WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citing the value to military families of the commissary and exchange benefit, especially in “tough economic times”, the Nation’s leading military family advocacy group has stepped forward to join forces with a growing coalition aimed at preserving one of the most valued benefits of military service.
The National Military Family Association, which represents the interests of millions of military families, mentioned the savings realized by the commissary and exchange programs as one of the primary reasons for joining the Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits.
“Military families consistently rate the commissary and exchange as valued benefits,” said Joyce Wessel Raezer, Executive Director of the National Military Family Association. “In tough economic times, the 30-plus percent savings available by shopping at the commissary enhance the financial well-being of our service members, retirees, their families, and survivors. We applaud the efforts of the Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits to protect and strengthen the commissary and exchange systems. We are proud to join this effort as part of our work to ensure military families have the support they need from the Nation they serve.”
Commissaries and exchanges are retail outlets that have operated for over 150 years on military bases worldwide, offering products and services at discounts ranging from 20 to 50 percent.
“Besides saving military families nearly $7,000 a year on their purchases, the commissary and exchange programs—and the industry that supports them—employ tens of thousands of family members, providing a much needed supplement to military household income,” said Pat Nixon, President of the Coalition to Save our Military Shopping Benefits. “It’s a formula that works for military households, as dollars spent at these outlets are recycled directly back into the families that patronize these programs.”
“The National Military Family Association has a long history of providing services for the families of military personnel and we are honored to receive their support,” Nixon said. “The military resale system is an incredibly efficient system that benefits military families in so many ways. Save Our Benefit was formed to protect these crucial programs, and we welcome this longtime advocate for the benefit to our cause.”
The Save Our Benefit Coalition supports the preservation and patronage of commissaries and exchanges. Military resale saves military personnel billions of dollars annually and provides billions of dollars by being a major employer for spouses, retirees and dependents. The resale system also underwrites billions of dollars in vital on-base community programs and facilities. Despite these benefits the Deficit Reduction Panel, looming sequestration, and various individual and committee measures taking place in Congress threaten the military resale system.
The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit organization committed to strengthening and protecting the families of the men and women currently serving, retired, wounded, or fallen. They provide families of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA with information, work to get them the benefits they deserve, and offer programs that improve their lives. Their 40-plus years of service and accomplishments have made them a trusted resource for military families and the Nation's leaders. To learn more, visit www.MilitaryFamily.org.
For more information, please visit www.SaveOurBenefit.org.