The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES, also referred to as The Exchange and The PX or The BX) is the retailer in U.S. Army and Air Force installations worldwide. The Exchange is headquartered in

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, Texas, and its director/chief executive officer is

Tom Shull Tom Shull is an American businessman and Director/CEO of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange), No. 54 on the National Retail Federation's Top 100 Retailers list. Shull joined the Exchange in 2012 as the first civilian to lead the Dep ...

. The largest of the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

's exchange services, it i
No. 54
on the

National Retail Federation The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association. Its members include department stores, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, chain restaurants, grocery stores, and multi-level ma ...

's Top 100 Retailers list. In addition to their retail support for the military, the Exchange outfits troops with combat uniforms at-cost, and serves approximately 4.2 million at-cost school lunches per year for children attending

Department of Defense Dependents Schools The Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) are a network of schools, both primary and secondary, that serve the dependents of United States military and civilian United States Department of Defense (DoD) personnel in three areas of the ...

overseas. As of Veterans Day, 11 November 2017, military exchanges started offering online exchange shopping privileges to an estimated 18 million

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...

veterans. The exchanges launched VetVerify.org in June 2017, allowing veterans to verify their eligibility ahead of the benefit's start date.

History

Roots

For more than 100 years before the

post exchange An exchange is a type of retail store found on United States military installations worldwide. Originally akin to trading posts, they now resemble contemporary department stores or strip malls. Exact terminology varies by armed service; some exa ...

system was created, traveling merchants known as sutlers provided American soldiers with goods and services during times of war. Sutlers served troops at Army camps as far back as the French and Indian and

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

wars. Complaints of sutlers charging premiums for substandard merchandise were widespread during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, and in 1867 the War Department created the post trader system. While intended to prevent the unscrupulous practices of sutlers, the post trader system still subjected troops to over-inflated prices and was rife with bribery and corruption. On 29 November 1880, Col. Henry A. Morrow, seeking to quell disciplinary problems resulting from troops visiting disreputable places of amusement in nearby towns, established the first American military canteen at

Vancouver Barracks Established in 1849, the Vancouver Barracks was the first U.S. Army base located in the Pacific Northwest. Built on a rise 20 feet (6 m) above the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading station Fort Vancouver. Its buildings were formed in a line adjac ...

. There, troops were provided newspapers and magazines, played billiards and cards, and could obtain light food and drink without leaving post. The idea was so successful that other posts began establishing canteens across the frontier, providing troops with not only a place to socialize but obtain daily necessities at affordable prices. In 1889, the War Department issued General Orders No. 10, authorizing commanding generals to establish canteens at army posts. Like the modern-day exchange system, these canteens were largely financially self-sustaining. In February 1892, the secretary of war ordered that canteens be henceforth referred to as "post exchanges." This change was due to the popular association of the word "canteen" with the bawdy, immoral behavior alleged to occur in the canteens of foreign armies. By 1895, post traders had been almost entirely replaced on Army posts by post exchanges.

Early developments

On 25 July 1895, the War Department issued General Orders No. 46, directing commanders at every post to establish a post exchange "wherever practicable." Post exchanges served two missions: first, "to supply the troops at reasonable prices with the articles of ordinary use, wear, and consumption, not supplied by the Government, and to afford them a means of rational recreation and amusement," and second, "provide the means for improving the masses" through exchange profits. For the first 45 years of the exchange system, exchanges operated independently under the direction of each post’s

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

, meaning there was little uniformity between exchange locations. While the War Department did not centrally control exchange operations, it did hold commanding officers accountable for their financial assets. Exchanges were also subject to annual checks by the Inspector General’s office. With the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and subsequent expansion of the U.S. Army, it became clear that the existing post exchange system was not equipped to accommodate such a large-scale effort. Gen. John J. Pershing enlisted the help of civilian service organizations to provide canteen service overseas, though they proved to lack the equipment and experience necessary to fully meet the needs of downrange troops.

Centralization

During the mobilization efforts leading up to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the War Department increasingly looked for ways to upgrade its antiquated post exchange system. After completing a review of existing exchanges, Lt. Col. J. Edwin Grose concluded that the Army would need to "become the operator of an extensive chain store system with world wide icbranches" to sufficiently meet the demands of a large-scale war effort. In April 1941, an advisory committee of five prominent retail executives affirmed this notion, recommending the creation of a central organization to oversee exchange operations. On 6 June 1941, the Army Exchange Service (AES) was created. On 26 July 1948, AES was renamed the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, to reflect AES’ responsibility to serve the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

, which was created in 1947. Since its establishment, the Exchange has been involved in 14 major military operations (to include World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Balkans and Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom) as well as several dozen humanitarian and disaster relief contingencies.

Civilian leadership

In 2012,

became the Exchange's first civilian director/CEO, having previously served as an executive with

Wise Foods Wise Foods, Inc. is a company based in Berwick, Pennsylvania, that makes snacks and sells them through retail food outlets in 15 eastern seaboard states, as well as Vermont, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. Best ...

Hanover Direct Horn & Hardart was a food services company in the United States noted for operating the first food service automats in Philadelphia, New York City, and Baltimore. Philadelphia's Joseph Horn (1861–1941) and German-born, New Orleans-raised F ...

Barneys New York Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market. Barneys ...

and Meridian Ventures. A

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

graduate, Shull served as an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

company commander A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 250 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons. The exact organization of a company varies by countr ...

and held assignments at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

and

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...

. In 2021, Shull's emphasis on merchandising national brands, expanding Express convenience stores, strengthening the Exchange's web presence and reducing costs led the Exchange to record operating earnings of US$318 million, with US$205 million of those earnings reinvested into military quality-of-life programs. The earnings improvement under Shull has occurred during fluctuations in the number of active-duty military personnel. As Exchange shopping privileges are exclusive to the military community, troop strength directly affects the size of the Exchange’s customer base. Under Shull's leadership, the Exchange established shipping centers inside 99

brick-and-mortar Brick and mortar (also bricks and mortar or B&M) refers to a physical presence of an organization or business in a building or other structure. The term ''brick-and-mortar business'' is often used to refer to a company that possesses or leases r ...

stores, which reduced shipping costs and improved delivery times for customers. Shull also shaped the Exchange's efforts to bring more first-run movies to military movie theaters.

Veterans online shopping benefit

On 8 May 2012, Shull drafted a memorandum to the

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness The under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, or USD (P&R) is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) within the United States Department of Defense responsible for advising the secretary an ...

proposing that military exchanges be allowed to extend online shopping privileges to honorably discharged veterans. Shull presented a business case for the veterans online shopping benefit to the

’s Executive Resale Board in August 2014. Shull said the plan could generate more than $100 million for installation quality-of-life programs within three years. The Executive Resale Board voted unanimously to recommend the proposal in August 2016. On 13 January 2017, the Department of Defense announced that all honorably discharged veterans would be eligible to shop tax-free online military exchanges starting 11 November 2017. The expanded benefit is made online exchange privileges available to an estimated 18 million veterans. On 5 June 2017, military exchanges announced the launch of VetVerify.org, an online service where veterans can verify their eligibility to shop online exchanges. As of August 2021, more than 770,000 veterans had verified their eligibility to shop online with the Exchange. Expanded in-store shopping privileges On 1 January 2020, the Exchange welcomed home disabled Veterans,

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

recipients and certain caregivers—4.1 million Americans— with in-store shopping privileges. Privileges expanded to all Veterans with service-connected disabilities, Veterans who are Purple Heart recipients, Veterans who are former prisoners of war and primary family caregivers for Veterans who are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. This new privilege was specified in the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The Department of Defense announced the expansion 13 November 2019. The new patron group also has access to commissaries and morale, welfare and recreation retail facilities located on U.S. military installations. Beginning 1 May 2021, Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilians in the continental U.S. became eligible to shop at military exchanges, and online benefits were added in October 2021. Opening exchange access to DoD and Coast Guard civilian employees working on installations improves dividends to Quality-of-Life programs, leverages the military exchanges’ buying power and strengthens the Exchange benefit for Soldiers, Airmen and Guardians.

Disaster support

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Exchange deployed Exchange stores on wheels, dubbed mobile field Exchanges (MFEs) to serve first responders at the Pentagon, World Trade Center and around New York City. The Exchange has a history of supporting the military responding to natural disasters. During the 2017 hurricane season, the Exchange sent support to areas affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Support included an MFE, requested by the

Texas State Guard The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is part of the state military force of Texas, and one of three branches of the Texas Military Forces. Along with the other two branches, the TXSG falls under the command of the Governor of Texas and is administered by ...

to allow National Guard members to stock up on water, batteries, beef jerky, shampoo, sports drinks and more. A second MFE opened days later in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Exchange sent shipments of bottled water and emergency supplies such as generators, batteries, flashlights, tarps, gas cans and first-aid kits to Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico ahead of

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...

and

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

. Before

made landfall, the Exchange team began funneling emergency shipments of supplies, such as generators, batteries and water, to areas in the storm’s path. Just ahead of Maria’s arrival, the Fort Buchanan main store opened 30 minutes early and sold six pallets of water in 45 minutes. As Maria’s intensity grew, an emergency list of health and personal care products, as well as pallets of bottled water, were staged throughout the Southeast for immediate shipment, with a focus on the fastest methods of transportation once the storm had passed. Just two days after the storm hit, while 90 percent of the island was still struggling with power issues, 30 associates reported to the Fort Buchanan Exchange to begin cleaning the facility to expedite opening. They were also scheduling local contractors to perform a safety inspection on the fuel pumps, which were damaged in the storm, in order to get them back up and running as soon as possible. In the wake of

Hurricane Florence Hurricane Florence was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that caused catastrophic damage in the Carolinas in September 2018, primarily as a result of freshwater flooding due to torrential rain. The sixth named storm, third h ...

and

Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael was a very powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992. It was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to ma ...

in 2018, thousands of packages of batteries, thousands of cases of water, generators, gas cans and flashlights were delivered to military installations in the path of the storms. The Exchange deployed an MFE to

Tyndall Air Force Base Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (325 ...

after

to provide essentials to those assisting with recovery efforts until the base exchange reopened 28 November 2018. The Exchange has 13 MFEs and two mobile barber shops that can be deployed within 48 hours of command request to disaster-affected areas.

Resiliency during COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Exchange’s No. 1 priority was to protect the military community and Exchange associates. Even before the CDC recommended face coverings or the Department of Defense mandated their wear, the Exchange distributed critical personal protective equipment to all frontline and distribution center associates. Working in lockstep with local commands, the Exchange sought innovative solutions to continue serving the military, including personal shopper programs for quarantined troops, curbside pickup, buy online pickup in store service, MFEs and grab-and-go school meals for service members’ children overseas. For the holiday selling season, the Exchange spread out sales events over 12 weeks to reduce crowds in its stores. This approach proved successful and positioned the Exchange as a leader in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to serve military shoppers. The Exchange maintained enhanced sanitization measures such as acrylic shields at points of sale; disinfecting customer service and sales points multiple times daily; signing and floor decals reminding shoppers to wear face coverings and maintain a safe distance; and keeping restaurants open for carry-out service where dine-in service was unavailable. Exchange stores frequently host community events. During the pandemic, the Exchange pivoted to online events to allow military members and their families to remain connected to their community. The Exchange’s first-ever Facebook live series, “Chief Chat,” brought military leaders, Hollywood A-listers, elite athletes and more straight to the military community. Guests such as Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass,

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mark Wahlberg, multiple accolades, including a B ...

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...

, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sean “Diddy” Combs,

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to t ...

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

and more provided a welcome morale boost for the millions of military viewers who tuned in and connected with the Exchange.

Hiring Heroes

The Exchange is a leading employer of Veterans, military spouses and family members, who make up 45% of its U.S. workforce. Since 2013, the Exchange has hired more than 54,000 veterans and military spouses, with a goal of hiring 75,000 by 2026. The organization has also hired more than 1,900 wounded warriors since 2010. The Exchange offers Veterans and military spouses competitive pay and benefits, including the associate transfer program, which helps military spouses continue their Exchange career as they move from duty station to duty station.

BE FIT 360

The Exchange is partner in the Army Healthy Communities and Air Force Smarter Fueling initiatives under the

Office of the Secretary of Defense The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out aut ...

, Operation Live Well. BE FIT 360 is an Exchange initiative focused on the readiness and resiliency of military members and their families. Exchange stores feature athletic wear, shoes and gear. The Exchange identifies healthier-for-you food and beverage choices in their main store and Express locations as well as in all of the Exchange 1,600 restaurants. The Exchange offers a variety of services such as optical centers, dental offices, durable medical equipment stores and chiropractic clinics.

Structure and funding

Part of the

, the Exchange is directed by a board of directors responsible to the secretaries of the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and

through the

Chiefs of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

. As a non-appropriated fund activity, the Exchange self-funds 98% of its operations, with revenue coming from the sale of goods and services. The majority of the 2% in appropriated funds is used to fund transporting goods overseas to Americans stationed abroad. Members of the Exchange's 13-member board of directors include Lt. Gen. Charles R. Hamilton, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics of the Army Staff; Lt. Gen. Caroline M. Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services of the U.S. Air Force; U.S. Army Sgt. Maj.

Michael A. Grinston Michael A. Grinston (born 1968) is a member of the United States Army and the current Sergeant Major of the Army. Prior to his current position, he served as the senior enlisted leader for the United States Army Forces Command. Military career '' ...

and Air Force Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne Bass.

Earnings

100% of Exchange earnings are invested back into the military community. Approximately 60% of Exchange earnings support military quality-of-life programs, while the remaining funds are used for new store construction and facility costs at no cost to the federal government. In 2021, Exchange shoppers generated $205 million for installation quality-of-life programs. In the past 10 years, the Exchange has distributed more than $3.5 billion to fund quality-of-life improvements.

Stores

The Exchange operates more than 4,000 facilities, including main stores, convenience stores, military clothing stores and theaters, across 50 U.S. states and more than 30 countries. Additionally, the Exchange has more than 1,600 quick-serve restaurants such as

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...

Qdoba Qdoba ( ) is a chain of fast casual restaurants in the United States and Canada serving Mexican-style cuisine. After spending 15 years as a wholly owned subsidiary of Jack in the Box, the company was sold to a consortium of funds led by Apo ...

Panera Panera Bread is an American chain store of bakery-café fast casual restaurants with over 2,000 locations, all of which are in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri. The company operates as Saint Louis ...

Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant ch ...

, Freshens,

Panda Express Panda Express is an American fast food restaurant chain that serves American Chinese cuisine. With over 2,200 locations, it is the largest Asian-segment restaurant chain in the United States, where it was founded, and is mainly located in North ...

, Popeyes Chicken,

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includi ...

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and desse ...

Charleys Philly Steaks Charleys Philly Steaks is an American restaurant chain of Philly cheesesteak stores headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Formerly known as Charley's Steakery and Charley's Grilled Subs, the franchise was established in 1986 on the campus of Ohio S ...

and

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 cou ...

as well as over 3,400 concession operations. Anyone can dine at Exchange restaurants. Modern base and post exchanges (called BX in the Air Force, PX in the Army) provide tax-free goods – including name brands such as

Michael Kors Michael David Kors (born Karl Anderson Jr. August 9, 1959) is an American fashion designer. He is the chief creative officer of his brand, Michael Kors, which sells men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, watches, jewelry, footwear, and f ...

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

, and

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his c ...

– to authorized shoppers. In addition, some Exchanges host concession malls with a variety of vendors and storefronts. Authorized patrons of the Exchange include members of Active Duty, members of the Reserves and

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

, retired members of the U.S. uniformed services, recipients of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

, honorably discharged veterans certified 100% disabled by the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

, or when hospitalized and their dependents by the presentation of the U.S. Uniformed Services Privilege and Identification Card. In November 2010, the Exchange unveiled Freedom Crossing at

Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of William Wallace Smith Bliss, LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President ...

, a $100 million outdoor mall anchored by a 217,000-square-foot Exchange Main Store and including a children's play area, outdoor dining patios, shaded landscaped areas, outdoor seating, an outdoor fireplace, an interactive fountain, a lawn for community events and concerts, and more than 40 storefronts and restaurants. The mall is the first of its kind on a United States armed services base.

Employees

The Exchange employs approximately 29,000 associates worldwide in the United States, Europe, the Pacific and the Middle East. Of these, about 4,900 are military spouses, nearly 11% of the U.S. workforce is veterans and 2% is active-duty, reserves and the national guard. The Exchange has been named a Military Friendly Employer by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and

Military Spouse ''Military Spouse'' is a monthly magazine published in the United States for military dependents. The founder of the magazine, Babette Maxwell, also runs the associated Military Spouse of the Year Awards program. The magazine was first published in ...

magazine, for eight consecutive years, receiving the publisher's Gold Award for 2019. The Exchange has made U.S. Veterans Magazine's "Best of the Best" list eight years running, as well. The Exchange has also been named a Military Friendly Spouse Employer. In all, about 85% of the Exchange's associates are connected in some way to the military. Since

11 September 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

, 4,900 Exchange associates have deployed to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan to support troops in combat operations. The Exchange currently operates 300 facilities in contingency zones in countries such as Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo. Since 2013, the Exchange has hired more than 54,000 Veterans and military spouses and more than 1,900 Wounded Warriors since 2010.

Military Star Card

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. The Military Star Card

credit card A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the ...

is the ECP's most successful product, with 1.6 million cardholders across the six branches and their dependents. According to an October 2016 report by CreditCards.com, the Star Card has the lowest flat interest rate among retail-branded credit cards. Like the Exchange, the Exchange Credit Program contributes a significant portion of its earnings to morale, welfare and recreation programs. Marketed as the "one card solution" for purchases made on military installations, the card generates millions of dollars in value each year through generous terms, everyday discounts, avoided fees and special offers.

References

External links

Official site

The Exchange Mission, News & More
{{Authority control Exchange Service Exchange Service United States Department of Defense agencies Retail companies of the United States Companies based in Dallas 1895 establishments in the United States Organizations established in 1895