COMMISSARY SALUTES 251st ARMY BIRTHDAY

By Tamara Eastman, DeCA Historian

Social media-friendly version: The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is honored to deliver the commissary benefit to soldiers and their family members, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Brian J. Morrison, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. Watch the https://vimeo.com/1194387362/0671cfbdec?fl=ip&fe=ec. Read the rest of the story on the DeCA website. Download the article and graphic on DVIDS.

FORT LEE, Va. – This year marks the 251st birthday of the United States Army – as the country celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday, we’re reminded that the U.S. Army is older than the United States.

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that created the Continental Army. Two days later, the commissary benefit was laid down when the Continental Congress created two supply offices – the Commissary General and the Commissary General of Stores and Provisions.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is honored to deliver the commissary benefit to soldiers and their family members, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Brian J. Morrison, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.

“We salute the Army’s 251st Birthday, and we want our soldiers to know we celebrate them every day by delivering the commissary benefit they’ve earned,” Morrison said. “Commissaries exist to provide the Army community the valued products they need at the lowest price possible – all while helping them boost their readiness through nutrition and financial savings on their groceries.”

When one thinks back to the American Revolution, they reflect back on the original thirteen colonies breaking free from British rule to form an independent United States. They think about specific battles; famous leaders such as General George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed our universal rights, comes to mind.

But very few people stop to consider one of the most difficult jobs in the Revolutionary War. Keeping the Continental soldiers fed. The phrase “An Army marches on its stomach” comes to mind, a quote most commonly attributed to French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. It means an armed force’s effectiveness and morale depend very heavily on its ability to keep the troops well fed.

The Continental army started the Revolutionary War without many necessary supplies, including food and cooking equipment. There was also a critical shortage of salt. because before the war, the colonies relied heavily on imported salt from England and the West Indies. When the hostilities began in 1775, Britain banned the salt exports to the colonies, crippling their ability to preserve meat and fish.

To combat these crippling shortages, the Commissary Department emerged as the largest economic organization in the colonies. Serving as the backbone of the war effort, its essential mission was purchasing, packing and distributing the vital rations that ensured the Continental Army's survival.

On July 19, 1775, Congress appointed Joseph Trumbull, the son of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull, as Commissary General. His department was charged with feeding the army while faced with unprecedented challenges of reconnecting the supply lines in a war. Trumbull was tasked with feeding the troops under extreme conditions, as the broken supply lines had to be constantly rebuilt while the army shifted from holding stable defensive lines to rapidly retreating in defeat

On Aug. 14, 1775, Thomas Mifflin was named the Quartermaster General of the Continental Army by Gen. George Washington. The quartermaster general was responsible for procuring and distributing food and supplies. He was also the principal staff officer for the route reconnaissance and movement of troops. Other responsibilities included obtaining and maintaining wagons and boats to transport food and supplies.

The standard daily rations for the Continental Army soldiers included a pound of flour or a loaf of baked bread; a pound of beef or three quarters of a pound of salt pork or salt fish; three pints of dried peas or beans each week; a quart of beer or cider; and a pint of milk. They also received a half pint of vinegar and six ounces of butter each week.

On occasion, every company of 100 men received nine gallons of molasses each week. This was sometimes issued instead of the spruce beer or cider. Molasses was an important ration because it provided the soldiers with essential energy, calories and carbohydrates to sustain the soldiers during the winter.

But the Commissary Department was severely tested by a lack of funding, poor transportation and inflation. These chronic shortages sometimes led to severe supply chain issues and problems in getting the food transported.

By the Civil War, officers in charge of subsistence operations were known as chief commissaries and their staff consisted of assistant commissaries and commissary sergeants. The Army began selling food items that year from warehouses to Army officers for their personal use. By 1841, officers could also purchase items for their families.

Beginning on July 1, 1867, Congress authorized the Army to sell goods at cost from its subsistence warehouses to officers and enlisted men alike. This is considered the start of the modern commissary benefit. No geographical restrictions were placed on these sales, which could take place at all Army posts.

By 1868, customers could choose from an official 82-item stock list, which was comparable to civilian dry-goods grocery stores at the time. By contrast, commissary stock lists today include as many as 15,000 items.

Army-run grocery stores called sales commissaries eventually replaced the subsistence warehouses of the 19th century, selling items at cost and providing soldiers good food at reasonable prices. When the Army’s mission expanded around the world, commissaries followed – first to Cuba and the Philippines in 1898-99, then to China in 1900, Panama in 1904 and France in 1918.

While commissaries were originally created for active-duty Army personnel, they gradually were made available to members of every armed service, military retirees, reservists, authorized family members and disabled veterans and their caregivers.

In 1952, to help cover the stores’ expenses, the Department of Defense ordered an across-the-board 2-percent surcharge; this was gradually increased until it reached the current level of 5 percent in 1983. Funds generated by the surcharge go toward construction, renovation and maintenance of commissary structures, as well as for some supplies and equipment.

By 1990, Congress and the Defense Department decided to consolidate the individual service commissary systems into one agency. The newly formed Defense Commissary Agency officially took control of 411 military commissaries and multiple related operations, such as Air Force troop support operations and sales to U.S. Embassy personnel, Oct. 1, 1991.

Today, of DeCA’s 235 commissaries, 76 are on Army installations.The benefit continues to save customers thousands of dollars annually on their purchases in comparison to similar products at commercial stores. Commissaries boast conveniences like online ordering/curbside pickup services, a mobile app, self-checkouts, digital coupons, dietitian-approved resources to identify healthy foods, sushi bars, prepared foods, deli-bakeries, gift cards and much more.

“Soldiers and their families can access their benefit at any commissary,” Morrison 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.