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LEGISLATIVE NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU MOAA Testifies
MOAA fights to keep commissary savings and customer satisfaction high. Congress has been listening, and DoD has acknowledged a change in its budget focus.
O
n Jan. 13, Brooke Goldberg, a MOAA deputy director of Government Relations, testified
before the House Armed Services Mili- tary Personnel Subcommittee regarding commissary reform. The FY 2016 National Defense Autho- rization Act specified any changes to the commissary system must maintain current levels of patron savings and satisfaction. Goldberg thanked subcommittee members for establishing these standards. She em- phasized the commissary benefit lies in the savings it offers, and these are the right met- rics to assess any program changes. Highlighting the compensation and re-
tention value of the commissary, Goldberg told the subcommittee, “For an E-5 with eight years of service and a family of four, grocery savings at the commissary are equivalent to a 9-percent pay raise.” She went on to express concern about possible changes in the way savings are measured, noting that maintaining the same market basket measure is crucial to preserv- ing the savings on which patrons rely. Most of the legislators at the hearing
appeared to agree with the witnesses. The value of the commissary benefit far out- weighs the “hundredths of 1 percent of the military budget we can save [by cutting it],” said Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.). While the necessity of commissaries
overseas is not hard to see, in 2015, the subsidy that helps pay the cost of trans- porting fresh produce to stores in Asia and
PHOTO: NANCY WOODWORTH CARR MARCH 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 31
the Pacific was cut. This resulted in a cost increase to patrons, so the price of a bag of romaine lettuce skyrocketed to more than $10 at the commissary in Guam. “Those sent overseas at the pleasure of their gov- ernment should not be stuck with the bill for shipping resources to their location,” Goldberg said. Multiple studies confirm the commissary is one of the military community’s most- valued benefits. It is a significant compen- sation, morale, and community factor for servicemembers and their families, enhanc- ing military readiness for families no matter where they are asked to go. Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.), subcommittee
chair, expressed his commitment to sus- taining this important benefit. “If there’s not enough savings, people are going to walk,” he said.
Mail Your Postcards Sign, stamp, and mail to your elected officials the postcards on the back cover of this magazine. Additional cards are included for your spouse or a friend or relative to sign and mail.
Brooke Goldberg, a MOAA deputy director of Government Rela- tions, testifies on Capi- tol Hill in January about the commissary benefit.
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