Editing Defense Commissary Agency (section)

== Separate systems combined ==
In 1989, Congress directed DoD to conduct a study of the separate military commissary systems. The ensuing report by the Jones Commission (headed by Army Lt. Gen. Donald E. Jones) recommended consolidating the service systems into one agency to improve service and save money. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) was established May 15, 1990, by a memorandum from the deputy secretary of defense; this was the first DoD functional agency consolidation during the post-Cold War cutbacks and downsizing.<ref name=Commissary_History />

DoD appointed Army Maj. Gen. John P. Dreska as the agency's first director in June 1990. Shortly afterward, a transition team of commissary functional experts managed the consolidation of all the service systems into a single agency, and DeCA assumed full control of all commissaries on October 1, 1991, at its headquarters in Fort Lee, Va.<ref name=Commissary_History />

After leading DeCA through its initial year of operation, Dreska retired in 1992, and Army Maj. Gen. Richard E. Beale Jr. became the new director. Beale retired from the military September 30, 1996, but stayed on the job as the first civilian director of the agency. He was succeeded by Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert J. Courter Jr. (November 1999 to August 2002) and Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael P. Wiedemer (August 2002 to October 2004). Patrick B. Nixon, who served as director and CEO from October 2004 to October 2007, was the first person in U.S. history to become director of any commissary agency after beginning his career at store level and steadily rising through the commissaries' civilian career field. Following Nixon's retirement, Richard S. Page served as acting director until the arrival of director and CEO, Philip E. Sakowitz Jr., in June 2008. Thomas E. Milks was acting director and CEO, from Sakowitz's June 2010 retirement<ref name=Commissary_History /> until Joseph H. Jeu succeeded Sakowitz June 3, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=January 27, 2011 |url=https://www.commissaries.com/press_room/press_release/2011/DeCA_03_11.cfm |title=Joseph Jeu selected next DeCA director |first=Kevin L. |last=Robinson |publisher=Defense Commissary Agency |date=January 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505001543/https://www.commissaries.com/press_room/press_release/2011/DeCA_03_11.cfm |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }} DeCA News Release Number 03-11</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Joseph H. Jeu, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Defense Commissary Agency|url=https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Article/602720/joseph-h-jeu/ |access-date=May 3, 2012 |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Defense]]}}</ref>

Joseph H. Jeu subsequently served as the director and CEO from January 2011 until his retirement in June 2017. Michael Dowling served as acting director and CEO following Jeu’s retirement. On Oct 24, DOD announced retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi as the interim director and CEO. Bianchi is also the CEO of the Navy Exchange Service Command.