Sustaining Warfighters at Sea: USS San Antonio Re-Opens Shipboard Self-Service Mini-Mart
12 August 2025
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA --
NORFOLK – Sailors aboard the San Antonio-class landing platform dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) celebrated the grand re-opening of the ship’s self-checkout mini-mart, Aug. 12. The mini-mart was originally opened prior to San Antonio’s 2021 deployment and was the first self-checkout system aboard any San Antonio-Class LPD in the fleet.
“This mini-mart presents a huge step forward in providing services for our Sailors and Marines. They will be able to purchase snacks and personal items at any time, bridging the gap between vending machines and the Ship Store, while offering the store’s great variety, along with the machines’ 24-hour convenience and accessibility,” said the ship’s Commanding Officer Capt. Tom Uhl.
The re-vamped mini-mart includes multiple technological updates to improve the customer experience. As San Antonio embarks on its regularly-scheduled deployment, the amenities and accessibility of the mini-mart give the ship’s Sailors and Marines—America’s warfighters—a way to enjoy some of the comforts of home when at sea while eliminating a significant barrier: limited time.
“[The installation] was a great learning experience for me as a technician. I really loved working with Supply, and it’s exciting to know everyone has the ability to get snacks when they want to,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Liliolosa Martin. Martin undertook extensive work and spent numerous hours on this project as the primary technician for the self-checkout system installation.
The mini-mart also provides the Supply Department an avenue to maintain its inventory and sustain its manpower. The mini-mart augments the Ship Store, which is not open 24/7, allowing for seamless access to the food, beverages, and other conveniences—primarily offered by the robust Ship Store—at any hour of the day.
“I consider this installation a huge benefit to the San Antonio team which ultimately improves quality of life for our Sailors and Marines,’ said Uhl.
San Antonio is underway on a regularly-scheduled deployment with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), which is capable of conducting global missions to accomplish U.S. strategic goals, deter adversaries, and ensure unimpeded commerce by keeping the high seas open and free in accordance with international law.