For military and civilian alike, nothing easily spans the separations of family and friends created by military service and brightens the winter holidays quite like commissary gift cards, and this year new “open value” cards let gift givers determine the amounts they want to give.

The Defense Commissary Agency’s (DeCA’s) “gift of groceries” officially became a member of the seven-figure club Nov. 4 when the 1 millionth commissary gift card was sold at the Misawa Air Base, Japan, Commissary.

Nov. 10 is the 244th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Marine Corps by the Continental Congress in 1775 to create a seafaring infantry for the Navy during times of battle at sea and ashore. “The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) salutes the Marine Corps community on this occasion, acknowledging a legacy of valor, sacrifice and distinguished service that dates back to the American Revolution,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka N. O’Neal, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “On this, their 244th birthday, we say ‘Semper Fi!’ to our Marine patrons and are proud to deliver the commissary benefit they’ve earned.”

Mann Packing Co. is voluntarily recalling specific vegetable products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Nov. 4.

After two previous recalls of select unbleached all-purpose flour products, King Arthur Flour, Inc. is again expanding the recall to include three additional lots codes due to potential E. coli contamination, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Nov. 1.

Nestlé USA is voluntarily recalling its ready-to-bake refrigerated Toll House Cookie Dough products because they may be contaminated with extraneous rubber pieces, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Oct. 31.

Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) patrons and employees once again led this year’s Department of Defense (DOD) contributions to the Feds Feed Families campaign by collecting nearly 800,000 pounds of food and personal hygiene items.

New commissary store brands are appearing just in time for holiday savings, said the Defense Commissary Agency’s top enlisted service member.

The Perrigo Company plc has issued a worldwide voluntary recall of all sizes of over-the-counter (OTC) products containing ranitidine because they may be contaminated with a nitrosamine impurity called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) which is believed to be carcinogenic in humans, according to a De

We may turn our clocks back Nov. 3 when daylight saving time ends, but the savings continue as commissary promotions and events honor our veterans and provide more than enough for the gatherings of family and friends at Thanksgiving.

Since 1996, the month of November has been earmarked to honor the sacrifices of military families, serving on the “front lines” of supporting the careers of our nation’s service members.

Sanofi is voluntarily recalling all sizes of Zantac OTC (over-the-counter) in the U.S.

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. is voluntarily recalling a single lot of its Johnson’s Baby Powder because sample testing indicated the presence of sub-trace levels of chrysotile asbestos contamination, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Oct. 21.

Christopher Carpenter, a commissary employee at the Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, Commissary, received an Outstanding Employee with a Disability Award Oct. 3 in the Pentagon.

CTC Food International, Inc. is voluntarily recalling its Orchids Dried Shitake Mushroom product because it may contain undeclared sulfites, according to a recall notice from the Defense Commissary Agency’s food safety office sent Oct. 13.