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Reserve and Guard Receive Unlimited Commissary Benefits

The Department of Defense announced today that with the president's
signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004,
effective immediately, the following members and their dependents will be
permitted unlimited access to commissary stores:

- Members of the Ready Reserve (whichh includes members of the Selected
Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve and Inactive National Guard) and members of the
Retired Reserve who possess a Uniformed Services Identification Card.

- Former members eligible for retiredd pay at age 60 but who have not yet
attained the age of 60 and who possess a Department of Defense Civilian
Identification Card.

- Dependents of the members describedd above who have a Uniformed Services
Identification Card or who have a distinct identification card used as an
authorization card for benefits and privileges administered by the Uniformed
Services.

"Instructions have gone out to all continental U.S. stores informing
them that reservists now have unlimited shopping and telling store managers
how to welcome members of the National Guard and Reserve to the full use of
the commissary benefit," said Patrick Nixon, deputy director of the Defense
Commissary Agency. "Commissary shoppers will begin to see banners saying
'Welcome Guard and Reserve to Full Time Savings,' along with other events
recognizing these new full-time shoppers."

Guard and Reserve members were authorized only 24 commissary shopping
days per calendar year until today when the president signed the National
Defense Authorization Act, which contained provisions eliminating the
restrictions. Commissaries have immediately adopted the new provisions,
which means Guard and Reserve members will no longer have to present a
Commissary Privilege Card when they shop.

"I want to thank Congress and the Department of Defense for their
efforts in bringing the commissary shopping privilege to the total force,"
said Patrick Nixon, deputy director of the Defense Commissary Agency. "The
Congress included unlimited commissary benefits in the National Defense
Authorization Act thus making full time shopping possible for the men and
women who serve their nation in the National Guard and Reserve."

Nixon noted that special thanks should go to Charles Abell, principal
deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Abell acted
decisively and immediately in providing interim authority for the Reserve
component to have full-time commissary shopping just in time to take
advantage of holiday savings.

For more information about the Defense Commissary Agency, see their Web
site at http://www.commissaries.com/.




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