AAFES
Corner
Anstey
Judd, AAFES
Customer
Comments Prompt Return to Visual Age Verification
DALLAS
– Customer comments in stores, online and over the phone
have resulted in a modification to a recently implemented
age verification process at Army and Air Force Exchange
Service facilities.
“The
people spoke and we listened,” said the Exchange’s Chief
of Staff Col. Virgil Williams. “As a result of the input
received, we’re going back to a manual age verification
process.”
Cashiers
at Exchange operations worldwide have resumed visual
inspections to determine patrons’ eligibility to purchase
products such as knives, mature-rated music, videos and
games as well as tobacco and alcohol.
“Whether
the date of birth is determined electronically or manually,
the Exchange’s commitment to keeping these items out of
minors’ hands is consistent,” said Williams. “With
that said, we are dedicated to using methods that are of the
greatest ease for shoppers. While it is a balancing act,
it’s one that will continue to be refined in conjunction
with input from Exchange patrons.”
Military
Pets Have Opportunity to Fetch $1,500 AAFES Shopping Spree
DALLAS
– The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is
giving military pet owners the opportunity to crow and bark
about their four-legged friends and what they mean to them.
The “Patriot Family Pet Photo Contest,” which runs
through Dec. 15, allows pet owners to submit a photo of
themselves or family members with their pet along with a
50-word or less description of their furry friend.
“When
you’re responsible for making sure BX/PX shelves across
the globe have the treats and toys animals need, you quickly
realize that pets are a big part of our extended Patriot
Family,” said Chief Marketing Officer Mat Dromey. “This
unique contest gives pet owners of all ages the chance to
show others, both through photos and words, why their dog,
turtle, cat or any other animal that provides companionship
is such a special part of their home.”
The
grand prize winner will get their paws on a $1,500 AAFES
shopping spree. Additional prizes include a $1,000 shopping
spree for first place, two second place $500 awards and two
third place $350 shopping sprees. In addition to the
monetary prizes, the winning photos will be featured in
future AAFES advertisements as well as on Exchange TV,
AAFES’ in-house television network.
To
participate in the Patriot Pet Photo Contest, shoppers can
send entries to PatriotFamily@aafes.com
with “Patriot Family Pet” in the subject line. Entrants
must include their name, address, phone number,
rank/occupation and pet’s information (name, breed or type
of pet) in the email. More contest details can be found at www.aafes.com.
Deck
the Halls Early with the 2008 All-Services Holiday Exchange
Catalog
DALLAS
– Military shoppers can get a head start on the spirit of
the season as they discover a wonderland of holiday
solutions in the 2008 Exchange Holiday catalog. Filled with
seasonal décor and gifts from popular brands such as
Waterford, Disney, Coach, Sony and Apple, the 92-page
catalog is designed to make holiday shopping easy and
enjoyable for military shoppers across the globe.
“With
an incredible assortment of quality merchandise that
includes kitchenware, watches, fragrances, electronics,
sporting goods, tools and much more, the Holiday 2008
catalog truly offers one-stop holiday shopping,” said
Chief Marketing Officer Mat Dromey. “Whatever the
lifestyle or budget, this catalog will make holiday shopping
easy, fast and convenient.”
The
Holiday 2008 catalog is available at all main stores and
online at aafes.com,
usmc-mccs.org,
navy-nex.com
or cg-exchange.com.
Prices
in this all-services catalog are valid from Sept. 17, 2008
through Jan. 2, 2009, for any authorized exchange customer.
Active duty military members of the Army, Air Force, Navy,
Marines and Coast Guard, as well as military retirees,
reservists, National Guardsmen, Department of Defense
civilians stationed overseas, exchange employees and their
Family members are all authorized exchange privileges.
Orders
can be placed by mail, fax or phone. Toll-free orders can be
placed from the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam at
800-527-2345. The Exchange Catalog center is open around the
clock, seven days a week. Complimentary international access
calling is also available from several countries. Those
numbers are:
Germany
0800-82-16500
Japan/Okinawa
00531-11-4132
Korea
00308-13-0664
Italy
8008-71227
Belgium
0800-7-2432
The Netherlands
0800-022-1889
United Kingdom
0800-96-8101
Spain
900-971-391
Turkey*
00800-18-488-6312
* Calls cannot be placed from phones on base. Use off-base
commercial lines.
Authorized
customers can also shop the Holiday 2008 catalog online at aafes.com,
usmc-mccs.org,
navy-nex.com
or cg-exchange.com.
Exchange Service Optical Center Price Points Now Online
DALLAS
– With more than 166 locations across the world, National
Guard and Reserve, retiree and active-duty military Families
know they can depend on exchange Optical Shops and Vision
Centers for affordable, quality eyewear, regardless of where
they’re called to serve. But what about those authorized
shoppers who don’t live near a military installation?
The
answer to this question, one that has challenged military
and civilian leadership for more than a decade, is coming
into focus with the addition of two new partner web sites on
the Exchange Online Mall at aafes.com,
usmc-mccs.org,
navy-nex.com
and cg-exchange.com.
Authorized
shoppers who click on the new “Glasses & Contacts”
link now have access to the prices comparable to those found
in the exchanges’ brick-and-mortar Optical Shops and
Vision Centers through FramesDirect.com and
MilitaryContacts.net.
“These
sites have been set up to offer the same opening price
points exchange shoppers find at our Optical Shops and
Vision Center facilities on military installations,” said
the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s Director of
Professional Services Lt Col (Dr.) Ric Peterson “Their
inclusion on the Exchange Online Mall solves some
long-standing issues by delivering the eyewear benefit the
exchanges provide worldwide right to authorized shoppers
front door. Now, any beneficiary can take advantage of
internet access, low prices
and high-quality eyewear found at our facilities without
even leaving the house. This service is especially important
to those in remote and/or isolated sites and without access
to traditional exchange facilities.”
With
single vision eyeglasses starting at just $39,
FramesDirect.com’s Exchange Online Mall site features some
50,000 prescription frame styles and 8,000 sunglasses from
more than 200 brands, all discounted 10-30 percent with free
shipping. The site also helps ensure glasses aren’t just
affordable, but also stylish thanks to a feature
that
allows troops and their Families to upload pictures and
virtually try on different frame styles.
MilitaryContacts.net
is also doing its part to bring exchange savings home by
delivering exclusive “military only” pricing for
contacts ordered through the Exchange Online Store. The
savings this site offers, up to 30 percent less than the
leading mail order contact lens provider, even extends to
shipping costs as orders of $50 dollars or more always
receive free shipping.
“Ordering
from either site couldn’t be easier,” said AAFES
Merchandise Manager Don Walker. “Shoppers can e-mail or
fax their prescription or even just provide their eye
doctor’s name and phone number and if the prescription is
on file, the sites will validate and fill the order.”
The
Exchange Online Mall is a concession mall offering online
services and merchandise to military members around the
world. Today, 81 third-party sites, including Military
Recycling, Direct TV, eChapter One, Wild Blue Satellite
Internet and The Leisure Boutique, strengthen the exchange
benefit through their active support of the exchangeonlinemall.com.
Authorized customers can log onto their Exchange Online
Store at aafes.com,
usmc-mccs.org,
navy-nex.com
or cg-exchange.com
and click the Exchange Mall logo or access the site directly
by logging onto www.exchangeonlinemall.com.
AAFES
Gas Stations Extend Discount to Drivers Who Use a Military
StarSM Card
DALLAS
– Army & Air Force Exchange Service gas stations in
CONUS, Alaska and Puerto Rico are being programmed to
reflect a discount of three cents a gallon for drivers who
pay with a Military StarSM Card.
“Anytime
a customer uses a bank issued debit or credit card, the
retailer pays a portion of the transaction to a third party
financial institution,” said AAFES’ Chief of Corporate
Communications Lt. Col. Dean Thurmond “Because the
Military StarSM Card is administered by the Exchange Credit
Program, AAFES is not subject to the additional fees
incurred through other ‘pay at the pump’ options. As a
result, we’re able to pass savings on to authorized
exchange shoppers.”
The
three cent a gallon discount is currently being applied to
transactions at 13 installations (Minneapolis-St. Paul JARS,
Columbus AFB, Redstone Arsenal, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Fort
Gordon, Patrick AFB, Robins AFB, USMA, Laughlin AFB, Yuma
Proving Ground, Mountain Home AFB and Nellis AFB, MacDill,
Scott, JRB Carswell). All remaining facilities in CONUS,
Alaska and Puerto Rico* (177 facilities) will receive
software upgrades Monday evening and are expected to begin
applying the three cent a gallon discount as of Tuesday,
Aug. 19.
“I
encourage drivers during the first week or so of this new
effort, to touch base with the attendant at their local gas
station to ensure the software upgrades have taken effect
before fueling up,” said Thurmond. “As is the case with
anything technical, we expect a few glitches could occur
during the first few weeks of the program.”
Officials
hope to extend the Military StarSM Card three cent a gallon
discount at all AAFES facilities, but do not have a time
table for worldwide implementation at this time.
“This
effort is a priority of AAFES command,” said Thurmond.
“Entire teams are dedicated to working through the
technical challenges to extend the Military StarSM Card
discount to drivers at all AAFES locations.”
From
California to Kirkuk, AAFES Goes Where the Troops Go
DALLAS
- When you have a motto like "We Go Where You Go"
and a mission to support America's troops, you've got to be
ready to "move out" at a moment's notice. Such is
the case for the 113-year-old Army & Air Force Exchange
Service (AAFES) and the 43,000 associates who regularly
bring a touch of home to some of the "hottest"
spots around the globe.
Most
recently, AAFES associates from the BXs at Travis and Beale
AFBs deployed Mobile Field Exchanges (MFEs) in support of
some 400 National Guard members battling wildfires near the
cities of Hayfork and Booneville, Calif. as well as Yosemite
National Park.
Air
conditioned and stocked full of necessities, AAFES MFEs are
54-ft. trailers (photos available on request) converted into
mobile retail stores to support contingency deployments.
Military operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo as
well as domestic emergencies and training exercises drove
the need for this quality of life support to deployed
service members. Once the MFE arrives on site, receives
merchandise and sets up, usually done within 24 hours, the
unit is opened as long as needed.
"The
more than 250 Army National Guards that the Travis AFB team
supported in Hayfork came out of Los Angeles county,"
said AAFES' Travis AFB BX General Manager Lee Chung.
"Being on- site takes on special importance when you
consider that these troops just returned from a deployment
to the Middle East in support of their country and have
quickly remobilized to protect their state. Fortunately, in
both cases AAFES did and continues to 'go where they go' to
bring a taste of home to the front lines."
Beyond
domestic activities, AAFES continues to meet the needs of
Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines assigned to Operations
Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. In fact, right now some 350
civilian associates from AAFES are voluntarily deployed in
support of 90 BX/PXs, 177 name brand fast food operations,
including Burger King, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell locations, as
well as 74 phone centers throughout Iraq, Afghanistan,
Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and
Cyprus.
"'We
Go Where You Go' means that this command is prepared to set
up shop in some of the most hostile and austere environments
troops are called to serve," said AAFES' Chief
Operating Officer Mike Howard. "Those five words
capture our team's commitment to investing in the people and
resources needed to rapidly respond to the Army, Air Force,
National Guard and Reserve's ever changing missions."
Troops
Beat the Heat Downrange with Liquid Refreshment
DALLAS
– With the dog days of summer upon them, troops
downrange are beating the heat by purchasing a wide variety
of cold drinks. In fact, of the top 20 items purchased in
Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom last month, 15 were in
the form of liquid refreshment.
“It’s
certainly no coincidence that with the temperatures ramping
up there has been a significant increase in the number of
cold drinks being sold at BXs and PXs downrange,” said
AAFES Contingency Planning Chief Lt. Col. Peter Butts.
“With an average temperature of 112 degrees this time of
year, keeping cool definitely becomes a priority.”
Deployed
troops seeking relief from the heat made Monster and Red
Bull the top selling items at 85 BX/PXs scattered throughout
OEF/OIF in June. Monster was the biggest seller with troops
knocking back 284,482 cans followed by 78,753 cans of Red
Bull.
“As
the heat builds through July and August, the public can help
keep troops cool and refreshed while they carry out their
daily missions through the ‘Gifts from the Homefront’
program,” said Butts. “Any American can keep deployed
troops stocked with all of the necessities, without the
hassle and cost of a traditional care package, with a BX/PX
gift certificate that can be redeemed at any AAFES exchange,
including 56 facilities in Iraq alone.”
Started
soon after programs that allowed the general public to send
mail addressed to "Any Service Member" were
cancelled due to security concerns and transportation
constraints, AAFES’ military gift certificate campaign
allows anyone to make a direct and tangible contribution to
military morale with a gift certificate that can be redeemed
for nearly anything that a specific service member wants.
“Gifts
from the Homefront” can be sent to deployed troops by
logging on to www.aafes.org
or calling 877-770-4438. From there, BX/PX gift certificates
are sent to individual service members (designated by the
purchaser) or distributed to “any service member”
through the Air Force Aid Society, American Red Cross,
Fisher House, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society or USO. These
charitable partners have distributed 24,815 certificates,
totaling more than $480,000, earmarked for “any
servicemember.”
Top
Ten Sellers at BX/PXs Downrange in June 2008
Item
Quantity
Monster Energy Drink
284,482
Red Bull
78,753
San Benedetto Green Tea
75,316
Monster Low Carb
71,987
San Benedetto Peach Tea
59,139
Newport Kings
56,466
San Benedetto Lemon Tea
56,434
Marlboro Lights
47,114
Arizona Sweet Tea
37,700
Starbucks Frappuccino Mocha
31,937
