All commissaries to continue operating during a potential lapse in appropriation
FORT LEE, Va. – All military commissaries will continue to operate worldwide for a limited amount of time during a potential lapse in appropriation, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) announced.
In the event of a lapse in appropriation, DeCA has the authority to operate commissaries worldwide through the end of March, using its Defense Working Capital Funds (DWCF).
Commissary employees would continue to work and are not subject to furlough during this time frame.
DeCA’s operating status could change depending on the length of a lapse in appropriation. The agency will always provide updated store information on its website, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) as necessary.
If DeCA exhausts its working capital funds, then overseas commissaries and stateside stores identified as remote or austere – where no other sources of food are reasonably available for military personnel – would continue to operate.
The following stores are identified as remote locations: U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak and Fort Greely in Alaska; Fort Irwin and Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport in California; Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada; and U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
The following CONUS commissaries are designated “austere”: Anchorage Area store at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Los Angeles Air Force Base, California; Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida; Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. Given the fluidity of funding priorities, the status of these store operations is subject to change.
Patrons should also check the “Store Information & Holiday Hours” box on their store’s webpage for specific operating schedules.
Service members and their families are encouraged to stay tuned in to their local news outlets for information about any potential impact to services on their installations.
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About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.