Overseas, remote stateside commissaries to remain open during government shutdown

By DeCA Corporate Communications

FORT LEE, Va. (January 20, 2018) – Commissaries overseas and in certain remote stateside locations will be open during the government shutdown, the Defense Commissary Agency announced today.

DeCA’s announcement means 38 commissaries in Europe, one store in Puerto Rico and 28 stores in the Pacific (including two in Guam), will remain open during a government shutdown as a safety and security measure to serve U.S. troops and their families stationed overseas.

Commissaries in five remote stateside locations will also remain open: Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport and Fort Irwin in California; Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak and Fort Greely in Alaska; and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.

The remainder of stateside commissaries, including those in Alaska and Hawaii, will follow an orderly shutdown to prepare for closing so they can reduce their stocks of perishables and properly safeguard equipment and facilities. The operating times of these stores will vary as they prepare to close. Patrons of these stores are asked to check commissaries.com for local schedules.

“The Defense Department recognizes how significant the commissary benefit is for our military’s wellbeing and quality of life – especially for our service members and their families stationed overseas and in remote areas in the U.S.,” said retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi, interim DeCA director and CEO. “We will do our best to support our military communities whenever and wherever possible.

“For the stores preparing to close for the shutdown, commissary patrons are advised to take advantage of these last-minute opportunities to save even more as these stores look to reduce their inventories of perishable products,” Bianchi added.

For more details, go to the Defense Commissary Agency website at www.commissaries.com, or its Facebook and Twitter sites at www.facebook.com/YourCommissary and www.twitter.com/YourCommissary. During the shutdown, commissary customers will be able to access existing information on DeCA’s website. However, that site and the agency’s social media platforms will not be updated until the shutdown is over.

Bianchi recommends that service members and their families stay tuned in to their local news outlets for information about any impact to services on their installations.

The Department of Defense website, http://www.defense.gov, and its social media platforms are expected to be continually updated with information and breaking news that affects service members and federal government civilian employees.

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.

Stay Connected to Your Commissary Benefit

COMMISSARIES.COM: Visit www.commissaries.com to learn more about the Defense Commissary Agency: check out the latest news, find a store near you, see what’s on sale, create a shopping list, learn of food and product recalls, scan employment opportunities, read frequently asked questions, submit a customer comment form online through DeCA’s Your Action Line and more.

COMMISSARY CONNECTION E-NEWSLETTER: Stay connected with the latest news about your most valued benefit, Hot Links to additional savings, shopping sprees, contests, commissary promotions, events and more, go to www.commissaries.com/subscribe.cfm and subscribe to the Commissary Connection newsletter.

COMMISSARY CONNECTION BLOG: To see regular posts about topics of interest to commissary customers, including commissary news, human interest stories, shopping tips, videos and notifications about programs or events, go to http://commissaryconnection.dodlive.mil/. You can also subscribe to this forum by going to www.commissaries.com/subscribe.cfm.

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