Coast Guard Holds Meeting About New Marketplace

CAPE MAY – The commanding officer of the Coast Guard Community Services Command met with members from area Coast Guard units to discuss a new Coast Guard Marketplace scheduled to open aboard Training Center Cape May in August 2012.
Capt. Bob McKenna answered questions from military, civilian employees and military retirees about the services that will be offered at the new Coast Guard Marketplace, which will include grocery services, apparel, uniforms and electronics.
“This is part of our continuing effort to make Coast Guard Training Center Cape May one of the best places to live, work and visit,” said Capt. Bill Kelly, commanding officer of Training Center Cape May. “We’re working hand and hand with Community Services Command to ensure our local military members, their families and military retirees get all the benefits they deserve.”
The 8,711-square-foot Coast Guard Marketplace will be open to all active duty military and authorized beneficiaries including military retirees and military dependents. It will be located in the current Coast Guard exchange, which will be remodeled in order to support the new space requirements for the Coast Guard Marketplace.
The grocery section of the store will include full service dry grocery, fresh meats, fresh produce, a dairy department and a frozen foods section. The closest commissary or exchange now is located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Wrightstown, N.J., which is almost two hours from Cape May. The Coast Guard Marketplace will allow local active duty military and beneficiaries to take advantage of their commissary and exchange privileges.
“Our job is to make the MarketPlace a Coast Guard experience,” said McKenna. “We want all authorized beneficiaries in the community of Cpae May to see this store as an oasis for them and their families.”
The new Coast Guard Marketplace will be open seven days a week and will have expanded hours in order to make shopping times more convenient for patrons. Because of the expanded hours, Capt. McKenna said the Coast Guard Marketplace may need to hire more employees and would focus employment efforts on veterans, military dependants and local community members.