Big box stores put the need for commissaries in question

Commissaries — first established by the U.S. government in the Civil War era — have been a great convenience and cost-savings for the families of military personnel. Commissaries, by rule, only charge 5 percent above cost, but that means taxpayers have to make up the difference in covering operating costs. Next year, the DOD wants to cut $200 million out of its $1.4 billion budget to run the system of stores. With stores like Costco and Walmart often near bases, will the government decide to phase out commissaries?