Your Benefits

Food + Shopping

Military families need to know their Service offers valuable benefits to their health and financial well-being through commissaries, exchanges, and travel programs. All provide significant cost savings and ease of access.

Commissaries

Commissaries are an important part of the overall military pay and benefits package, and they significantly improve our military families’ quality of life. Commissary shoppers save an average of more than 30 % on their purchases, which is about $3,400 annually for a family of four. This benefit is even more important today in our current economy.

National Guard and Reserve families can also avail themselves of commissary savings by participating in the Guard/Reserve On-Site Sales Program. Authorized Guard and Reserve members and their families that live in areas far from a commissary store can participate in the program. The host commissary works with Guard and Reserve units with at least 150 members stationed in an area and selects items to offer to these individuals during the sale. Some commissaries even allow patrons to pre-order products to be picked up and paid for at the sale.

Commissaries, throughout the world, are managed by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) headquartered in Ft. Lee, Virginia. By providing this benefit, DeCA improves the quality of life of our military families. As a member of the DeCA Patron Council, the National Military Family Association has the opportunity to share military families’ concerns and praises regarding their commissary benefit, as well as keep our families informed of the latest news from DeCA. Members of the DeCA Patron Council represent active duty, Guard, Reserve and retired service members and their families.

For additional information on nutrition, promotions, case lot sales, job opportunities, or scholarships, go to: www.commissaries.com. Visit Eat Healthy Your Way for healthy recipes, healthy cooking tips and free commissary coupons.

Exchanges

The military exchange system provides valuable cost savings to military families. Equally important, the exchange system profits are reinvested in Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs, resulting in quality of life improvements for the entire military community.

For more information on the service exchanges go to:

Tickets & Travel

The Information, Travel & Tickets (ITT) or Information, Travel and Reservation (ITR) office located on the installation is a great place to find discounted travel and tickets for local events and attractions, as well as some national attractions. Part of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program, ITT should be the first place you stop when planning a trip.

If you’re planning a trip that requires a flight and you have some time and a flexible schedule you might want to consider Space Available (Space A) travel on a military transport flight. Space A travel is administered through the Air Mobility Command (AMC) of the Air Force. Eligible travelers can travel on military flights between AMC terminals. The advantage of Space A flights is the cost – the flight is free. The disadvantage of Space A flights is the unpredictable availability of the flights. If you choose to travel Space A, remember you are responsible for lodging, ground transportation, meals or other incidental expenses incurred during Space A travel if flights are delayed, diverted or canceled.

For more information on Space A travel including eligibility, categories, and baggage allowance go to www.amc.af.mil/amctravel/index.asp. For a list of AMC Passenger Terminals go to www.amc.af.mil/amctravel/amctravelcontacts.asp.