U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, is trying to save the one of the few commissary grocery stores for military veterans in the Bay Area that could face closure. 

At Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, a commissary store operated by the Defense Commissary Agency, or DeCA, provides discounted items like food and household cleaning supplies to veterans and their families.

DeCA is responsible for running the hundreds of commissary stores across the country, providing military personnel and their families an average 24% discount on items, according to the agency.

However, the store is at risk of closing if DeCA does not reach a renewed agreement with the NASA Ames Research Center, the current owner of the facility where the commissary store is housed, according to Liccardo.

“Losing the Moffett Field Commissary would be a hardship for the Bay Area’s military community, and I urge the Defense Commissary Agency to preserve or replace it,” Liccardo said in a statement Thursday.

Liccardo raised his concerns to the director of DeCA, John Hall, in a letter sent Thursday. 

“I write to express concern over reports that the commissary located at Moffett Federal Airfield will cease operations in 2026,” Liccardo wrote. “Closing the commissary at Moffett Federal Airfield diminishes support available to our Bay Area military community, creating a preventable food desert for those who need it most.”

One reason for Liccardo’s plea to keep Moffett Federal Commissary open is due to the distance of the nearest commissaries, which are located in Monterey, Fairfield, and Sacramento. 

Concerns over the possible closing of commissaries come as DeCA and the Department of War consider privatizing 178 commissaries across the country. On Sept. 19, DeCA issued a request for information, or RFI, to the commercial grocery industry to determine if there is any interest for the private sector to assume commissary operations.

However, Moffett Airfield Commissary’s potential closure surrounds DeCA’s contract with NASA Ames Research Center. If a renewed agreement is not reached between both parties, then it could be closed in 2026, Liccardo said. 

“Our service members and veterans have made enormous sacrifices to protect our nation,” Liccardo said. “The least we can do is ensure they have access to affordable, basic necessities.”

DeCA referred requests for comment to the Department of War, which did not respond. 

Alise is a general assignment reporter with a focus on covering government, elections, housing, crime, courts and entertainment in San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Alise is a Bay Area native from San Carlos. She studied history at University of California, Santa Cruz and first started journalism at Skyline College’s school newspaper in San Bruno. She has interned for Bay City News and for Eesti Rahvusringhääling, or Estonian Public Broadcasting. She has covered everything from the removal of former San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus to the divisive battle over the Great Highway on San Francisco’s west side. Please send her any tips.