From the Military Coalition. MOAA”s Phil Odom is the chairman of TMC.

Please share this.

Kathy Prout

NMVA Members,

 In response to the GAO Report on Budget Neutrality (referenced in Tom Philpott’s article, “Sweetheart deal seen driving product mix in commissaries”) we reached out to some of you to include quotes in the Coalition press release we sent out today.

Attached is the Coalition press release, the GAO final report released November 9th, and the Coalition letter we sent to Congress in May 2016 for your reference.    

The report confirms what we feared that DoD’s plans for commissary and exchange cost savings have no basis in data, merit, or methodical analysis. DOD’s report states that it expects to achieve an estimated $2 billion in reductions ($1 billion from commissaries and another $1 billion funding target for exchanges) over a 5-year period during fiscal years 2017-2021. In the Coalition letter we sent to the SASC in May, we voiced our concern that legislation was being fast-tracked ahead of the GAO report and asked them to wait. “It’s troubling that reforms may be contemplated in the Fiscal Year 2017 Bill prior to the receipt and analysis by GAO of the report as mandated in last year’s Act.” We also asked them to give commissary and exchange patrons an opportunity to provide input before moving forward and suggested creating a patron advisory council, which they did not do. If you have any questions, please let me know.

I wish you all a blessed Veterans Day. Thank you to those of you who served and those of you who served along side of them. And most especially to our surviving families. We honor your veteran and sacrifice.

All my best,

Candace
Candace Wheeler
Vice President of Strategic Communications & Marketing
American Logistics Association
Spokesperson, The Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits
(202) 466-2520
www.saveourbenefit.org l Facebook
Protecting Our Service Members and Their Families’ EARNED Benefits.  #SaveOurBenefits