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DeCA - DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY
The team of professionals at the Defense Commissary Agency works hard at
offering an exciting shopping experience -- the place where customers
love to shop and where employees love to work. The DeCA team is a
dedicated group of people committed to providing the armed services
community a valuable benefit to supplement military income as an
integral part of members' overall military pay and benefits package. A
quality assortment of groceries and household supplies is offered to
authorized commissary shoppers at greater savings today than at any
other time in DeCA's history. DeCA Europe, responsible for more than 50
commissaries in 10 countries, is headquartered at Kaiserslautern.
Commissary products are sold at cost, with only a five percent
surcharge added for commissary maintenance and construction. In general,
using the commissary over the local supermarket can save customers more
than 30 percent on their grocery bill. That comes to $2,700 a year for a
family of four, and is a valued benefit that helps the United States
recruit and keep the best and the brightest men and women in the service
of their country.
Standard departments at the commissaries are groceries, dairy
products, frozen food, meat, produce, health and beauty items, household
and tobacco products. The fresh meats include vacuum-packed USDA Choice
American beef and high-quality European pork and chicken.
In addition to these standard items, larger commissaries have
bakeries and delis, which, among other things, offer rotisserie chicken
and fresh made-to-order sandwiches. In 2005, self-service bakeries began
appearing in the larger stores. Some also have pasta cafés
featuring a variety of Italian pasta dishes and freshly baked Italian
pizza.
All sorts of special orders are possible. In the meat department,
special cuts or large quantities may be ordered by speaking to a meat
counter employee. For your party you can get trays featuring deli meat,
cheese, fruit or vegetables. Special occasion cakes can be ordered and
fruit or gift baskets created for a spectacular gift.
All commissaries also sell gift certificates in their customer
service offices. Certificates valued at $25 may be purchased in the
store. For other denominations, customers may shop online at
www.commissaries.com.
The website also allows customers to ask a question or make a comment
directly to DeCA decision makers, and receive a personal response within
a few days.
Though prices are low to start with, the commissary agency strives to
improve even on these values. There are worldwide case lot sales twice a
year featuring cases of products offered at higher than normal savings,
sometimes as much as 54 percent off the normal price. Coupons are
accepted by all European commissaries, including internet coupons, up to
six months after their stateside expiration date.
Additionally, there are "Value" items under which a product is
flagged with a red, white and blue star sign pointing the way to
"Savings You've Earned." Watch for products marked at "Extra Savings for
a Limited Time Only," "Better than Average Savings Every Day" or "The
Lowest Price When Compared to Like Items."
On www.commissaries.com,
military shoppers may access the Virtual Commissary for purchasing gift
baskets on line for mailing to the address of their choice.
In a further effort to improve service, DeCA's European Region has
its own Consumer Advocate giving customers a specific contact for their
questions, comments and concerns. She's Kay Blakley, who is stationed at
Kaiserslautern and has a background in home economics and food and
consumer service. Reach Kay at 0631-3523-108 or DSN 489-7304.
Handicapped customers are permitted into the commissaries a half hour
before opening time, and electric wheelchairs with baskets are
available. One thing to remember when shopping: baggers are not
commissary employees and they work for tips only.
Every year, qualified dependents of military families are eligible to
apply for college scholarships through the DeCA website or
www.militaryscholar.org.
More than $524,000 has been awarded to students in Europe since the
Scholarships for Military Program began.
A team of professional merchandisers at DeCA Europe headquarters
works extremely hard to satisfy "most of the people, most of the time,"
but don't expect to see an abundance of U.S. regional specialties like
your favorite mom and pop BBQ sauce from Little Town, USA. DeCA just
doesn't have the shelf space to stock such items and small companies
don't have the ability to ship overseas. DeCA's stock assortment is
based on the top selling nationwide name brand products, though. So if
your tastes and shopping habits are fairly typical, you are likely to
find most of your stateside favorites readily available at your European
commissaries.
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It is possible for close family members, other than your spouse
and minor children, to be declared dependents in Europe and eligible
to shop at the PX or commissary.
But the rules are strict. They must be close family members
(usually adult children, parents or siblings) and heavily dependent
on you for support. This means that their monetary income from all
sources is less than 50 percent of their monthly expenses, and
that they live in your household.
You must contribute the remainder of what they need, either as
a monetary contribution or such other valuable services as room
and board.
In order to get them declared dependents you must submit a
notarized statement that the above conditions exist. Documentation
for this includes a statement as to whether the family member was
claimed as an exemption on your last income tax return, or a statement
explaining why he or she was not included.
There must also be a documented statement as to the family
member's total income and your contribution to his or her support.
See your personnel officer for procedures.
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