• FORT LEE
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The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) announced to industry through a Notice to the Trade that it has been authorized to grant shopping privileges to Department of War (DoW) — formerly Department of Defense (DoD) — civilian employees in Guam and Puerto Rico.
Per this Notice to the Trade (“Authorization to Allow Limited Shopping Privileges for Department of Defense Civilian Employees at Guam and Puerto Rico, #25-121, Sept. 17, 2025) industry was informed that, effective Oct. 1, 2025, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASD(M&RA)), per DoW Directive 5124.10, has authorized limited commissary shopping privileges for current DoW civilian employees at commissary stores at Orote Field and Andersen AFB, Guam, and at Fort Buchanan, P.R.
According to Robert Culbreth, the agency’s director of Sales (non-fresh), all civilian employees — appropriated and non-appropriated — with DoW identification will be authorized to shop at these three stores.
This authorization does not include access to benefits for family members of DoW civilian employees or former or retired DoW civilian employees.
Shopping privileges will terminate on Dec. 31, 2025, unless an extension is granted.
EXPANSION OF COMMISSARY BENEFIT
The Department has been looking into an expansion of the commissary benefit to its civilian employees, and concurrent with this new initiative, already has one such test in place.
Late in 2024 and into calendar year 2025, it launched a test expansion of commissary privileges to its civilian employees at select DeCA CONUS stores, testing the feasibility of expanding commissary access to DoW civilians at all stateside commissaries.
The initial program was slated to run from Dec. 5, 2024 to April 4, 2025, but in April, the DoW extended the pilot through Dec. 31.
The 16 commissaries that are part of this pilot included those in Alaska, California, Georgia, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Culbreth noted, “The military and civilian workforces are collectively vital to national defense and deserving of commissary cost savings.
“Concurrently, the military service members, retirees, and their families are our priority patrons.
“Based on the performance of current pilot stores, we expect that granting DoW civilians access to all commissaries will increase sales by approximately 5.5 percent, increase overall savings by $88 million, and continue to deliver the average 25-percent savings for our priority patrons and families.”
VENDOR SUPPORT
With the anticipation for a full rollout of DoW civilian shopping privileges, Culbreth stressed, “As we expand to these additional locations, we’d like to reemphasize the importance of vendor stocking to ensure we continue to deliver the product availability for all of our patrons.
“We appreciate your support in welcoming our DoW civilians at these additional locations.”
POINT OF CONTACT
Culbreth is DeCA’s point of contact for this initiative. He can be reached at (804) 734-8000, extension 48072, or at Robert.Culbreth@deca.mil.
Source: DeCA
Edited by Larry Lapka
