Posted on 12/05/2019 6:57:48 AM PST by Boomer
The Defense Department has announced expanded Commissary, Military Service Exchange and MWR access Jan. 1 and established a standard for physical access to military installations.
Veterans and Primary Family Caregivers who are eligible and want to take advantage of in-person benefits must have a Veterans Health Identification Card, or VHIC. Primary Family Caregivers must have an eligibility letter from VA’s Office of Community Care.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.va.gov ...
I’ve noticed the site is slow to load at this time so it may take a little longer than normal.
Well, funny you should ask. I tried to find some clarification this morning. It’s really not exactly clear. I have a VHIC card but no service connected (according to the VA) disability. Section 101 of Title 38 isn’t exactly clear and Chapter 54 of Title 10 isn’t exactly clear either. The McCain military reauthorization act(HR 5515 section 621) kind of implies Purple Heart awardees, MOH awardees and disability VA folks, but percentages are not detailed for that disability. Looking at the Q&A at the VA site doesn’t help much either. One response was 0-99% disability. If it’s zero, it won’t be on you card even though you have access to medical care. Guess if you have a PX/BX close enough and have a card give it a try after 1/1/2020. Report back. My closest is NAS Fallon which is about 90 miles so..........
Announcement of this this came out several months ago. I got my VHIC. Makes business sense - to justify the continued operation of these facilities, you have to expand the customer base. Expanding to veterans with a documented disability is one quick, easy way. I’m not sure how much shopping I’ll do there - have to look at the prices, but nice to have available.
The prices are no cheaper than other stores...
I read in the VA newsletter that prices are similar to walmart, it is the taxes that are not charged.
Passed on to veteran son-in-law. Thanks.
Years ago they used to have case lot sales at the National Guard Armory in Chattanooga but Obama stopped those ...they were very 3 months... Id get a pack of 14 Dove soaps for about $6...
IIRC, the ‘name brand’ items were a little cheaper, but the big thing was no sales tax - a big savings here in kalifornia.
The way I read it your VAHIC must read ,service connected, POW or Purple Heart. You can have a 0% service connected disability, if so your ID will still show a service connected status on your card. I’m 10% and have a service connected on my ID card so should be good. Patrick AFB is right up the beach from me so I’ll give it a go next year. I’m not sure how much cheaper the commissary will be but it’s worth a trip.
Yeah, I’m a good two hours from the nearest base so this isn’t really something I’ll be able to use but for those who live near enough to one, this could save a little money.
Several years ago they opened up online ordering from the BX system. I didn’t find them to have better prices than Walmart or Amazon most the time but I did appreciate the added benefit.
LOL! PAFB used to be right DOWN the beach from us for many years. Now, no beach within sight. Hope it works for you. If it boils down to tax, the drive for us to the nearest BX/PX wouldn’t make economic sense.
I am a retired soldier, actually retired longer than I was on active duty, so I've been able to use the facilities for about 50 years, now.
The Commissary prices are higher than comparable civilian grocery store chains.
True, there are no taxes, but that surcharge will bite!
It's more than comparable taxes in some locations.
And the Commissary does not have the wide variety of selection that civilian grocery chains have.
The Commissary at Redstone Arsenal is always crowded, always being stocked, but usually out of the things that you bought just last week.
But it's clean and there are plenty of little old lady Koreans to pack your groceries and carry them to your vehicle.
For a price, of course.
Offer them a a five and see just how nasty a little old lady from Korea can look at you.
They even look down their noses at a 10, but they'll snatch it so quick you'll wonder if you actually had it in your hand.
So you gotta add that into the cost of shopping there, unless you wish to pack and tote your own...which will garner you much nasty looks, not only from the little old lady Koreans, but the cashiers and a large percentage of the shoppers that feel you are holding them up.
The PX charges no taxes...but the prices are pretty high, since most of what they offer is upper-level over-priced goods...as in $80.00 Levi jeans, $140.00 Cole-Haan shoes, etc.
Which I wouldn't buy in the first place.
Or the latest Nike wonder shoe signed by Colin Krapadick.
And the guns...an adventure in and of itself.
Beyond the usual paperwork (and overpriced compared to all the on-line deals), you must leave the base immediately with it and you will be escorted out and actually watched until you are out of sight.
Bottom line, the PX is one step above a Walmart, but no where near as well stocked, the Commissary is about two steps below your local Piggly-Wiggly or whatever you have...and far, far below what your local Kroger or Bi-Lo can offer on a recurring basis.
Don't get me wrong, I'm appreciative of the fact that they are there.
But it ain't nothing special, anymore.
And now that the nearest one to me is about 80 miles, it simply isn't worth the drive to go more than once a month, if that.
For the soldier that lives on post with his family, it's good for convenience sake, but realistically, a cost-aware housewife (or househusband, if we must), would do better to drive off post and use the chain grocery stores.
As far as putting clothes on a kid...I don't have the wherewithal to spend extra money on an item for a child that will probably destroy it before it's use is realized, just for the sake of a brand name.
To each his own, but I really don't see an advantage for anyone.
And for those that have advanced the argument that everything in the PX and Commissary is USA Made...no, not anywhere near that.
The only US Made clothing you will find in a PX is out of the Clothing Sales part, which is where soldiers buy their uniform items.
Other than that, most everything else, just like Wal-mart, comes from China, or is assembled here from Chinese-sourced parts.
Of course there are exceptions...as in the guns, some domestic stuff, etc.
All said and done...don't waste your time.
I made a huge mistake about this. I read about it on VA newsletter. My mistake was creating an account to shop the Exchange. When I open the link to shop, unending ads appear that cover the entire screen, a warning notice appears at the bottom about a script running. I click on “end script.” The ads quit flashing by for about 5-10 seconds; then the sequence repeats and repeats and repeats...
I now receive 5-10 spam e-mails every day from the Exchange. I’ve been unable to find a way on the site to cancel the registration. It appears that my only solution will be to block e-mails from the exchange.
Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligible to enroll in VA health care, or who are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a Veteran Health Identification Card will not have access to DoD and Coast Guard installations for in-person commissary, exchange, and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and American Forces Travel.
I read this a little differently. All those who are eligible for VA health care will get this added benefit. At best; this is confusing.
Thanks. I never thought about getting a new card.
I got my card before I was deemed disabled.
That’s a pretty accurate assessment from my experience.
The days of any real cost savings at the commissary and AAFES are long gone. Besides, I spend more in gas getting there and back than any savings could offset.
Love your homepage, btw.
Nicely written with obvious personal experience to back it up.
Thanks!
I pretty much got the same impression from the online ordering. Many, maybe even most, times it’s cheaper to get them through civilian sources. I just bought a pair of Pelton boots. I almost bought it through Amazon for the convenience but thought I’d look around a bit more and went to the sellers site and found they had a Cyber Monday sale still on and got it for 40% less.
It pays to shop around. I see the BX/PX as just being another option.
If you have the card, you can shop there. That’s it.
There are still case lot sales at Maxwell AFB’s commissary in Montgomery, Alabama.
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