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Well, all I can say is that my family is a military family and I can't tell you how many bases and posts I've been on and lived on between my parents, myself, and now two active duty kids. I have never EVER seen a commissary that wasn't packed to the gills with customers the Saturday after a payday - or on the first and fifteenth of every month either.
Not to say it couldn't happen somewhere in the world - I just haven't seen it.
I was just at the commissary with my daughter at Barksdale AFB a few months ago the day after payday, during the day. It was a madhouse! Lines stretching all the way down several aisles and wrapped around displays.
Just because you don't see it does not mean it does not happen. I am retired, however, my current job pays me on the 7th and 22nd of each month (we don't touch our retirement), my wife goes the following Saturday, she is there at 9am to avoid the mad house rush that comes around 10am, and damn if you are there around noon....or if the 7th and 22nd fall on a weekend I get paid that Friday, she goes that Saturday...
And damn if you go before 11am or after 1pm on Sunday....all the chuch folks are there in a mad rush....
Just because you don't see it does not mean it does not happen.
She had said exactly that: "Not to say it couldn't happen somewhere in the world - I just haven't seen it."
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I am retired, however, my current job pays me on the 7th and 22nd of each month (we don't touch our retirement), my wife goes the following Saturday, she is there at 9am to avoid the mad house rush that comes around 10am, and damn if you are there around noon....or if the 7th and 22nd fall on a weekend I get paid that Friday, she goes that Saturday...
And damn if you go before 11am or after 1pm on Sunday....all the chuch folks are there in a mad rush....
So you agree with her that the commissary is very frequently packed.
She had said exactly that: "Not to say it couldn't happen somewhere in the world - I just haven't seen it."
So you agree with her that the commissary is very frequently packed.
You need to read the entire posting, she is talking about certain days, and I have very clearly defined that the days I am talking about are not the days she is talking about.
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Originally Posted by KathrynAragon Well, all I can say is that my family is a military family and I can't tell you how many bases and posts I've been on and lived on between my parents, myself, and now two active duty kids. I have never EVER seen a commissary that wasn't packed to the gills with customers the Saturday after a payday - or on the first and fifteenth of every month either.
Not to say it couldn't happen somewhere in the world - I just haven't seen it.
I was just at the commissary with my daughter at Barksdale AFB a few months ago the day after payday, during the day. It was a madhouse! Lines stretching all the way down several aisles and wrapped around displays.
I have fond memories of buying up 39 cent Ramen noodle packages circa 2000-2002 since I was always so hungry because they underfed us in the mess halls.
COSTCO and Walmart et. al.,* ARE NOT CHEAPER* than our commissary for groceries. We have done the comparisons, and budgeted accordingly. The truth is, we save a LOT shopping there and it really pizzes me off that a benefit promised us (like other eroding ones) is threatened with removal. We use our commissary every week and while we are members of Costco, the purpose is not for us to buy much food (except in bulk at times), but other things like appliances and other big purchases. I would be very upset to see our commissary go and I know for a fact our food bill would rise substantially unless we were to cut back a lot of things. My husband served in the USAF 21 years and I am getting sick of seeing benefits promised us when we enlisted ( I have 10 years' service myself) just going up in smoke or being greatly reduced. I plan on letting my representatives know this definitely would not sit well with me---- and remember it comes time to vote. I live in an area where there are a LOT of military, active, reserve/guard and retired. I know I am not alone in how I feel.
COSTCO and Walmart et. al.,* ARE NOT CHEAPER* than our commissary for groceries
Perhaps you have missed the point.
'For profit' stores operate at low cost, low overhead, and low waste. They show a profit.
DeCa is ran by government bureaucrats who are not authorized shoppers; they do not care about operational costs or waste.
The DeCa model of operating a business is one that costs a great deal to operate. Whereas the Walmart business model operates at an extremely low overhead.
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... it really pizzes me off that a benefit promised us (like other eroding ones) is threatened with removal.
... I am getting sick of seeing benefits promised us when we enlisted ( I have 10 years' service myself) just going up in smoke or being greatly reduced. I plan on letting my representatives know this definitely would not sit well with me---- and remember it comes time to vote. I live in an area where there are a LOT of military, active, reserve/guard and retired. I know I am not alone in how I feel.
When I worked for Army HQs, it was an annual fight to stop the grocery industry from having some jerk in congress kill the commissary system. We defended the commissaries in our budget submissions as a morale and welfare issue and a benefit to help overcome the generally low pay of military service, else our soldiers would have another reason to walk away from military service after we taxpayers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) per soldier/sailor/airman/marine to train them for the hardest job on earth.
We fought this nonsense during the Reagan years, during the Clinton years and during the Bush years. It doesn't depend on who's president. It depends on how hard the grocery industry and its lobbyists press the congressmen and senators on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees (HAC and SAC). Political pressure comes down the line to the service secretaries and OSD types who carry out the President's agenda.
The industry will try this every damned year. If you have these bennies, you need to make sure you contact your congressman and senator. The squeaky wheel gets heard. Also press your VFW or other veteran's group to pressure all of the elected sellouts who sent you off to war and now want to throw you under the bus so wal-mart, et al, can suck up your money for their lousy goods.
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The "commissaries" and "exchange services" are different agencies and different missions...
The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) operates a worldwide chain of commissaries.
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense with two missions, provide merchandise and services to authorized customers and to generate earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support of United States Army and Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs.
The Navy operates the equivalent Navy Exchange (NEX) and the Marine Corps operates the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) and the United States Coast Guard operates the Coast Guard Exchange (CGX).
Is there any reason why DeCA and the Exchanges couldn't be merged? Turn them into a military "Super Walmart"? This would eliminate a lot of overhead, bureaucracy, and streamline logistics.
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