Since I first wrote about the proposed commissary at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Feb. 2011, several things have happened to move this issue to completion. The commissary was approved in Aug. 2009 by the Department of Defense as a replacement for the Ft. Gillem and Ft. McPherson commissaries. However, ground was never broken at Dobbins before these two posts closed.
The Dobbins commissary, which would serve up to 70,000 eligible users, has been delayed for funding and other reasons. The Ft. Gillem commissary closed July 2011 and the Ft. McPherson commissary, originally scheduled to close Aug. 2011, remains open temporarily.
Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a spokeswoman for the Department of Defense, told me in an email recently that, “…in October (2012), the Department of Defense extended the commissary operations at Fort McPherson for an additional year to allow funding of a new commissary at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and to make a determination on commissary support for the Atlanta area. This required review and analysis are ongoing.”
This is good news for those active, retired, and reserve military that depend on the commissary to save them a significant amount of money each year in grocery bills. Information published by the Defense Commissary Agency estimates that a family of four could save more than $4,500 a year buying groceries from the commissary.
The nearest commissaries to Atlanta are at Ft. Benning, Robins Air Force Base, and Ft. Gordon, each of them hours away.
There is additional good news besides the McPherson commissary staying open. Dobbins Air Reserve Base produced an Environmental Assessment in Nov. 2012 that considered four possible sites to locate the new commissary. The assessment, a necessary hurdle, details that the proposed commissary could be as large as 70,972 square feet, much bigger than the McPherson facility.
In the 173-page assessment, Dobbins’ base commander, Col. Timothy Tarchick, attests that no significant environmental issues would prohibit the commissary being built at any of the four sites, which includes three on base and one off base in Marietta, and that a much lengthier environmental impact study is not needed.
Although funds for the commissary have not been released, this development is a great step to a new commissary. I see no reason why further delay in this project should occur, especially since commissaries are funded with a five percent surcharge paid by the customer. It wouldn’t hurt to let our elected officials know that establishment of a commissary at Dobbins is a priority for those of us who have served.
Craig Allen has lived in Cobb County for 10 years. Reach him at alle3257@bellsouth.net
