Karen Jowers

21 hours ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

RICHMOND, Va. — Commissary officials are getting close to awarding a contract for the doorstep delivery of groceries, said John Hall, director of the Defense Commissary Agency. “We need this. Our customers want and need this contract,” Hall said during a meeting of the American Logistics Association in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday. “I’m really excited about this.”Hall did not provide a specific timeline for the broader rollout of the service, which is currently limited to select pilot locations.

2 days ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

A new app is helping to fill a gap in short-term child care needs for some military families. Kinderspot allows parents to sublet their child care spaces at Air Force child development centers when they’re away for vacation or other reasons, connecting them to other eligible Department of Defense families who need the child care. The app, which was the brainchild of Air Force Maj. Jacque Vasta, was launched Air Force-wide in July, following testing at a number of bases.

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

A military family organization joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing stricter voting requirements, arguing it would add barriers for troops and families who vote by absentee ballot. And advocates say there are other ongoing efforts at the state level and in Congress that could also undermine the ability of service members and families, as well as overseas citizens, to vote absentee.

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

Dozens of families are suing Balfour Beatty Communities, alleging toxic living conditions and accusing the company of “shoddy maintenance practices and corporate indifference or ineptitude” at its privatized military housing community at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida. Forty-four of the 56 families in the complaint are military families. The remaining plaintiffs, civilian families, have been permitted to live in the community when space was available.

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

A pilot program allowing Defense Department civilians to buy discounted groceries at military commissaries in 16 locations has been extended through the end of the year, commissary officials said. Civilian employees, including appropriated fund employees and nonappropriated fund employees, can shop at the 16 stateside stores participating in the program as long as they have DOD identification.