DOD testing extending commissary access to civilian employees

  • Published
  • Defense Commissary Agency

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – Two Air Education & Training Command bases were selected for a Department of Defense test on expanding commissary shopping privileges to DOD civilian employees at Defense Commissary Agency stores in the continental United States for 120 days starting Dec. 5.

Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, are among the 16 locations selected for the test.

“We welcome the opportunity to participate in DOD’s pilot to expand commissary shopping privileges to DOD civilian employees at 16 of our stores,” said John E. Hall, DeCA director and chief executive officer.

All civilian employees, both appropriated and non-appropriated, with DOD identification will be authorized to shop at one of the 16 commissaries participating in the test program. 

The commissaries selected for the test are:
Alaska: Eielson Air Force Base;
California: Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Fort Irwin;
Georgia: Marine Corps Logistical Base Albany and Robins Air Force Base;
Maryland: Naval Air Station Patuxent River;
Oklahoma: Altus Air Force Base;
Texas: Laughlin Air Force Base;
Virginia: Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base commissaries), Fort Gregg-Adams, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (Little Creek Commissary), Naval Base Norfolk, Naval Air Station Oceana and Norfolk Naval Ship Yard (Portsmouth).

The participating commissaries were selected based on:
Store Size: A variety of stores were selected ranging from small to large;
Demographics: An adequate military departmental employee mix while evaluating DeCA’s ability to accommodate the additional patrons;
Geography: Certain locations, with high concentrations of DOD civilians were selected to measure DeCA’s ability to support large increases in supported populations and will provide insight to infrastructure requirements.

DOD directed DeCA to closely monitor any effects of the increased patronage on the test stores’ operations and report those findings. The findings will assist DOD in determining the feasibility of expanding the benefit to all DOD civilians.