Courtesy Photo | From left: Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)...... read more read more
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NOTE: To see a DeCA video related to the agency’s support of Military Makeover, click https://vimeo.com/710837417.
FORT LEE, Va. – Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) leaders want all eligible patrons, wherever they are, to know they have earned their commissary benefit. That was their message during production of the latest “Military Makeover with Montel” TV series in Jupiter, Florida.
Military Makeover is led by Montel Williams, a TV talk show host and Marine Corps and Navy veteran. The series honors veterans by bringing together retailers, designers, contractors, landscapers and other home improvement companies to help transform their homes and lives.
The show’s 30th makeover will feature Justin and Kristie Ziegler and their family. Justin and Kristie are Air Force veterans, childhood sweethearts from South Florida, who both deployed to Afghanistan. The show was taped in March and airs on the following dates: Episode 1 – (aired on May 20) and May 26; Episode 2 – May 27 and June 2; Episode 3 – June 3 and June 9; and Episode 4 – June 10 and June 16. The show airs on Lifetime, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 a.m. (ET/PT).
As one of the participating retailers, DeCA worked with its industry partners to help make the Zieglers’ makeover even more special.
During a break in filming on March 21, DeCA Director and CEO Bill Moore and his senior enlisted advisor, Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, talked about why it’s important for veterans to be aware of their commissary benefit and its 20-25 percent savings.
“Commissaries exist to save our eligible patrons money thus improving their quality of life,” Moore said. “When I was a kid I was an Army brat. My dad was a disabled combat veteran, a sergeant in the Army, and we shopped the commissary – it improved our quality of life because we saved money there every week.
“Nowadays, commissaries not only save you money, they also provide clean and safe stores, healthy options, and finally we offer premier customer service to our patrons, making them feel special because they are special,” he added.
To ensure as many eligible patrons are aware of their benefit as possible, DeCA is working with the military services to educate troops earlier in their careers, starting in basic training and continuing later with single service member programs, like Better Opportunities for Single Servicemembers.
The agency is also expanding access to the benefit through recent innovations like Commissary CLICK2GO, the agency’s online ordering and curbside pickup program. DeCA recently finished integrating online payment for all stateside stores and will expand it to overseas stores by September.
“The next step, in terms of getting more convenience for our patrons, what they want, is delivery,” Moore said. “We are working hard to get delivery at every store. Sometime in the next 18 months we’ll have delivery fully [available] across the agency and it will save our patrons even more time and money.”
On Jan. 1, 2020, Congress authorized access to the commissary benefit for millions of service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary caregivers.
“Our newest patrons have earned this benefit through their service and subsequent personal sacrifice to this nation,” Saucedo said. “Whether they shopped the commissary while they were on active duty or they are first-time shoppers now, we are sure they will enjoy the savings and excellent customer experience associated with the commissary benefit.
“It’s been a tough period dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added. “And as base access restrictions ease up, we look forward to seeing our senior patrons – retirees and disabled veterans – shop in their commissary. We are sure they find it worth the trip.”
-DeCA-
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees 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 covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2022 15:23 |
| Story ID: | 421319 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS: On the set of ‘Military Makeover,” DeCA leaders spread the word about the commissary benefit for active duty, reservists, retirees and disabled veterans, by Kevin Robinson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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