Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
Office of the Assitant Secretary of Defense
The Department of Defense released a policy memorandum on Dec.16 that
spells out how members of the National Guard, Reserve, Retired Reserve and
their families can immediately take advantage of the new law granting them
24 commissary visits annually.
In October, Congress passed the 1999 Defense Authorization Act, which
increases the number of commissary visits from 12 to 24 that Ready Reserve
members can make annually if they satisfactorily complete 50 or more
retirement points for military service in a calendar year. The expanded
commissary benefit is also available to Reserve retirees eligible for
retired pay at age 60, but who have not yet attained the age of 60. The
benefit also applies to the dependents of these Reserve and retired
Reserve personnel.
During the remainder of calendar year 1998, eligible personnel and their
families can make 12 more commissary visits, in addition to the 12 they
were already authorized. Store officials will simply initial alongside the
current 12 blocks on their DD Form 2529, "DoD Reserve Component Commissary
Privilege Card," after the first 12 visits have been recorded.
For calendar year 1999, the military Services will issue two 12-visit DD
Forms 2529 to authorized Reserve and Retired Reserve members. For calendar
year 2000, the Reserve commissary privilege card will be revised to contain
24 blocks for recording the dates of visits in lieu of the current 12 blocks.
"Service in the National Guard and Reserve is now more challenging and more
difficult then ever before," said Charles L. Cragin, acting assistant
secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. "Doubling the commissary access
for Reservists and their families helps to level the playing field and
improve their quality of life. For that reason, it was very important for
us to get the policy out quickly."
The new policy also states that National Guard members on state active duty
for federally declared disaster operations and their dependents will be
permitted to use commissary stores during the period of their state
service. The required documentation will be a military order stating that
the National Guard member is serving in support of a federally declared
disaster.
Commissary privileges are part of the non-pay compensation to which active
and Reserve forces members are entitled. According to the Defense
Commissary Agency, a Reserve component member with a family of four can
save approximately $2,000 on grocery purchases each year, using the 24
commissary shopping visits.
For more information, call Lt. Col. Terry Jones, Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, at (703) 695-3620.
For more information, visit Defense
Public Affairs
Washington, D.C. 20301
No. 647-98
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 1998
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
