Congress is constantly debating military benefits and the commissary is frequently at the top of the list. Every year when the Defense Bill reaches the floor consumers stand weary to see what will happen to their commissary benefits.
Congress claims they are looking out for service members, veterans and their families, but are they really?
Is Congress trying to save the commissary or looking for an excuse to close it down? If you listen in on any of the subcommittee meetings, you might not be so sure of the answer.
Congress isn’t out to cause harm to military families by cutting the commissary.
It might be hard to trust that lawmakers are on the side of military families. They are constantly talking about budget cuts and changes to military benefits. Service members and their families have sacrificed so much. They were promised benefits to compensate them for their service.
Over the years however, we have all watched as benefits are cut, diminished and altered.
What my dad was promised back in the 70s is not what he ended up with when he retired from the Army almost 30 years later.
Congress isn’t out to cause harm to military families by cutting benefits though and all changes aren’t bad either. I’ve witnessed some great changes in the last 8 years that I’ve been a Navy spouse.
You won’t find any of the committee members saying they want to do away with the commissary. They all pledge that they are working hard to keep the commissary going. It’s the business process they are trying to improve so that the commissary won’t depend on the government and taxpayers to it keep running.
The simple truth is they want military families to have the benefit of shopping at the commissary –they just don’t want to pay for it.
As so many things come down to it, it’s just about money. How can Congress cut the budget? If they truly didn’t care about the morale of families, they could simply vote to do away with the commissary. It really could be that simple.
Instead, they have taken extensive measures to dig into what can be done to save the commissary.
Congress hired a firm and spent nearly $4 million to research ways to make the commissary self-sufficient and competitive with commercial grocery stores.
They looked into privatizing the system, but that didn’t pan out.
They talked about what increasing the prices could do to level the playing field with commercial grocers and patrons balked at the idea.
They tested the idea of variable pricing by market and that resulted in some families coming out ahead while others found their pockets lighter.
Finally, the research team talked about creating a commissary brand private label. That had mixed results in discussion but this year it will be tested. DeCA will be introducing private label items by the end of the year. They are still in the process of seeking companies to put in proposals to create the private labels. Congress is waiting for the results of this idea.
We will be waiting to see what happens next, because that’s all we can do.
It’s another year of wait and see.
Will the commissary benefit continue or will Congress look at the price tag and decide to make significant changes? Unfortunately, only time will tell. In the meantime, take advantage of this benefit and do your shopping at the commissary.
NO NO and NO They can not be trusted. My husband and others didn’t get what they were promised and as a result I assume I do not get anything but an ID. They admit to that and nothing more. They removed his military even though he had a disability retirement from his Civil Service. A letter stating they did not care what he earned he did not have to turn any monies back to the agency it was not subject to that law when he was hired as well as his 15 point advantage in the hiring process. Now go figure what OPM uses for their excuses. They were told 26 years ago to get their act together and straighten the mess out. Which they have never done nor returned funds that were removed. Trust Never. They should not be doing comparison pricing either. Since when is the commissary subject to the same prices as the grocery stores in the area are charging? The commissary is limited access where is that savings they say you get when they compare the prices the larger stores in town are charging as well as the stores they compare charge the most of any store in town? There is no savings sorry to say. Check your local area for prices and you will soon find that you are paying the same sometimes even more. Where does that help the military family who takes less in pay than the outside pays? Please we may be dumb but we are not stupid. They need to stop paying off the politicos as well .. One of the vendors made no bones about who he paid to do business in the commissary That is the benefit to the politico not to the families of the men/women serving in the military they are paying for the pay offs as well as the higher priced groceries.
I noticed prices going up after it was contracted out. Why can’t the military take over the commissaries again and keep prices down. It’s all about the politics and making them richer. We do not use the commissary very often because it’s just not that much savings anymore.
My Husband was a POW in WW2 he flew in the Korean War, Cold War and was in Vietnam
also in the Dominican Uprising. .
He ended up as a Chief M/Sgt We were able to go to the Base to see a Dr. that was taken away if they take away the commissary the only thing left will be the Exchange.
At least we can still get most medicine at the Base but when will that stop.
I agree Marjorie, with you. We do our “big” shopping at the Commissary in Newport, and I pray that they do not take away the base pharmacy. We don’t shop the Exchange very often – they are discontinuing the NEX brands on most everything in the Mini Mart, and the Main Exchange is for the men, and ladies for the expensive pocketbooks, and no childrens/infants clothing as of this month. Thinking of locating an AF base and shop there. =(
These current politicians will lie, cheat, steal everything they can, from retiree and families, in order to fund their own pork barrel programs–whether they are voted in or appointed
The politico are only out for their own pockets nothing more They will dump a vet retiree survivor for any pork barrel project that benefits their pockets. The bunch of politicos in DC have no morals or sense of responsibility whatsoever. They are only out for themselves or their buddies dollar benefit. Need some honesty back in Washington. Oh by the way the vendors in the commissaries pay off to the politico in Washington from the district they serve commissary level. They tell it
What do you think I’ll happen to ALL the still existing benefits, if Hillary gets in?? I have never seen our Military treated like a third world person.. BUT, they are good enough to keep shipping them back over, how many times to fight for our freedom? The press gave himself and the retired presidents an 18% pay increase and how many have you heard that? There isn’t much left to take away from the retired now and they won’t let up until they take what little bit away as well.
The fact they paid 4 million is your first clue as to what congress focuses their talents on (i.e., spending money). The commissary system did not “need” federal monies until after “congress” passed laws that required the commissaries to hire federal workers. It is not a secret, it is well documented, and it doesn’t take 40 bucks, much less 4 million, to verify.. In other words, they were self sustaining before those laws were passed.
It is one thing to discuss commissary operations, it is another to discuss it intelligently. A document search is at one’s fingertips – at the speed of light. That is, if they are that interested. Congress is betting people aren’t “that interested” – so that their appropriation of 4 million on an “analysis” in the name of “saving money” won’t appear the true waste that it was.
I worked in the commissary at Fort Knox in the late 60’s. We were civil service then.
Politicians cannot be trusted, when they reduce there benefits, free college for there children, free medical, paycheck for life we the american people will then trust there word. When they look at making reductions first thing they do is reduce our benefits. We need to make our country strong again.
Take a look at their track record….negative, negative, negative. Congress only has their own interests at heart and not the Active Duty Military, Military Retiree, or the Veterans. In each and every area they are cutting, cutting,, cutting and do not really care about the military. If they actually delivered on the promises made and the speeches they give, the military would place them in a more positive light. There agenda, once again just take a look at their track record for the past number of years. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that they talk out of both sides of their mouths.