Carts, smiles and goodies: Altus commissary ready for rush

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Paul Dean
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Remembrances of green bean casserole, potato lafkas or red snapper in creole court bouillon might be starting to tickle the holiday-season section of your taste bud memory about now. The signals are all around: store displays, television commercials and workplace nick-knacks are clues that it's just about that time of year when people from different backgrounds share holiday traditions among themselves and with others. And that means celebratory meals and treats.

And although you might just be waking to the notion of planning your holidays, the Altus Air Force Base Commissary has been setting you up for success. The commissary is ahead of the curve, making sure everything you need to generate smiles and full bellies is in stock. The store even offers a robust online experience where customers can create a shopping list, check special price promotions, get recipes and more.

The commissary receives most of its stock when an automated ordering system reacts to formulas that consider items scanned through cash registers, amount on hand, and necessary "bumps" needed to cover increased demand for seasonal products. The Altus AFB Commissary Director, Mr. Drew M. Peach, has high praise for the automated, customer-centric system: "I've been in the commissary system since 1991 and it just gets better all the time," he said. The Frequent Delivery System utilized by the Defense Commissary Agency leaves little chance that a carried item would be out of stock anytime, he added.

And while the shelf replenishment process is fully automated, human input is still possible. "We're happy to take care of whatever we can for our customers," said Ms. Lori Berter, administrative assistant to the store director at the Altus commissary. Ms. Berter knows from her 12 years of commissary experience that people will start to ask for special (large) orders from the in-store bakery and sandwich shop as holiday celebrations get closer. "The first sergeant's group and other groups stop by every year asking if we can have a bunch of pies or something ready on a certain day," Ms. Berter added. "It's never a problem; we love to be part of helping everybody celebrate."

The commissary system fully recognizes the lifestyles of military members and their families. Altus AFB, as with other military installations, houses global audiences with global tastes and preferences--especially during the holidays. Most of the diverse cultural and ethnic foods to satisfy the commissary customer base are also built into the automated ordering system: ingredients for Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza dishes; and specialty treats from Europe and Asia are ready to enjoy.

For those looking for the old standby's, Mr. Peach suggests keeping your eyes and ears open during the next few weeks. The commissary is scheduling special weekend events and a turkey sale. There is also a fresh flower assortment to liven up any holiday gathering spot.

One of the best ways for commissary customers to keep up to date on store events is through the DeCA Web site: www.commissaries.com 

The Web site offers customers the opportunity to save time and money with features including price promotions and the ability to generate a shopping list of commissary stocked items. The Web site is also an information portal to great pathways including scholarships for military children, MilitaryOneSource, good health and weekly columns, food alerts and recalls, the Warrior Support Program, and gift certificates. Customers can purchase gift certificates for personal giving or designate certificates to be purchased "in support of the troops."

The holidays are fast approaching and the Altus commissary is prepared. Chances are that customers will find all they need to prepare favorite holiday dishes in one place. And in addition to having what you need, Mr. Peach offers the reason he loves his job: "This is all about service to the best customers in the world," he said. "I consider this best benefit; we offer proven and continuous overall savings of 30 percent or more compared to off-base stores. I really believe in the concept behind our new slogan, 'The Commissary, It's worth the trip.'"

In addition to great prices and plump shelves the commissary is scheduled to host a Christmas tree decorated with "wish angels," along with other civic outreach initiatives throughout the holiday season.