As military families head out to buy their Thanksgiving fixings at commissaries across the country, the Department of Defense is considering a plan to forever close the doors of all stateside base grocery stores.
Stars and Stripes recently reported that DoD officials have asked the Defense Commissary Agency for a plan to close all base commissaries in the United States as a cost-cutting measure.
Pentagon spokeswoman Joy Crabaugh told Military Times...
..."[Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel]has made it clear on numerous occasions that all cost-cutting efforts need to be on the table” in order for DoD to meet the sequestration caps mandated under the 2011 Budget Control Act.
“At this time, no final decisions have been made on the ... fiscal 2015 budget submission. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to discuss any specific budget decisions."
“The commissary continues to be one of the most valued non-pay compensation benefits our military members, past and present, and their families enjoy."
The plan to close commissaries would have to be approved by Congress, and the White House - which may not be an easy task, as Stars and Stripes points out:
The military resale industry already has reminded Hagel in a letter that on Aug. 7 at Camp Pendleton, Calif., President Obama told Marines that closing commissaries is “not how a great nation should be treating its military and military families.”
What do you think of the possibility of all stateside commissaries closing? Have your say in our comments section!
