DETROIT — Chevrolet and USAA, a financial services provider for the military community, recently tabulated the discount total toward vehicle purchases they provided to troops and their families in 2009.

All together, these companies distributed more than 21,000 discounts, compiling a total value of $24 million. Officials contend these figures compute into the industry's best military discount program. They insist the USAA and General Motors' joint discount programs offer the largest selection of vehicles and family member eligibility of any automaker.

"We are committed to offering military professionals and their family members the best value in the industry," explained Mark Degnan, GM director of local advertising and marketing.

"Personally, with a brother and a nephew in active duty in Iraq, I am proud to work for a company that recognizes service in the armed forces," Degnan went on to emphasize.

Steve Thompson, assistant vice president of product management at USAA, again stressed what the intentions of the company are.

"At USAA, we are focused on helping members of the military community make informed financial decisions, including the car-buying process," Thompson pointed out.

"We are pleased we can help members save money through our exclusive discount offer for GM brands, including Chevrolet," he added.

Again this year, program officials pointed out that a military affiliation discount can be combined with OEM incentives available to the general public. For example, they indicated with the exception of the $106,880 Corvette ZR1, every 2010 Chevrolet model is eligible for both a GM Military Discount and an additional USAA member discount.

The automaker reiterated the GM Military Discount is offered to all Active and Reserve members and their spouses. The program covers members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard.

Officials stated that discounts typically range between $500 and $4,000 off of MSRP. In 2009, GM noted that its Chevrolet division alone supported more than 5,000 customers through the GM Military Discount program for a cumulative value of more than $12 million.

Furthermore, USAA stated its discount toward GM vehicles can provide members an additional $750 discount per vehicle. USAA also offers an additional $250 discount to members replacing a vehicle that has been declared a total loss by USAA insurance.

Officials shared some specific examples of how the available military discounts would knock down MSRP of certain Chevrolet vehicles by at least $1,400 to as much as nearly $2,900.

A discount of $1,435 would move a Chevrolet Camaro 1LT from $26,530 to $25,094. The price of a Chevrolet Equinox LTZ would slide from $28,965 to $27,309 because of a $1,655 reduction. The largest price swing in examples provided was for a Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab LTZ as the military discounts could diminish the price by $2,858 from $39,670 to $36,811.

Military personnel can go to gmmilitarydiscount.com for more information, to apply for a discount code and to find the military price for the vehicle of their choice.

Additional details about USAA's GM discount and comprehensive vehicles buying services are available here.

"The military program is a key part of our commitment to support the troops," Degnan asserted.

"We appreciate the opportunity to do something for those that do so much for us," he concluded.