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For 125 years the Exchange has supported service members all over the world.
In wartime and peacetime, across the globe, we go where you go…
1895
War Department General Orders number 46 directed commanders to establish a Post Exchange at every post where practicable.
1903
In the early days, Exchanges operated independently and sometimes published their own catalogs.
1917
During World War One, Post Exchanges helped meet all the needs of the newly expanded Army in the United States, while Civilian Welfare agencies supported the troops in Europe.
1944
During World War Two, wartime Exchanges opened to support Soldiers in Europe, the Pacific, Australia, and the Middle East, as well as China, India, North Africa and Iceland.
1946
After the war, the Army Exchange Service was the primary source for many goods and services, supporting U.S. forces in occupied Europe and Japan.
1948
After the U.S. Air Force was created in 1947, the Army Exchange became the Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
1952
During the Korean conflict the Japan Central Exchange supplied merchandise and equipment to U.S. forces deployed to Korea.
1965
The Vietnam Regional Exchange expanded and established operations throughout Vietnam and Thailand.
1967
Wishing to move operations from New York to a more central location, the new AAFES headquarters building opened in Dallas.
1990
During Operation Desert Shield, and later Desert Storm, support included 17 AAFES operations and 152 field Exchanges.
2001 and 2004
After 9/11, mobile Exchanges served emergency personnel at the Pentagon and World Trade Center. During Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, hundreds of stores, concessions, and restaurants were set up throughout 12 countries in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. Since 9/11, more than 4,800 associates have voluntarily left the comforts of home and family, often multiple times, to support Warfighters deployed to Southwest Asia.
2005
The Exchange served troops called into support after Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed the Keesler BX. For several months, a mobile field Exchange operated in New Orleans. Throughout its history, the Exchange has supported troops during and after forest fires, tornados, and other natural disasters.
2010
AAFES was rebranded to the “Exchange, “ ushering in a new era focused on an improved shopping experience to provide authorized shoppers with everything needed to outfit their unique military lifestyle.
2011
The Secretary of Defense converted the Exchange’s commanding general’s position from a major general to a senior executive civilian billet.
2012
Tom Shull, West Point graduate and retail expert, became the Exchange’s first Director/CEO.
2017
After years of coordination with the Departments of Defense, Army and Air Force as well as several other federal agencies, Shull was instrumental in changing DoD policy to extend limited online exchange privileges to all honorably discharged Veterans starting Nov. 11, 2017. Approval of the Veterans online shopping benefit more than doubled the Exchange’s authorized customers.
The benefit gave honorably discharged Veteran’s access to tax-free shopping and military exclusive pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.
2020
On-installation shopping benefits were extended to all service-connected Disabled Veteran’s, Purple Heart Recipients, former POW’s and eligible caregivers, allowing the Exchange to honor the service of all Warfighters, past, present and future.
2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Exchanges transformed to provide safe, secure and sanitized shopping to protect the force during unprecedented and uncertain times.
2020
The Exchange celebrates 125 years of serving those who serve. From tents on the frontier to mobile field units to modern brick and mortar stores, the Exchange is now one of the largest retail organization in the United States, with facilities in all 50 states and 32 countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, the Exchange is honored to serve 38 million active-duty military members, retirees, National Guard members and Reservists, Disable Veteran’s, family members and at shopmyexchange.com, all honorably-discharged Veterans.
Through the years, our stores may have changed, but our mission remains the same.
We are family serving family.
We go where you go. Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
We are the Exchange.
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.13.2020 09:52 |
| Category: | Video Productions |
| Video ID: | 763217 |
| VIRIN: | 200722-D-ZZ999-0001 |
| Filename: | DOD_107937639 |
| Length: | 00:05:51 |
| Location: | DALLAS, TEXAS, US |
| Downloads: | 2 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 2 |
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