Defense Management: Estimating Impact of Changes to Commissary Access Policy

摘要

Conference Report 104-261 directed GAO to review proposals to change theDepartment of Defense (DOD) policy that limits military reservists' access to commissary stores. Commissaries are stores that sell groceries and household supplies to members of the military, retirees, and their dependents. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) manages and operates all service commissaries located worldwide and has received an average of about $1 billion in federal government support annually over the past 5 years. DOD has proposed allowing reservists unlimited access to commissaries three times in the recent past. DOD officials view this policy change as a low or no cost way to increase military service benefits. Specifically, this report discusses (1) the evolution of the policy on military reservists' access to the commissaries and proposals to change that policy, (2) the sources of DeCA'S funding, and (3) the information needed to analyze the impact on appropriated funds of granting military reservists unlimited access to the commissary system.