The Defense Commissary Agency is an DOD appropriated organization that 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 valuable military benefit, saving authorized patrons at least 25%, which equates to thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5% surcharge (congressionally mandated), 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. Authorized shoppers are required to possess and show a Uniformed Services' Identification Card (ID).
Air Force Reserve Service members on drilling status with proper ID and immediate Family members with authorized Family member IDs are eligible for unlimited commissary use.
Commissary Use
Commissaries are grocery stores, usually located on military installations, which sell food products and assorted goods. As one of the military’s top non-pay benefits, commissaries save authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their grocery purchases compared to commercial prices when shopping regularly at these stores. The discounted prices include a 5% surcharge (congressionally mandated), which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones.
With the proper ID, unlimited commissary shopping privileges are authorized for:
Ready Reserve members (Selected Reserve, IRR, and Inactive National Guard)
Retired Guard members
"Gray Area" Guard retirees not yet age 60
Dependents of these members with a Department of Defense Family member ID
Additionally, under special provisions authorized by Department of Defense Memorandum in August 2009, a member of the Armed Forces who is involuntarily separated from active duty under other than adverse conditions through December 31, 2012 may continue to use commissary and exchange privileges for a two-year period beginning on the date of involuntary separation. Once the military service sends the Separation Program Designator (SPD) to DEERS, the separated Airman will be eligible for a new DD Form 2765 (Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card) reflecting these continued benefits. For more information, refer to DoD instructions 1330.17, 1330.21 and 1000.13, or consult your ID Card issuing facility.
Guests
Authorized shoppers are permitted to bring a guest to the commissary. However, guests are not permitted to make commissary purchases, and authorized patrons are not allowed to make purchases on the guest's behalf. Guest access to the commissary may vary based on local military regulations, and checking these regulations with the commissary management is recommended.
Overseas Commissaries
In overseas areas, Status of Forces Agreements (or other international agreements between the host country and the United States) determines access to commissaries and to the purchase of duty-free goods sold in these commissaries. Overseas military commands publish regulations of commissary access based on the terms of these agreements. These regulations differ by country. Contact the particular installation Pass and ID office in the country of interest to determine commissary privileges.
Click here for the FAQ on authorized shopping for information on overseas privileges. As host-nation laws and conditions may change, as well as treaty obligations of the United States, before traveling, it is recommended all travelers check with the military customs in the country(s) you are visiting.
Veterans' Exceptions
As an honorably discharged military Veteran, commissary privileges are granted only to those who are recipients of the Medal of Honor, or who have been certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as 100% disabled in connection with military service, and their authorized Family members. In January of 2020, the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security has expanded in-store commissary and military exchange shopping privileges as well as MWR retail facility use to Veterans who are Purple Heart recipients, Veterans who are former Prisoners of War (POW), all Veterans with service-connected disabilities and caregivers or Family caregivers (who are enrolled as the primary caregiver for Veteran's in the Department of Veteran Affairs Program of Compressive Assistance for Family Caregivers). Click here for more information: https://corp.commissaries.com/extended-eligibility
Food/Economic Security
DeCA continues their efforts to educate and inform their patrons on the value of the commissary benefit and its importance to enhancing military quality of life. Efforts continue to expand resources to promote food security for military Families. Resources on https://corp.commissaries.com/stronger-together include Military OneSource topics, benefits, tools and resources for events military Families encounter. The Outreach team has been trained to educate shoppers and non-shoppers on the benefits of saving at the commissary, to include everyday savings as well as education on USDA programs such as WIC and SNAP. The Commissary Store Brands have been promoted through the Commissary Price shield to encourage eligible patrons to shop Commissary Store Brands as another means of savings during inflationary times.
The YES! Program includes an assortment of items patrons purchase most. YES! Items can be identified by an orange YES! label underneath the price | |
Developed every two weeks for additional savings | |
Implemented online shopping at our commissary locations |
Health and Wellness
DAT is a point-of-purchase nutrition identification program that makes it easier for shoppers to find products based on many nutrition attributes | |
Quick, healthy and economical meal solutions for a busy lifestyle. Tips and suggestions are included on how to use the leftover items | |
Are a great alternative to the drive thru or can be used as a quick way to stock office and barrack fridges with quick, on-the-go, snacks and meals |
For more information about commissary eligibility, operations, or locations, please visit the following websites: The DeCA website, maintained by the Defense Commissary Agency: https://corp.commissaries.com
The DeCA Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/YourCommissary
The agency's Twitter page:
https://twitter.com/YourCommissary
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/
Theme-based image collections:
https://www.pinterest.com/YourCommissary
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DefenseCommissary
Department of Defense Instruction 1330.17, Department of Defense Commissary Program:
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/133017p.pdf
To determine situation-specific commissary privilege and eligibility, contact personnel in the Pass and ID Office at the nearest military installation.
