• FORT GREGG-ADAMS
The U.S. Army is celebrating its 250th birthday this weekend, dating back to the American Revolution when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution creating the Continental Army on June 14, 1775.
Two days later, the roots of the commissary benefit were laid down, when the Continental Congress created two supply offices — the Commissary General and the Commissary General of Stores and Provisions.
“Commissaries have been in lock step with the Army throughout its 250 years,” said Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John E. Hall.
“We want all our soldiers — active duty, reservists, retirees and their family members along with disabled veterans and their caregivers — to know DeCA celebrates them every day by delivering the commissary benefit they’ve earned,” he said.
Hall is an Army veteran himself. “As an Army veteran, I’m excited to celebrate this momentous occasion. I also hope everyone connected to the Army community is excited about the commissary benefit they and their predecessors have earned through their dedicated service and sacrifice. That benefit offers savings of at least 25 percent compared to prices at ‘outside the gate’ grocery stores.”
KEEPING SOLDIERS FED
Keeping the Continental soldiers fed during the Revolutionary War was a difficult task. The American troops started the war without necessary supplies, including food and cooking equipment. There was also a shortage of salt, which meant fish and meat could not be preserved.
The standard daily rations for the Continental Army soldiers included a pound of flour or a loaf of bread; a pound of beef or three quarters of a pound of pork or salt fish; three pints of peas or beans each week; a quart of beer or cider; and a pint of milk.
They received a half pint of vinegar and six ounces of butter each week, and occasionally they received molasses. However, the rations varied due to supply chain issues and problems with transporting the supplies.
On July 19, 1775, Congress appointed Joseph Trumbull, the son of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull, as commissary general.
His department, charged with feeding the army, faced the unprecedented challenges of reconnecting supply lines in a war that flipped from the defense of extended positions to the near chaos of defeat and retreat.
On Aug. 14, 1775, Thomas Mifflin was named the quartermaster general of the Continental Army by Gen. George Washington.
The quartermaster general was responsible for procuring and distributing food and supplies. He was also the principal staff officer for the route reconnaissance and movement of troops.
Other responsibilities included obtaining and maintaining wagons and boats to transport food and supplies.
Fifty years later, officers in charge of subsistence operations were known as chief commissaries, and their staff consisted of assistant commissaries and commissary sergeants.
The Army began selling food items that year from warehouses to Army officers for their personal use. By 1841, officers could also purchase items for their families.
COMMISSARY BENEFIT
Beginning on July 1, 1867, Congress authorized the Army to sell goods at cost from its subsistence warehouses to officers and enlisted men alike.
This is considered the start of the modern commissary benefit. No geographical restrictions were placed on these sales, which could take place at all Army posts.
By 1868, customers could choose from an official 82-item stock list, which was comparable to civilian dry-goods grocery stores at the time. By contrast, commissary stock lists today include as many as 15,000 items.
Army-run grocery stores, called sales commissaries, eventually replaced the subsistence warehouses of the 19th century, selling items at cost and providing soldiers good food at reasonable prices.
When the Army’s mission expanded around the world, commissaries followed — first to Cuba and the Philippines in 1898-1899, then to China in 1900, Panama in 1904 and France in 1918.
While commissaries were originally created for active-duty Army personnel, they gradually were made available to members of every armed service, military retirees, reservists, authorized family members, and disabled veterans and their caregivers.
In 1952, to help cover the stores’ expenses, the Department of Defense (DoD) ordered an across-the-board 2-percent surcharge; this was gradually increased until it reached the current level of 5 percent in 1983.
Funds generated by the surcharge go toward construction, renovation and maintenance of commissary structures, as well as for some supplies and equipment.
CONSOLIDATION
By 1990, Congress and the Defense Department decided to consolidate the individual service commissary systems into one agency.
The newly formed Defense Commissary Agency officially took control of 411 military commissaries and multiple related operations, such as Air Force troop support operations and sales to U.S. Embassy personnel, on Oct. 1, 1991.
Today, of DeCA’s 235 commissaries, 76 are on Army installations.
The benefit continues to save customers thousands of dollars annually on their purchases in comparison to similar products at commercial stores.
Commissaries boast conveniences like online ordering/curbside pickup services; a mobile app; self-checkouts; digital coupons; dietitian-approved resources to identify healthy foods; sushi bars; prepared foods; deli-bakeries; gift cards and much more.
Source: DeCA
Edited by Larry Lapka
