What's the consensus on dependents using rank based reserved parking at exchanges/commissaries?

Check with the rules/policy for rank based parking for the installation. This may be allowed. Families are a part of the Army also.

If the Spouse wants to "Wear" the rank so bad, they should have joined the Military their DAMN SELVES!!!!

It’s not sop.

The CO of the NAB in San Diego back in 1971 had a policy where ALL commands (excluding Flag of course) had to send a rotating E6 or below to assist in manning the gate. Got my butt chewed out for not saluting the blue sticker, regardless of the fact that it was OBVIOUS the woman driving the vehicle was NOT the commissioned officer. That was, of course "back in the day" - now the AFID is checked at the gate prior to the salute. But yes, it supposed to be a privilege of the rank but we've ALL seen wives wearing the rank privilege at a higher level than the husband does.

When I was in the First Armored Division I discovered gate guards were ordered to memorize the cars of all full colonels and above and to wave them through without stopping. I lived close enough to post to walk to work and got to know the sergeant in charge of the gate guards. He got chewed out and relieved because he stopped a colonel's car occupied by the colonel's wife who refused to show her ID and to allow her enlisted driver to show his. We were under direct command of the G2 and I sent it up my chain. Red Army Faction was still active at the time and Middle East terrorists and it looked like an obvious security risk. After about a week, word came back down - leave it alone! My understanding was G2 pushed it uphill and a shitstorm came back down.

I find it repugnant that there is special parking for GOs, COLs, and CSMs! If anything, their parking should be as far from PX and Commissary as possible- may be at their unit!

These days when most military installations no longer have bumper or window stickers how could one tell which car belonged to a sergeant and which to a major general?

How many flag officers actually shop at the commissary? Then again, how do you enforce this rule? Better to look at the possible rather than to waste time on the trivial.

By rag there can be only two types of reserved parking on all DOD I solutions. They are handicap and gold star members. Not even the commanding general can have reserved parking at AAFES

Total bull. Not military business, no rank has its privilege.