Free Republic

In shaping a 2015 defense authorization bill, Congress has decided to protect the prized commissary benefit from the most worrisome budget threat to base grocery stores in decades. But military personnel are not likely to escape other key compensation curbs to include a second consecutive annual pay raise cap in January of 1 percent versus 1.8 percent needed to match private sector wage growth. Also, a million recipients of Basic Allowance for Housing are likely to see BAH increases dampened for the next three years until rates, on average, cover 95 percent of local rental costs versus 100 percent today.

The Pentagon is floating a controversial plan to close all U.S.-based commissaries in 2015 as part of a massive cost-saving effort after more than a decade of war. The commissaries are grocery stores that offer food and other necessities at a discount to members of the military, their families and veterans. But as Congress tightens the purse strings, the stores could get caught in the budget battle. Budget cutters say they don't yet know how much money the plan would save, but there are 178 commissaries in the United States -- and 70 overseas -- which receive a total of...

Like many active-duty soldiers and veterans in the area, Mark Erskine goes to the commissaries on Fort Bragg to buy food and basic household supplies. Erskine, who is commander of American Legion Post 230, cannot imagine not having the stores. Yet the Defense Department has reportedly asked the Defense Commissary Agency for a plan to close all stateside base commissaries. The stores have long been a subject of scrutiny on Capitol Hill, with the grocery benefit regarded by some lawmakers as an outdated, unnecessary expenditure

WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense is seriously looking at eliminating all of the the military’s remaining commissaries as a budget-cutting measure, but the action, to begin in 2015, would cut one of the basic benefits allotted to military families. Since DOD efforts to shut down the 178 stores statewide and another 70 overseas require congressional approval, there promises to be stiff opposition among lawmakers who are reluctant to cut benefits for the military. There also is concern that elimination of the commissary benefit for service personnel who already receive comparatively lower pay when compared with civilian counterparts could negatively...

A Walpole firm that sells seafood and other food products to military commissaries around the world has been caught up in the bureaucratic nets at the Pentagon. Alder Foods Inc., which has sold its frozen Rainbow Seafood Company shrimp and other food items to military personnel for 45 years, says it will probably have to close up shop by the end of the year unless the Pentagon reverses a recent rule change that the firm says will sink its operations. “I can seriously say we will not be a business anymore,” said Michelle Keating, chief executive of the 30-employee Alder...

FORT LEE, Va., Feb. 26, 2008 – General Mills announced a product recovery of two Progresso Italian Wedding Soup brands, in accordance with the recent Westland/Hallmark beef recall, Defense Commissary Agency officials said in a press release today.As a result, the commissary has removed the following products from its shelves:* Pro Microwave Bowl Italian-Style Wedding, 15.25-ounce bowl, UPC 41196-40339; Best-If-Used-By date "05JAN9."* Pro Soup Italian-Style Wedding, 18.5-ounce can, UPC 41196-91505; Best-If-Used-By date "12OCT9 - 08NOV9."Upon learning of the Westland/Hallmark beef recall, General Mills found that a supplier had sourced beef from this vendor. No other Progresso or General Mills products...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2006 -- The Defense Commissary Agency and the Fisher House Foundation have teamed up for the seventh year to offer educational scholarships to children of military families and retirees. The Scholarships for Military Children Program helps children of servicemembers pay for college by providing at least one $1,500 scholarship for each of DeCA’s more than 260 commissaries worldwide, DeCA spokesman Kevin Robinson said. "We consider the commissary to be one of the pillars of the military community," Robinson said. "As such, it is important that we invest in the future of the families we serve." Nearly...

FORT LEE, Va., June 5, 2006 – Military families are being encouraged to "load up their pantries" as the Defense Commissary Agency launches an awareness campaign encouraging military families to keep nonperishable foods, water and other necessities on hand for emergencies. Defense Commissary Agency posters on the tell shoppers to stock up for this hurricane season, which started June 1.   DeCA is teaming up with the Armed Forces Emergency Services Branch of the American Red Cross to raise awareness of disaster preparedness throughout the military community. The "What's in Your Closet?" campaign kicks off this month and is intended...

11/2/2005 - FORT LEE, Va. (AFPN) -- Defense Commissary Agency shoppers looking for a different kind of gift can let their fingers do the clicking at the new Virtual Commissary. Commissary officials said Virtual Commissary will open up new options of Internet shopping for authorized users. “We’re excited about DeCA’s first adventure into the world of Internet shopping,” said Patrick Nixon, chief executive officer and acting director for the Defense Commissary Agency. Virtual Commissary products can be found on the shelves of “brick and mortar” commissaries, but the unique packaging of products into gift and special occasion baskets adds a...

A list of options for cutting federal spending that was released by the Congressional Budget Office last week includes a cap on military pay raises at 2 percent for several years. It sounds much like a federal pay raise plan proposed for 2004 by the White House Office of Management and Budget that was rejected by the President. Another option was to close down military commissaries. This would lead military exchanges to increase on-base grocery sales. Since exchange foodstuffs are generally 10 percent higher than similar commissary sales, about half of the $1.1 billion saved through commissary closings would be...