Commissaries remind former POWs, Purple Heart recipients, disabled veterans, certified caregivers of their shopping privileges

NOTE: To see a video related to disabled veterans shopping in commissaries, click here. 

FORT LEE, Va. – Knowledge is power, and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is on a mission to boost the economic security of every eligible patron with information about their commissary benefit.

That outreach includes the millions of disabled veterans, certified caregivers, Purple Heart recipients and former prisoners of war who were granted commissary, exchange and MWR retail shopping privileges on Jan. 1, 2020, under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018.

“We are working closely with military associations and advocate groups to reach more of our disabled veterans,” said Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “And as we spread the word on this much-needed benefit to all our eligible customers, we are striving to anticipate their needs, offer premier customer service and do what it takes to be their grocery provider of choice.”

Saucedo said some disabled veterans may not be aware of recent changes to commissaries that have made the benefit an even better deal than ever before. The biggest change occurred on Sept. 22, 2022, when the Department of Defense announced the “Taking Care of Service Members and Families” initiative to help improve the economic security and stability of the military community. As part of this effort, the Department increased DeCA’s funding, which eliminates the need for commissaries to earn margin – through higher prices – to pay for part of its operating costs.

“This initiative has allowed us to reduce grocery prices across our product assortment, especially on food staples such as bread, eggs, milk and more,” Saucedo said. “Now we are able to achieve at least 25 percent savings against local market baskets outside the gate.”

In addition to its regular savings, commissaries also offer the following options to help improve their patrons’ quality of life: 

• Timely sales promotions as well as specific items highlighted on the biweekly sales flyer

• Commissary Store Brands with quality equivalent to or better than national brands with greater savings

• Convenience of online shopping and payment through Commissary CLICK2GO, offering custom shopping lists and curbside grocery pickup

• Dietitian-approved labeling and recipes, on-the-go meals and snacks

• A sense of military community with over 60 percent of DeCA’s workforce having a connection to the armed forces

• Clean and safe stores with staffs that offer premier customer service

“Commissaries are an insurance policy to help ensure our patrons’ food security,” Saucedo said. “We want all our customers, especially our disabled veterans, to take advantage of all their installation shopping benefits – commissary, base exchange and morale, welfare and recreation outlets – because they’ve earned them.”

To find out more information about expanded shopping benefits, visit the DeCA webpage on extended eligibility.

-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.