HAPPY BIRTHDAY! On Dec. 20, commissaries honor Space Force’s 6th anniversary

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FORT LEE, Va. – On Dec. 20, 2019, Congress established the U.S. Space Force within the Department of the Air Force. 

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is honored to deliver the commissary benefit to Space Force guardians and their family members, said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.

“We salute the Space Force’s 6th anniversary, and we want our guardians to know we celebrate them every day by delivering the commissary benefit they’ve earned,” Rivers said. “Commissaries exist to provide our eligible patrons in the guardian community the valued products they need at the lowest price possible – all while helping them boost their financial and food security with at least 25 percent savings on their groceries.”

Mankind has been interested in outer space for as long as they’ve observed the night sky. In 1957 the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, and the United States followed with its launch of Explorer 1 on Jan. 1, 1958. These events marked the beginning of the Space Age. 

Over the next couple of decades, the U.S. became increasingly dependent on satellites for navigation, meteorology, communication and intelligence. The Department of Defense identified a need for a branch of the military that was dedicated solely to operating and protecting the satellites. 

The path to U.S. Space Force becoming a new branch of the armed services began with the Air Force, which established the Space Force Command on Sept. 1, 1982, and was redesignated as the Air Force Space Command Nov. 15, 1985. On Dec. 20, 2019, Space Command went from being a command to becoming the sixth service branch. 

Space Force’s motto is “Semper Supra,” Latin for “Always Above,” a phrase that encapsulates its mission. Its symbol, the Delta, signifies the service’s responsibility and mission while honoring the history that began long before the branch was created. 

DeCA operates commissaries at the following bases that support Space Force activities:

● California: Los Angeles Air Force Base and Vandenberg Space Force Base

● Colorado: Buckley Space Force Base and Peterson Space Force Base

● Florida: Patrick Space Force Base

Commissaries offer modern conveniences such as online ordering and pick up with Commissary CLICK2GO®, self-checkout registers, digital coupons, sushi bars, hot foods, deli/bakeries, gift cards and even dietitian-approved resources to help identify healthy food in the stores. 

“Guardians and their families can access their benefit at any commissary,” Rivers said. “By using their benefit, they can save thousands of dollars annually on their purchases in comparison to similar products at commercial stores.”

-DeCA-

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.