Two AF bases among best commissaries Published May 9, 2014 FORT LEE, Va. (AFNS) -- During a year where budget cuts, employee furloughs, hiring freezes and customer uncertainty affected commissaries around the world, two Air Force bases stood out among the best, with several more bases either placing or receiving honorable mention during the Defense Commissary Agency’s Best Commissary Awards, recognizing overall excellence in commissary operations and service. Misawa Air Base, Japan, won the Dan Daniel award, receiving top honors in the best large commissary overseas category. Close behind in the same category, Yokota Air Base, Japan earned second place honors, with Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan receiving honorable mention. Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, received the Richard M. Paget award for the best small commissary in the United States, with Goodfellow AFB, Texas, and Columbus AFB, Mississippi, receiving honorable mention. Other Air Force bases receiving honorable mention included Keesler AFB, Mississippi, in the large commissary in the U.S. category, and the McChord commissary at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, in the Director’s Award for best Superstore category. DeCA Director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu said that earning top commissary honors is never easy, and earning awards during this past year meant even more. "Achieving this honor has never been easy," Jeu said. "To win, a store has to exceed our normal criteria for customer service, accountability, safety, operations and sales. "But for 2013, it seemed like every challenge possible impacted commissaries, including furlough, budget cuts, hiring freezes and customers stressed by the government shutdown," he continued. "Our commissaries worked with our industry partners and military stakeholders to not just prevail but excel in delivering the benefit. These awards highlight the best of what our stores do every day for our service members and their families." The awards are named in honor of American statesmen who protected the commissary benefit and championed quality-of-life issues for the military community.