Army & amp; The Aircraft Exchange Service ( AAFES , also referred to as Exchange ) is a retailer in US Army and Air Force installations worldwide. The Exchange is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and its chief executive officer is Tom Shull.
The oldest and largest of the Department of Defense's exchange services and in addition to their retail support for the military, the Exchange also provides troop with combat underwear costs, and serves about 3.2 million pieces of school lunch per year for children attending the Department of Defense School abroad.
Starting Veterans Day, 11 November 2017, military exchanges began offering online exchange spending rights to approximately 18.5 million veterans who were dismissed with respect. The exchange launched www.VetVerify.org in June 2017, allowing veterans to verify their eligibility before the benefit start date.
Video Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Histori
Roots
For more than 100 years before the currency exchange system was made, itinerant merchants known as sutlers gave American soldiers goods and services during wartime. Sutlers serve troops in Army camps as far as the French and Indian wars and the Revolution.
Complaints of premium charging sutlers for substandard goods were widespread during the Civil War, and in 1867 the War Department created the post-merchant system. Although intended to prevent unscrupulous director practices, the post-trade system still weighs on troops at too high a price and is filled with bribery and corruption.
On November 29, 1880, Colonel Henry A. Morrow, attempted to extinguish the discipline problem caused by soldiers visiting unpleasant places of entertainment in nearby towns, setting up the first American military cafeteria in the Vancouver Barracks. There, the army provided newspapers and magazines, played billiards and cards, and could get snacks and drinks without leaving the post.
The idea was so successful that other posts began to build canteen across the border, providing troops with not only a place to socialize but getting daily necessities at affordable prices. In 1889, the War Department issued a General Order. 10, allowing the ruling generals to set up canteen at army posts. Like modern exchange systems, the canteen is financially self-sustaining.
In February 1882, the war secretary ordered that the next cafeteria be called "post exchange". This change is caused by the popular association of the word "canteen" with the perverted, nasty behavior that allegedly occurred in the cafeteria of foreign troops. In 1895, postal merchants were almost entirely replaced at Army posts through post exchanges.
Initial development
On July 25, 1895, the War Department issued a General Order. 46, directing commanders in each post to establish a post "wherever practical." Post-exchanges serve two missions: first, "to supply troops at reasonable prices with goods commonly used, worn and consumed, not provided by the Government, and to provide them with rational recreation and leisure facilities," and secondly, "to provide means to repair messes "through exchange of profits.
During the first 45 years of the exchange system, the exchange is operated independently under the direction of the commander of every post, which means there is little uniformity between exchange locations. While the War Department does not control centralized exchange operations, it holds the commander in charge of their financial assets. The exchange is also subject to annual inspection by the Inspector General's office.
With the outbreak of World War I and subsequent expansion of the US Army, it became clear that the existing postal exchange system was not equipped to accommodate such large-scale efforts. General John J. Pershing requested the help of civil service organizations to provide cafeteria services abroad, although they proved the lack of equipment and experience needed to fully meet the needs of the declining forces.
Centralize
During the mobilization efforts leading up to World War II, the War Department was increasingly looking for ways to improve the old postal exchange system. After completing a review of the exchanges, Lieutenant Colonel J. Edwin Grose concluded that the Army would need to "become an operator of a large chain of chain stores with extensive world branches" to adequately meet the substantial demands. scale war effort. In April 1941, an advisory committee of five leading retail executives confirmed this idea, recommending the establishment of a central organization to oversee exchange operations.
On June 6, 1941, the Army Exchange Service (AES) was created. On July 26, 1948, AES was renamed Army & amp; The Air Force Exchange Service, to reflect AES's responsibility for serving the Air Force, created in 1947.
Since its founding, the Exchange has been involved in 14 major military operations (including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Balkan and Operation Survive and Iraqi Freedom) as well as several dozen humanitarian and disaster contingencies.
Civilian leadership
In 2012, Tom Shull became the first Civil Exchange Director/CEO, after previously serving as executives with Wise Foods, Inc., Hanover Direct, Inc., Barneys New York and Meridian Ventures. West Point graduate, Shull served as commander of the infantry company and held a job at the White House and National Security Council.
Under the leadership of Shull, the Exchange has added merchandise from leading brands in industries such as Michael Kors and Disney to a wide range, reducing costs and improving on its website, ShopMyExchange.com. Since July 2017, the Exchange has set up a shipping center at 26 brick-and-mortar stores, reducing shipping costs and increasing delivery times for customers. Shull also spearheaded Exchange's efforts to bring the first films to a theater installation.
By 2015, the Shull emphasis on national brand intensification, growing concessions and Express shops, strengthening the web presence of Exchange and reducing costs led the Exchange to record operating income of $ 402 million, every dollar reinvested into the military community. This performance, which occurs even though military personnel has slumped 13 percent since 2011, shows a three percentage point increase in terms of profitability, and equals or exceeds Walmart and Target.
Benefits of veteran online shopping
On May 8, 2012, Shull drafted a memorandum to the Deputy Minister of Defense for Personnel and Readiness who proposed that military exchanges be allowed to expand online shopping rights to veterans who were dismissed with respect.
Shull presented a business case for useful online shopping veterans for the Defense Executive Resale Council in August 2014. Shull said the plan could generate more than $ 100 million for the installation quality of life program within three years. The Executive Resale Board unanimously recommends the proposal in August 2016.
On January 13, 2017, the Ministry of Defense announced that all veterans dismissed with respect will be eligible to shop for tax free online military exchanges beginning November 11, 2017. Expanded benefits are expected to make online exchange rights available to about 17 million to 21 million veterans.
On June 5, 2017, the military exchange announced the launch of VetVerify.org, an online service where veterans could verify their eligibility to shop for online exchanges. Simultaneously it was announced that some veterans who signed up would be selected to shop ahead of the November 11 launch as beta testers. In November, VetVerify.org has verified over 225,000 veterans
Maps Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Structure and funding
Part of the Department of Defense, the Exchange is directed by a board of directors responsible to the secretary of the Army and Air Force through the Chief of Staff. As an activity of non-appropriation funds, the Exchange funds 98 percent of its own operations, with revenues from the sale of goods and services. A 2 percent majority in customized funds is used to finance the delivery of goods abroad to Americans placed abroad.
Members of the 13-member Board of Directors of the Exchange including Lieutenant General Gina Grosso, Deputy Chief of Staff for Labor, Personnel and Services, US Air Force Headquarters; Lt. Gen. Aundre Pigge, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, G-4; US Army Sergeant Major Daniel A. Dailey and Head of Air Force Master Sgt. Kaleth O. Wright.
Earnings
One hundred percent of the income of the Exchange is reinvested into the military community. Two-thirds of the Exchange revenue supports Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), Air Force Services, and the Navy and Marine Corps quality program, while the remaining one-third is used for new building construction and cost of facilities at no cost to the federal government.
In 2016, the Exchange reported $ 384 million in revenue. Of this amount, $ 225 million is reinvested into the installation quality of life program including child development and fitness center. In the past 10 years, the Exchange has distributed more than $ 2.4 billion to MWR to fund quality improvement.
Shop
The Exchange operates more than 2,700 facilities, including major stores, department stores, military clothing stores and theaters, in 50 US states and 33 countries. In addition, Exchange has nearly 1,750 fast-food restaurants such as Subway, Burger King, Popeyes Chicken, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Charley's Grilled Subs and Starbucks as well as over 3,600 concession operations. Exchange Authorized Customers include Active Duty Members, Reserve Members and National Guard, retired members of the US uniformed service, Medal of Honor recipients, veterans who are dismissed with respect 100% certified are disabled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or when hospitalized and their dependents with the US Uniform Service Identification Service and Identification Service.
The modern base and postal exchange (called BX in the Air Force, PX in the Army) provide tax-free goods - including famous brands such as Michael Kors, Coach, and Ralph Lauren - for authorized buyers. In addition, some Exchanges hold mall concessions with various vendors and storefronts.
In November 2010, the Exchange launched Freedom Crossing at Fort Bliss, a $ 100 million outdoor mall that is moored by the 217,000 square-foot Exchange Main Store and includes a children's play area, outdoor dining terrace, shady landscape area, outdoor seating, outdoor fireplaces, interactive fountains, grass for community events and concerts, and over 40 storefronts and restaurants. Mall is the first of its kind in the US armed services base.
Employee
The Exchange employs nearly 35,000 partners worldwide in the United States, Europe, the Pacific, and the Middle East. Of this amount, about 27 percent are spouse or military dependents, 10 percent are veterans and 2 percent are active duty, reserve and national guard. The exchange has been named the Military Friendly Company by Victory Media, publisher G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse magazine, for five consecutive years, recently received a Silver Award from the publisher. Overall, about 85 percent of Exchange associations are connected in some way to the military.
Since September 11, 2001, more than 5,500 Exchange associations have been deployed to fight zones in Iraq and Afghanistan to support troops in combat operations. The Exchange currently operates 49 stores in emergency zones in countries such as Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo.
Military Star Cards
The Exchange also operates and funds the Exchange Credit Program (ECP), a program established by Congress in 1979 to protect service members from predatory lending and offer responsible credit solutions to customers.
The Military Star Card Credit Card Exchange accounts for about 2 million cardholders from all branches of the service, including eligible dependents, among its members. The Exchange Credit program markets the Military Stars as "one card solution" for all purchases made on military installations. Like Exchange, the Exchange Credits Program contributes most of its income to moral, welfare and recreation programs, providing $ 639 million for MWR programs over the past 10 years.
According to an October 2016 report by CreditCards.com, Military Star Cards have the lowest fixed interest rates among retail branded credit cards.
See also
- Basic exchange
- Canex, the Canadian equivalent
- NAAFI, United Kingdom equivalent to
- Navy Exchange
References
External links
- Official site
- Exchange Mission, News & amp; More
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments