Military Update: Joint Chiefs divide over cuts to commissary savings

Sierra Vista Herald ^ | TOM PHILPOT

[GreyFriar]

Partly true about families. Here in the DC area there are more families than there is housing. But even the folks who live off post use the commissaries. In Places where I served during my 20 years, it seemed the majority of the families lived on post. And as for shopping in walmart for groceries, I don’t know how well your Walmart is stocked for food, but here in the DC area the Walmart food aisles are about six in number and about 1/3rd of the store length long. I get a better selection of food by 300% at the commissary. I have seen a couple of the super-Walmart’s you are probably talking about, but they are in the Shendoah Valley of Virginia, a 2 hour drive west of the DC metro area. the nearest Walmart to me is farther than Andrews AFB, where I usually shop (I’m retired). the grocery section is smaller than the hardware area.

[GreyFriar]

Safetgiver,

I remember hearing about that in 73 when I enlisted. I don’t remember actually seeing it. I have never seen it happen the last 30 years. And the commissaries are now ‘state of the art’ not the former converted warehouses of old Ft. Knox, Huachuca, or even Ft. Myer and Cameron Station here in DC in the 80s and 90s.

If you haven’t seen a commissary since your 72-74 tour, you ought to check one out.

[GreyFriar]

SZ, you forgot to mention that the commissary takes all manufactures coupons and even has coupon dispensers for ‘featured items’ 1/2 gal milk is $1.67 at Bolling & Andrews AFB commissaries. A can of libby hash is $1.69. bread, $1.22 a loaf.

And old commissaries, the commissary at Ft. McNair was literally converted from the post’s two horse stables with the paddock area in between floored and roofed over. It was closed in 1994 and is now the home of the US Army Center of Military History. Of course, folks still make comments about what comes out of CMH being related to the horse stables :-)

[Always A Marine]

Just as on-base fast food franchises like McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Subway have replaced the inefficient and lower quality government run grills aboard military bases, private enterprise can do a better job of running commissaries and AAFES retail stores on bases around the world. Walmart alone has built a logistical system that could absorb all of AAFES within a few months, and without any assistance or hindrance from AAFES' legion of bureaucrats.

Government is driven to process, while private enterprise is driven to solutions. Unhindered by the lifeless, functionary culture of government, private enterprise is motivated to competitive efficiency that keeps prices sustainably low. There is no reason that private enterprise cannot deliver better and broader tax-free shopping options to on-base military shoppers than our present outdated system -- and at zero cost to the American taxpayers.

[CitizenUSA]

There may be some AAFES items that are a good deal, but generally I can find the same items less expensive elsewhere. I don’t buy much ammo, so I can’t say how good a deal that would be at the BX. The commissary, on the other hand, seems to be a better deal, and I agree with the article that commissary business brings some customers to AAFES that they’d lose otherwise.

I also agree our dear leaders are probably underestimating the impact of their proposed changes to the commissary system. The commissary is a valuable benefit that helps military pay go farther and encourages retention. It’s so nice of the Joint Chiefs to sell out the military by claiming commissary cuts are fine. Not everyone in the military is a well paid and royally treated general officer.