HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Commissaries honor National Guard’s legacy of service marked by its Dec. 13th birthday

Courtesy Photo | On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Colony created an organized militia that would eventually become today’s National Guard.  

VA, UNITED STATES

12.08.2022

Courtesy Story

Defense Commissary Agency

By Tamara Eastman, DeCA historian

NOTE: To see a DeCA video related to this release, https://vimeo.com/487307883.


FORT LEE, Va. – On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Colony created an organized militia that would eventually become today’s National Guard.

From providing aid during disasters to fighting alongside active duty and reserve forces, the members of the Army National Guard and the Air Guard have proven to be a valued asset to the safety and security of the United States, said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.

“We want our customers in the Guard to know we celebrate them every day by delivering the commissary benefit they’ve earned,” Saucedo said. “We also want them to be aware that if they’re not shopping their commissary, then they are missing out on overall savings of at least 25 percent compared to prices at ‘outside the gate’ grocery stores – that means you save $50 on a $200 grocery bill!”

The Guard’s legacy goes back centuries.

On March 4, 1629, the Massachusetts Bay Colony received its charter, which included total control over internal military and political organization. The governing body, then still located in England, issued its first letter of instructions on April 17, 1629, appointing Capt. John Endecott as governor at Naumkeag (now Salem) and directing him to undertake the military organization of the trading post and settlement. Uniforms and weapons for 100 men were shipped over that summer to outfit a company organization which corresponded to contemporary European norms.

Companies in the militia started training on April 12, 1631, and training was confined to Saturdays each week until Nov. 7, 1632, when training was cut back to once a month. On Sept. 3, 1634, training excluded the agricultural months of July and August.

On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s General Court ordered their militia to be organized into three permanent regiments. Since that date, Guardsmen have participated in every American conflict, including Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.

Today’s 181st Infantry, 182nd Infantry, 101st Field Artillery, and 101st Engineer Battalions of the Massachusetts Army National Guard are descendants of those three original regiments and the oldest units in the United States military.

From the beginning of the modern commissary benefit in 1867, Guard and Reserve troops have enjoyed limited commissary access, although they received unlimited shopping privileges when they were on active duty, which equated to two weeks each year.

In November 1986, the Department of Defense authorized Guardsmen to receive 12 shopping trips in the commissary each year in addition to their annual two weeks on active duty.

Congress and the Department of Defense decided in October 1990 to consolidate the individual commissary systems under one agency – the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA).

Later with the National Defense Authorization Act of 1998, commissary privileges jumped from 12 to 24 visits per year for selected Guard, Reserves, and Reserve Retirees under 60 years of age. Largely because of the increasing role of the Guard and Reserve members in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, they were authorized full-time shopping privileges by the Defense Authorization Act of FY 2004, effective Oct. 1, 2003.

In 2008, DeCA received funding for an official Guard and Reserve on-site sale program that brought truckload and case lot events to geographically remote Guard and Reserve service members and their families. The on-site sales events take place in warehouses, aircraft hangars, armories, tents in parking lots and even the back ends of semitrailers on Guard and Reserve bases across the U.S.

Today, members of the National Guard and their reserve components and active duty counterparts may shop at any of the nearly 240 commissaries around the world.

All commissaries boast conveniences like internet ordering/curbside pickup services, a mobile app, self-checkouts, digital coupons, dietitian-approved resources to identify healthy foods, sushi bars, hot foods, deli-bakeries, credit and debit card acceptance, gift cards and much more.

“As the National Guard continues its legacy of service, we will keep providing Guardsmen and their families – along with all of our eligible patrons – superior customer service and the items they want at the best possible savings,” Saucedo said.
-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: 12.08.2022
• Date Posted: 12.08.2022 09:53
• Story ID: 434744
• Location: VA, US