Commissary Agent's Authorization

NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Office of Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel: (804) 734-8061 DSN: 687-8061 l FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

‘Agent’ authorization allows commissary benefit

to continue through illness and deployments

By Bonnie Powell, bonnie.powell@deca.mil, and Rob Hansgen, robert.hansgen@deca.mil

Having both parents deployed can be very troubling for the children left behind. But thanks to a little-known DoD directive, military children can continue to enter the friendly confines of any commissary. Agent authorization benefits any authorized commissary shopper who needs assistance shopping or who cannot shop because of disability, illness or infirmity, as well as the children of service members who may not be available due to deployment, remote assignment or casualty.

Agent authorization is not granted by the Defense Commissary Agency. It is administered and managed by the installation commander through the local pass and identification office.

“We want to provide a touch of home for children whose parents are deployed, and often family finances are stretched to the limit,” said Patrick B. Nixon, acting director and chief executive officer for DeCA. “Whether they’re buying for a toddler or a teen, we can help the agents get the best value on groceries and personal care items by providing savings of 30 percent or more. It’s just one less worry deployed parents will have.”

The agent does not have to be an authorized commissary shopper. The military member may request an agent authorization to allow the individual who is the primary caregiver for the children of deployed parents to enter the installation. Non-military primary caregivers should contact the identification card section on the installation to determine what legal documents, such as power of attorney, may also be needed to establish proof of caregiver status. At the same time, the individual can ask about gaining access to the installation.

Upon verification of caregiver status, the individual receives written authorization from the commander’s representative designating him or her as an “agent” to accompany the children of deployed parents, or to shop for someone who is unable to get to the commissary or needs assistance while shopping. Usually, the letter is for a 12-month period, but it can be extended in cases of continued hardship.

“Every situation is unique so contact the identification card section on the installation to determine what proof is needed to have an agent shop in the commissary on your installation,” Nixon said. “In most cases you can also get in touch with the commissary’s store director to put you in touch with the appropriate officials.”

To find the nearest commissary, look under the “locations” link at www.commissaries.com. All commissaries have a local Web page with directions and management contact information.

The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of nearly 275 commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of 30 percent or more on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings worth more than $2,700 annually for a family of four. 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.

-DeCA-