A Salute to 251 years of Navy History and Heritage

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FORT LEE, Va. - The Defense Commissary Agency is honored to salute the United States Navy on Oct. 13, the 251st birthday of its establishment by the Continental Congress in 1775.

Long before the Navy established commissary operations, sailors were required to procure their food while at sea. Sailors' diets in the 18th century consisted chiefly of salt pork, fish or beef; hardtack; hard cheese; and usually ale or grog because the water onboard was not safe to drink.

Very often, bumboat operators would pull their boats alongside ships to sell their wares. Sailors were more than happy to do business with these operators because they offered things that weren't usually found onboard the ship, including exotic fruits, baked goods and fresh vegetables.

But the bumboat operators charged exorbitant prices, and quite often, their goods were not of the best quality. When the Navy reduced sailors' rations in 1801, the bumboat operators became even more important to the crew. Despite these long-standing frustrations, the Navy continued to rely on these civilian vendors for over a century until a massive geopolitical demonstration forced a change.

To project American power during peacetime, the U.S. Navy painted its warships a stark, brilliant white. When President Theodore Roosevelt dispatched 16 of these battleships on a global circumnavigation from Dec. 16, 1907, to Feb. 22, 1909, the public quickly dubbed this armada the "Great White Fleet." Beyond a display of force, the epic 14-month voyage exposed a critical logistical gap: civilian-operated bumboats could no longer support the daily needs of modern warship crews.

To resolve this, Congress began replacing bumboats with permanent ships' stores both afloat and ashore. Modeled after the Army commissaries established in 1867, these new retail outlets standardized how sailors secured essential goods.

In 1910, the first Navy sales commissary opened in the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard and operated similarly to a warehouse. A clerk stood at a counter and pulled items from the shelves for customers. Self-service stores started becoming popular by the late 1920s and became widespread by World War II.

In 1946, the Navy commissaries fell under the authority of the Navy Ships' Store Office, later the Navy Resale System Office (NRSO) in 1969 and finally the Navy Resale and Services Support Office (NAVRESSO) in 1979.

On Oct. 1, 1991, the Defense Commissary Agency assumed control of all U.S. military commissaries worldwide. Members of the U.S. Navy today may shop at any of DeCA's 235 commissaries anywhere in the world. There are 60 commissaries on Navy bases today, plus one at the Joint Reserve Base at Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Texas.

Commissaries today offer many conveniences such as online ordering and curbside pickup services, self-checkouts, digital coupons, sushi bars, hot foods, deli-bakeries, gift cards and much more!

Happy birthday, U.S. Navy! Fair winds and following seas!

-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.