DeCA announces its Best Commissary winners

FORT LEE, Va. (August 4, 2016) – The Defense Commissary Agency’s 2015 Best Commissary Award winners are Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida; U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza, Italy, and Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

“These commissaries deserve our highest praise,” said Joseph H. Jeu, DeCA Director and CEO. “They worked hard throughout last year and their dedication to our customers and our patrons is evident throughout their stores, so it’s very fitting that we recognize their excellence with these awards.”

To win, a store has to exceed DeCA’s normal criteria for customer service, accountability, safety, operations and sales.

The awards are named in honor of American statesmen who championed quality-of-life issues for the military community.

The awardees and runners-up by category are:

• Director’s Award for the Best Superstore
  • First Place: Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
  • Second Place: Pearl Harbor Commissary, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
• Bill Nichols Award for the Best Large Commissary in the United States
  • First Place: Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
  • Second Place: Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
• Richard M. Paget Award for the Best Small Commissary in the Unites States
  • First Place: Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida
  • Second Place: Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California
• Dan Daniel Award for the Best Large Commissary Overseas
  • First Place: U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza, Italy
  • Second Place: U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr, Germany
• L. Mendel Rivers Award for the Best Small Commissary Overseas
  • First Place: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
  • Second Place: Naval Station Rota, Spain

Note: For photos of Best Commissary winners, go to DeCA’s Flickr page at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/sets/72157668964804643.

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 and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save thousands of dollars annually. 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.

Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil