Happy birthday! Commissaries honor Army’s 249 years of service

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – Today’s U.S. Army celebrates a legacy of 249 years dating back to the American Revolution when the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia passed a resolution creating the Continental Army on June 14, 1775.

Two days after the establishment of the Continental Army, the roots of the commissary benefit were laid down when the Continental Congress created two supply offices, the Commissary General and the Commissary General of Stores and Purchases.

“The Defense Commissary Agency is proud to recognize the Army’s 249th anniversary, and we want all our soldiers – active duty, reservists, retirees and their family members along with disabled veterans and their caregivers – to know we celebrate them every day by delivering the commissary benefit they’ve earned,” said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) director. “We also want them to be aware that if they’re not shopping their commissary, then they are missing out on overall savings of at least 25 percent compared to prices at ‘outside the gate’ grocery stores – that means savings of at least $50 on a $200 grocery bill!”

During the Revolutionary War, it was a difficult feat keeping the Continental Army fed and able to fight. The American troops started the war without the supplies they required, including cooking equipment and food. A shortage of salt meant fish and meat could not be preserved, which made the food deficit worse. 

On July 19, 1775, Congress appointed Joseph Trumbull, the son of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull, as Commissary General. His department, charged with feeding the army, faced the unprecedented challenges of reconnecting supply lines in a war that flipped from the defense of extended positions to the near chaos of defeat and retreat.

On Aug. 14, 1775, Thomas Mifflin was named the Quartermaster General of the Continental Army by Gen. George Washington. The quartermaster general was responsible for procuring and distributing food and supplies. He was also the principal staff officer for the route reconnaissance and movement of troops. Other responsibilities included obtaining and maintaining wagons and boats to transport food and supplies.

Fifty years later, officers in charge of subsistence operations were known as chief commissaries, and their staff consisted of assistant commissaries and commissary sergeants. The Army began selling food items that year from warehouses to Army officers for their personal use. By 1841, officers could also purchase items for their families as well.

Congress authorized the Army to sell goods at cost from its subsistence warehouses to officers and enlisted men alike beginning on July 1, 1867. This is considered the start of the modern commissary benefit. No geographical restrictions were placed on these sales, which could take place at all Army posts, from the frontier to the East Coast.

By 1868, customers could choose from an official 82-item stock list, which was comparable to civilian dry-goods grocery stores at the time. By contrast, commissary stock lists today include as many as 15,000 items.

Army-run grocery stores called sales commissaries eventually replaced the subsistence warehouses of the 19th century, selling items at cost and providing soldiers good food at reasonable prices. When the Army’s mission expanded around the world, commissaries followed – first to Cuba and the Philippines in 1898-99, then to China in 1900, Panama in 1904 and France in 1918.

While commissaries were originally created for active-duty Army personnel, they gradually were made available to members of every armed service, military retirees, reservists, authorized family members, and disabled veterans and their caregivers.

In 1952, to help cover the stores’ expenses, the Department of Defense ordered an across-the-board 2-percent surcharge; this was gradually increased until it reached the current level of 5 percent in 1983. Funds generated by the surcharge go toward construction, renovation and maintenance of commissary structures, as well as for some supplies and equipment.

By 1990, Congress and the Defense Department decided to consolidate the individual service commissary systems into one agency. The newly formed Defense Commissary Agency officially took control of 411 military commissaries and multiple related operations, such as Air Force troop support operations and sales to U.S. Embassy personnel, on Oct. 1, 1991.

Today, commissaries continue to save soldiers and their families thousands of dollars annually on their purchases in comparison to similar products at commercial stores. Commissaries boast conveniences like online ordering/curbside pickup services, a mobile app, self-checkouts, digital coupons, dietitian-approved resources to identify healthy foods, sushi bars, hot foods, deli-bakeries, credit and debit card acceptance, gift cards and much more.

“Since 1775, millions of Americans have worn the Army uniform and established a superb record of valor, sacrifice and distinguished service in conflicts from the American Revolution to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Rivers said. “Now, 249 years later, members of the Army community, along with their peers in the other armed services, may shop at any of DeCA's 235 commissaries at U.S. military installations around the world.”

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees 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 covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.