HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! On Dec. 13, commissaries honor National Guard’s 388-year legacy

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FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. - On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Colony created an organized militia that would eventually become today's National Guard.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is honored to deliver the commissary benefit to members of the Army National Guard, Air Guard and their family members, said Navy Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.

"We honor the 388-year legacy of the National Guard, and we want our guardsmen to know we celebrate them every day by delivering the commissary benefit they've earned," Rivers said. "We endeavor to provide the highest quality product at the lowest price possible to help our eligible patrons boost their financial and food security with at least 25 percent savings on their groceries."

In times of crisis or disaster, the United States has always relied upon the National Guard to provide aid, Rivers said. The Army National Guard and Air Guard have also deployed and fought alongside active-duty military and reserve forces in wartime, making it a valuable and important asset to the safety and security of the nation.

As their role in the American military has grown, guardsmen's access to commissaries has also increased. Members of the Guard and Reserve have traditionally had limited access to commissaries when they were on active duty, two weeks out of each year. In November 1986 the Guard received authorization for 12 commissary shopping days each year in addition to their privileges during their two weeks of active duty.

Congress and the Department of Defense decided in 1990 to consolidate the separate service commissaries under one agency - the Defense Commissary Agency - which formed on Oct. 1, 1991.

The National Defense Authorization Act of October 1998 later increased the commissary privileges from 12 to 14 visits per year for selected Guard, Reserves, and Reserve retirees under 60 years of age. This change reflected the important role Reserve component troops were assigned in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Members of the Guard and Reserve were authorized full time shopping privileges by the Defense Authorization Act of FY 2004 which became effective on Oct. 1, 2003.

In 2008, DeCA received funding for an official Guard and Reserve on-site sale program that brought truckload and case lot events to geographically remote Guard and Reserve service members and their families. The on-site sale events took place in warehouses, aircraft hangars, armories, tents in parking lots and even the back ends of semitrailers on Guard and Reserve bases across the United States.

Today, commissaries offer modern conveniences such as ordering online and picking up groceries with Commissary CLICK2GO, self-checkout registers, digital coupons, sushi bars, hot foods, deli/bakeries, credit and debit card acceptance, gift cards and even dietitian-approved resources to help identify healthy food in the stores.

"As the National Guard continues its legacy of service, we will keep providing guardsmen and their families - along with all of our eligible patrons - superior customer service and the items they want at the best possible savings," Rivers said. "By using the commissary benefit they've earned, guardsmen can save thousands of dollars annually on their purchases in comparison to similar products at commercial stores."

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.