DeCA salutes FY 25 Best Commissary Award winners

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FORT LEE, Va. - From the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) comes a salute to excellence as it announces its "Best Commissary Award" winners for fiscal year 2025.

"These awards highlight the hard work and dedication of every member of our commissary team, all of whom play a vital role in making the commissary benefit come alive for our patrons," said Edward W. Walters III, executive director of the Store Operations Group.

Awards are given in five categories, determined by store location and size. They are named in honor of government officials who protected the commissary benefit and championed quality-of-life issues for the military and their families. Each winner surpassed DeCA's standards for accountability, brick and mortar customer surveys, sales, accident-avoidance rates, recycling and waste diversion and photo portfolio submission.

"When a store earns this recognition, it reflects the teams collective dedication to going above and beyond in serving our service members, retirees, other eligible patrons and their families," Walters said.

This year's "best of the best" include:

• Director's Award (CONUS - superstore)

  • 1st Place: Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia

  • 2nd Place: Joint Base Langley, Virginia

• Dan Daniel Award (OCONUS - large store)

  • 1st Place: Aviano Air Base, Italy

  • 2nd Place: Wiesbaden, Germany

• L. Mendel Rivers Award (OCONUS - small store)

  • 1st Place: K-16 Air Field, Republic of Korea

  • 2nd Place: Incirlik Air Force Base, Turkey

• Bill Nichols Award (CONUS - large store)

  • 1st Place: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

  • 2nd Place: Fort Lee, Virginia

• Richard M. Paget Award (CONUS - small store)

  • 1st Place: Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma

  • 2nd Place: F.E. Warren, Wyoming
    

DeCA area directors selected up to two stores per award category to represent their respective areas. The agency judged nominations on tangible and intangible qualities such as a friendly environment, a well-run store, a good work ethic and a sense of a cohesive team.

Tangible qualities include:

• Sales

• Brick and Mortar Customer Survey

• Safety

• Recycling and Solid Waste Diversion

• Accountability

• Photo portfolio: display contests and special events

"We thank each of the stores for their hard work during the year," Walters said. "Congratulations to the stores that earned this recognition. Their success reflects our ongoing commitment to deliver a world-class benefit to the military community we are privileged to serve."

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.