequencing skills, memory and early reading abilities.

On the prowl: Play the alphabet game! As you walk through the store, ask your child to find things. For older children, you could ask them to actually get items you need off the shelves. All preschoolers can be on the look out for shapes, colors, letters and numbers.

To up the ante, make an erasable checklist with all the letters of the alphabet, the core (rainbow) colors, basic shapes and number 0-9. As your child finds each thing, he can mark it. If he can find everything, reward him with a healthy treat.

When Your Child Is in the Primary Grades (K-2)

Children in these grades are learning sight words and basic addition and subtraction.

Let’s make 10: Adding to 10 is a core skill in the early grades. This game works well with individual produce, like apples, or anything you buy multiples of, like yogurt.

Say:

“Let’s make 10! I put 4 in the cart. How many more do we need to get to 10?”

Then help your child (carefully) add the item to the cart, counting until you reach 10 (or any other target number). This builds numeracy skills and helps to move math out of the classroom.

Word search: Bring your child’s sight word list to the store. Slip it into a protector sheet so that he can mark off words and letters.

As you go through the aisles, have him look for the letters in each word, one word at a time. As he gets better at reading, have him try to find whole words on packaging and signs. This boosts all literacy skills.

Meal prep: Work with your child to plan a whole meal. Something simple, like a picnic lunch or pasta with sauce, would be perfect. Write a list with all the ingredients. Use a quick picture for any new words. Then work together to find all the items. This builds literacy, sequencing and organizational skills.

Which is less: Pick 2 similar items with different prices. A good example would be a box of cereal that costs $2.50 and one that costs $3.50. Point to the dollar amount ($2 and $3). Ask your child: “Which is less?” If she needs help, hold up your fingers or ask her to hold up hers. You could also ask: “Would you rather have 2 cookies or 3 cookies?” This activity boosts number skills, like comparing and sequencing, as well as logical thinking.

When Your Child Is an Upper Elementary (3-6) Student

Students in these grades have mastered essential reading and math skills. They can move on to bigger things!

Pound for pound: In the produce section, have your child use the scale to weigh your produce for the week. After weighing, ask your child to estimate or actually calculate how much each type of produce will cost.

This activity reinforces weights and measures, as well as building addition, estimation and multiplication skills.

How much left: Give your child a lunch or snack “budget.” Tell them that this amount has to see her through the whole week for lunches at school or snacks everywhere.

For the first few weeks, assist them in making smart choices. Show her how to deduct purchased items from her starting budget.

Then, let her fly free! This gives children the opportunity to make smart food choices and feel more in control of their environment. Plus, she is learning good budgeting techniques and how to balance accounts.

If you feel extra generous, let her know that any “extra” can go into a savings account or be used for a special purchase.

Read the store: Hand your child the list. Walking together, he should read the list to you, then locate the item on the shelf and read you the label. For items that are similar, he should read the whole label to check that it’s what you want. Once you have confirmed the selection, it goes into the cart. This builds skills with unfamiliar words, teaches teamwork and boosts organizational skills.

When Your Child Is a Middle and High School Student

These children can read independently and are moving on to harder math concepts. High school students will soon be spreading their wings in the real world! Now is the time to reinforce smart shopping habits and budgeting skills.

Solo act: Give your child a budget and a list that covers several meals throughout the week. You could make her responsible for finding all the ingredients for dinners, for example, and she has to keep costs at or under $45. Then let her go. You continue shopping with your list as usual. Then meet up right before the registers to confirm final purchases. Let your child check out on her own too. This builds independence, problem-solving, math and budgeting skills.

Meal planner: As children get older, they also need to boost their life skills. Cooking is essential to surviving in the real world, and now is a great age to teach it.

Make your child responsible for meal planning. Start with one meal per week and increase the load from there. Give him a budget. Invite him to use coupons, get a shopping club card and use your cookbooks.

Then he needs to shop for the ingredients while staying under budget. Finally, he should cook and serve the meal. Doing this will give him a better understanding of food prices, budgeting, cooking for a crowd and reading recipes.

How do you build teachable moments into your commissary trips? Tell us your best strategies in the comments!