Wewerearewill behere for you!
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM
Tom Shull
DIRECTOR/CEO, EXCHANGE
EXPLORE
Exchange
HISTORY
Legacy of Mission-Essential Service
Around the world, Exchange associates have served customers with tax-free goods, food and services through world wars, regional conflicts, natural disasters, military exercises deep in the jungles and high on mountaintops, and at sites of raging wildfires. The Nation’s hero Warfighters at the tip of the spear in Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, the Middle East, South Korea and elsewhere depend upon the mission-essential Exchange to be wherever they are to keep them ready and resilient.
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, more than 4,900 associates have deployed-some more than once-to Afghanistan, Iraq and other area countries to care for our heroes.
The Exchange also cares for military families, retirees and all honorably discharged Veterans by providing the items and services they need.
No other retailer has such a rich and storied history of serving those who serve.
Read about the Exchange’s devoted associates who left the safety and comfort of their homes to to take care of the men and women who protect our freedoms.
Take the guided tour See our photo galleryASSOCIATES SHARE
Their Stories
ABOUT THE EXCHANGE
A series honoring the Exchange’s 129 years of family serving family with new stories shared daily.
Lioba Conrad
Services Specialist, Europe/Southwest Asia
“I am so very grateful to the Exchange for the opportunity and benefits given to us. We are taking care of our Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their loved ones, being side-by-side with them and going where the military takes them. They can always depend on their Exchange family being there to support and assist them. It’s a privilege and an honor to work for the best company in the universe, and I am very blessed and thankful.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Vee Savage
Customer Experience Associate, Vandenberg Space Force Base
“There are shoppers I’ve known for 40 years and have seen grow up from being kids here to active duty until they retired. Knowing all the shoppers and seeing all of them come back to me after so many years is special and makes me want to stick with it.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Payman Bidardel
OCONUS Field Support Manager, Finance & Accounting, Exchange HQ
“Diversity. It really catches me the fact that it doesn’t matter where you come from, where you are, what your beliefs are-you are given the opportunity to serve the company and achieve your goals. The Exchange has been very, very kind to me and the building of my future. You don’t find those kinds of opportunities elsewhere that readily.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Tammar Tracey
General Manager, Fort Johnson
“Our service members remember when we deploy with them, when we set up MFEs (mobile field Exchanges) and when we give great customer service in our stores. This creates an emotional connection that is relational-like our own families. It’s all about keeping that relationship, and it keeps our customers coming back.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Mary Chainus
Freshens Food Service Foreman, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
“Family serving family exudes selflessness, resilience, honor and camaraderie. The military family fights to keep us safe every day. It’s an honor to have been a part of this community, where our goal is keeping up morale and providing families with a sense of home, family and togetherness.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Bonita Williams
General Manager Office Assistant, Robins AFB/Moody AFB
“I’m not in the military, but I can still serve the troops and their families, even if it’s just sharing my knowledge, a kind word or simply an acknowledgment when walking down the sidewalk, eating in the food court or shopping in our facilities.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Frederick Puryear
Express Manager, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
“The Exchange is a team. We all share the same goal, and we all take pride in what we do. Everyone I’ve worked with, we take pride. You consider it your store and your customers. I’ve worked retail outside the gates, and it’s just not the same. There’s not that personal pride in your work.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Tyler Stampes
Kadena Main Store Sales Area Manager
“I remember whenever I had some of the worst days while deployed, seeing the AAFES logo gave me a small reminder of home and better days to come. Also, seeing that the Exchange associates were right there with us; they did their best to support us warfighters, like a family taking care of one another.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Robin Boylan
USAG Stuttgart
“I grew up around the military. The Exchange gave me an opportunity to serve the military community. It’s awesome to serve a greater meaning and to have a great career. I was also able to get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the Exchange Tuition Assistance Program. Rising through the ranks has given me a unique perspective and appreciation for what our team members do every day serving those who serve. It is absolutely possible to have a successful career with the Exchange. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Jessica Provan
Main Store Manager of the KMCC Exchange at Ramstein Air Base
“Family has always been very important to me, so this idea of family serving family was a natural fit. I have a passion for serving others. The Exchange is the most noble place to do that. Serving the military community has given me a renewed appreciation for the sacrifices service members make.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Belinda Brown
LG Operations Manager III, Dan Daniel Distribution Center
“There is purpose in serving those who serve. You will also meet people and build relationships that will last a lifetime. Most of the people I can call family are from my time at DDDC.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Stanley Brooks
Store Manager’s Assistant, Public Affairs Representative and Social Media Administrator for the Wiesbaden Exchange
“The best part about working for the Exchange is that I get the opportunity to go to different places and help make the Soldiers happy.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Damon Cantey
PowerZone Sales Area Manager, Camp Humphreys
“I am thankful that the Exchange offers their associates, like me, SOFA status so I can continue to serve our Warfighters and I get to go home and be with my family every day.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Tracy Danielson
Warehouse Foreman, Minot AFB
“What I think of when I hear the term ‘family serving family’ is we each have our own family, as well as our Exchange family and our military family. We receive love from our own family, camaraderie from our Exchange family and security from our military family. We’re all here serving each other.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Matt Beatty
General Manager, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
“The Exchange is part of the military family, and we’re side by side with the service members and their families, showing that we understand their lifestyle. I can’t imagine not being around the military, the people and the installations at this point in my life since I grew up in the culture.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Danny Cawood
Retail Business Manager, Okinawa
Danny: “Being able to serve the best customers in the world with exceptional customer experience and providing a taste of home is truly an honor. I will always remember the time when I visited Robertson Barracks MFE in Australia and the excitement and smiles the Warfighters had when a shipment of Doritos arrived. The Exchange truly embodies the ‘We Go Where You Go’ motto.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Chad & Stacey Brazil
Real Estate/Finance & Accounting, HQ
Stacey: “Our service members need a piece of home wherever they are. In my position, I am more behind the scenes, but making sure that the financial aspect is taken care of-the pricing, the inventory-is very important to make that happen.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Cassie Mullen
Vandenberg SFB“I grew up around the military and the Air Force my whole life. I wanted to join the military but wasn’t able to because of a back injury in high school. My mom worked for the Exchange, and I saw what they did for her.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Ashlee Destajo
Vogelweh, Germany“When I was at Travis, we were one of the first Exchange locations to work with the base to create the first Color Run on a military installation. We did a Zombie Run shortly after that. Working with Force Support Squadron and Morale, Welfare & Recreation, we exceeded the average sign-up for racing events, making it one of the best turnouts of any base sponsored event. The community outreach programs are my favorite part of working with the Exchange.” Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
James Noble
Little Rock AFB“I grew up around Navy and Marine Corps Exchanges … a Navy brat,” Noble said. “My dad retired from the Navy, and our family moved to Arkansas once he retired.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Doris Graham
Fort SillDoris, a stocker at the Main Store on Fort Sill, marked 40 years of family serving family in 2022. Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Hafeeza McCullough
JBLM“The program taught me to always seek out information on my own,” she said. “I’ve stayed committed to the company. Out of my class, I’m the 1% who made a career with the Exchange.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Chris Gish
Whiteman Air Force Base“Working with firearms sounded like a great job, and it is,” he said. “I had so many regular customers that I built relationships with them; they came in every day, sometimes just to talk.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Henry “Robbie” Robinson
Fort MeadeFifteen years ago, when Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground were consolidated, Robinson got a call from his mentor, John Shiroky, who worked in services at Aberdeen PG. “We’d meet at vending expos and classes, and I’d always say, ‘We’d make a good team,’ and he’d say, ‘You’re right!’” Robinson said.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Robert Tackett
Fort LeavenworthRobert Tackett, Express store manager, Fort Leavenworth
“It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” Tackett said. “I really enjoyed the camaraderie with fellow associates there, and also with the customers-they’re so appreciative of you being there.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Christi Cook
Eglin AFBChristi Cook, office assistant, Eglin Air Force Base Exchange
“My husband was active-duty Air Force,” Cook said. “I applied for the job with the Exchange at Okinawa. I got an interview and was offered a job at the Shoppette.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Wally Kienlen
Randolph Air Force BaseWallace “Wally” Kienlen’s last assignment in the Air Force was in Vietnam when the U.S. was closing bases near the end of the war. After serving 23 years in the security police, he retired from the military and worked as an instructor at a few bases in the States, then as a military club manager in Germany for 20 years.When Kienlen relocated near Randolph Air Force Base in 1995 to be close to his daughter Patricia, he needed a job, so he started working as a janitor at the Exchange, but he knew he wanted to do something more.
“As a military club manager and security policeman, you deal with people; that’s want I like-interacting and working with people,” Kienlen saidGet the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Larry Falk
Wright-Patterson Air Force BaseChanute Air Force Base, Illinois, holds a lot of memories for Larry Falk, a courier at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who has worked at the Exchange for 46 years.When he met his future wife Evelyn, they both worked at the Exchange at Chanute. And that’s also where his father met his mother as they both worked at the Exchange there, too.
“I was raised military and I was raised Exchange,” Falk said. “I’ve known the Exchange all my life, since I was 8 years old.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Aloysius Carino
Offutt AFBAloysius Carino, an annex supervisor at Offutt Air Force Base, wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother by joining the military, but he couldn’t enlist due to an injury. So he did the next best thing: he joined the Exchange.Carino has worked at Offutt for 24 years. He started at the main Exchange and was there for ten years as a sales associate, cashier, customer service leader and store operations associate. Then he was a shift manager at the Military Clothing and Sales store for five years and an Express shift manager for three years.He remembers the advice his former manager, Cindy Marino (now retired), gave to him.
“She said that working at an Express store is a great experience because you get hands-on training and learn about all aspects of running a store,” Carino said. “I miss her, she was fun to work with.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Anthony Mancha Jr.
Waco Distribution CenterArmy Veteran and second-generation Exchange associate Anthony Mancha Jr. ended his 20-year military career as a retired staff sergeant looking for his next opportunity.
“When I first got out of the military, my dad suggested I apply for a position at the Exchange,” Mancha said.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Amaryllis and Anais Goburn
Fort RileyMore than 18 years ago, Amaryllis Goburn started as a softlines associate at the Vogelweh Exchange, working on the weekends while attending the University of Maryland-Manheim Campus in Germany.Amaryllis’ father, Sgt. Aurelio Goburn, served in the Marine Corps for six years. When his time in uniform ended, he worked in his home country Panama for the Department of Defense-transferring with the department to Germany in 1999.While living off-post in Germany with their parents, Amaryllis and her four younger siblings attended Kaiserslautern American High School. Her three younger brothers later worked for the Exchange as associates in Power Zone, hardlines and the men’s department. Her little sister, Anais, began her Exchange career in the food court.
“She always talked about how much she liked her job,” Anais said. “We just followed in her footsteps.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Joanne Scott
Main Store Manager, Hurlburt Field
“Family serving family is the best core value. I could not think of a better place to work. I am truly grateful, and it is an honor to serve the great men and women and their families who are protecting us daily.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
David Goguen
Main Store Manager, Hurlburt Field
“I’m a military brat and now I’m serving these people who may not be blood-related, but they’re family. As associates, we also PCS and know the highs and lows of that. We know what it’s like to live out of a suitcase for a while, deal with finding housing, things like that.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Arya Bidardel
Assistant Store Manager, Pulaski Barracks (KMC).
“There is so much drama, pain and suffering in the world because of people not respecting each other. But here, we’re from different countries, religions, races, and we work in harmony. We come together to get the job done.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Bryan Littlejohn
Express Manager, Fort Wainwright
“It’s everything to me. My associates, my customers. Because I’ve worked in the same place for so long, I have customers who’ve been customers for 20 years. They come in and ask for me. If I’m not here and I see them in town, they’ll say, ‘You weren’t at work yesterday.’ It’s very heartwarming.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Penny Palmer
Retail Business Manager, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
“Having both my real family and my Exchange family here is very special. We’re one big family-I’m very blessed to have a strong mom who worked at the Exchange and guided me to be the person I am today.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Sgt. Jeremy Patterson-Louallen
Softlines Sales Area Manager, Fort Cavazos PX.
“Family serving family means that our communities come together and overcome whatever obstacle is put in front of us,” he said. “Being able to empathize and understand what the military community needs from me is ‘family serving family,’ and when we look at it that way, we can best support one another.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Deniz Barcala
Military Clothing Store and Wounded Heroes Service Center Manager
“I love working with the Exchange because we get to give back to the military. We have a unique mission as a Wounded Warrior Service Center to honor and empower Soldiers by providing clothing essentials to those wounded in battle. As a proud American, it’s great to give back to the military, especially when they have given so much to us.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Andrea Silverhorn
Talent Manager, Human Resources, Exchange HQ
“It’s taking care of each other, whether it’s our peers or our customers. To me, we’re one, and when it comes to family, we’re protective of our family. I’ve seen so many young Soldiers in the field and I’ll treat them like I’m the Mama Bear, making sure they’re taken care of.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Katharine Sanborn
End User Computing Tech, Kuwait
“The Exchange community has always been very welcoming and accepting. Our teams are really close and supportive of one another.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Ryan Bolles
Camp Foster Customer Experience Associate
“I feel like in our store, we are a family within a family. That is special because there is no other retail store like us; that is what makes our store unique and why I am proud to work for the Exchange.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Eddie Hill
Motor Vehicle Operator, Fort Dix Relay
“This company is willing to go out and help strangers in a situation that wasn’t in their control. Being asked to do something to help others touched my heart. I would never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be doing something in a situation like that.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Timothy J. “TJ” Minchew Jr.
Inventory Control Associate at Kadena Main Store, Okinawa
“I enjoy the diverse opportunities available within the Exchange from Human Resources to Logistics and everything in between. I also like having an opportunity to deploy and help my brothers in arms who are still overseas and risking their lives for the freedoms we enjoy.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Angela Peasley
IT Field Support Manager, Europe and Southwest Asia Region
“I like working for the Exchange because I can give back to those who are serving and their families. Even though I didn’t join the military myself, at least I can honor those that serve in my own way. Working for the Exchange is not just an organization but more like family and it is a small community. Not only that, but the Exchange is diverse and continues to evolve.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Emily Zarsk
Social Media Analyst III, Exchange HQ
“I love the people, the team, the leadership. I love our mission. I love that we go where our military goes and are often the only taste of home they have. Social media now plays a big part in being there for the troops and keeping them informed on the many ways the Exchange is available for them.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Sandy Morse
Logistics Assistant, Fort Irwin
“The family is not just at your own Exchange. I work with others around other installations, one in particular, a logistics assistant at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Norma Pfeiffer. I talk with her occasionally after meeting her once years ago. You never know where helpful information will come from, all you have to do is ask, to make life just a little easier.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Neal Smart
Main Store Manager, Lakenheath
“The best part of the job is taking care of Soldiers and their families, especially overseas when they have limited access to essentials.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Mariam Afzal
Safety & Security Assistant, Scott AFB
“The Exchange is very special to me. It reminds me of home. I have great teammates and managers, and there are plenty of opportunities for growth.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Diana Krieger
Main Store Manager, Aviano AB, Italy
“As a team, we solve for ‘yes’ by providing the best customer shopping experience. We care, share life experiences with customers that bridge the diversity of who we are. We enjoy those connections and bonds that help while supporting Quality-of-Life programs for our installation family.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Rhonda Moncrief
Human Resources Support Center manager, HQ
“Since my husband and I lived a half mile from base and were both Exchange associates, the general manager asked us to open the Shoppette, to ensure Soldiers had essential items. With no experience running a Shoppette, we grossed the highest sales ever at the time and received coins from the base commander for our efforts.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Tommie Caudle
Vice President of Loss Prevention, HQThe people, the culture and the Exchange’s core value: family serving family. “It was the mission at the end of the day,” Caudle said. “I feel like I’ve been part of the military service my entire life as an Air Force brat and a Soldier. For me, this opportunity is like ‘bookending’ my life.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Aubrey Bartlett
Systems Administrator, HQ“My mom worked in IT, and she retired as a store manager at the Fort Gillem main store in Georgia,” Bartlett said.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Elisabetta Basaldella
Aviano Air Base“I’ve always been around the military growing up in Aviano,” Basaldella said. “My parents’ first business was by the base, and there were a lot of GIs who came through during the Vietnam War.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Mikayla and Danyel Fujikawa
Offutt AFB“One of my all-time favorite memories working here was when everybody found out that I was coming back to work at the Exchange”, said MikaylaGet the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Carolina Hampton and Roxanne Culp
Patrick Space Force Base“I remarried and moved to Germany in the 1980s. I started working in Military Clothing sales at Rhein Air Base,” Hampton said. Her daughter-in- law, Roxanne, began at the Exchange in 2006.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Rochelle Tolentino
Puerto Rico Exchange“After graduating from Old Dominion University with a bachelor of science in international business, I applied to the Exchange’s college trainee program,” Tolentino said.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Angela Davila
Los Angeles Consolidated Exchange“The Exchange was a good fit because I wanted to continue serving my country, but still raise my children,” Davila said. “The Exchange gave me that opportunity.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Betty Bramley and Leazel Williams
Moody AFB and Seymour Johnson AFBBetty is an Express shift manager at Moody Air Force Base; her daughter Leazel is a main store manager at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
“After serving more than 25 years in the Air Force, my husband Roy retired in 2008 at Ramstein and we settled near Moody AFB,” Bramley said. “My father-in-law, Ronald Bramley, was a Vietnam Veteran who served 12 years in the Air Force.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
David Campbell
Kadena BXCampbell would like to work for the Exchange for at least 10 more years in Okinawa and achieve a supervisory position, but for now he is content.
“The best thing about working for the Exchange is knowing that I am able to support our service members with the products they need to stay healthy,” Campbell said. “Plus, the Exchange provides me the ability to stay here in Okinawa until I am ready to return to the States.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Brian Greene
Luke Air Force BaseBrian Greene, stockroom manager at Luke Air Force Base, is a military brat who celebrated his 40th year with the Exchange this year-and he spent it all at the same place after traveling around the world when his father, Donald, was in the Air Force.
“I was born in Maine, at Kittery Naval Station,” Greene said. “I have been around military bases my entire life-Florida, Colorado and Arizona are a few more. I have three siblings and we were all born in different states. I went to high school on ‘The Rock’ – Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan from 1977-80. Go Kubasaki Dragons!”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Katherine Getgasorn and Karah Zinski
Fort CampbellKatherine Getgasorn, the Burger King facility manager at Fort Campbell, grew to embrace the Exchange mission when she was a young military spouse in Germany.
“While away from home, I realized the unity and commitment to family in the military, especially overseas, and I became more aware of that the longer I worked at the Exchange,” Getgasorn said.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Joyce and Patrick Davidson
Fort Leavenworth“Family serving family” is more than a workplace core value to Fort Leavenworth Exchange associates Joyce and Patrick Davidson-it’s a way of life.When the family patriarch, Chief Petty Officer Patrick Davidson, retired from the Navy in 1997 after 20 years of service, the Davidson family decided to return home to Kansas.
“We’re originally from Kansas City, but we settled in Leavenworth to be closer to the military base and our family,” Joyce said.Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Jerry Mills
Ft. KnoxWhat’s in a name(tape)? If you or someone you know were in the military in the past 25 years, there’s a chance that Jerry Mills made the name tapes you wore on your uniforms. He’s a foreman at the Exchange Name Tape Plant at Fort Knox, which makes the name tapes that the Exchange sells to service members in all branches of service.But crafting name tapes wasn’t Mills’ first job at the Exchange. He’s been serving customers at Fort Knox for 45 years.
“I started working as a temporary hire in the main store stockroom at Christmas,” said Mills. “I was still living with my parents, and I wanted a car and had to pay for it and the insurance. Then I was hired full time at a gas station. I worked at three Exchange gas stations for 22 years, then switched to the Name Tape Plant because all the service/filling stations were closing.”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com
Lois Bell
Barksdale Air Force BaseLois Bell, a customer experience associate at the Barksdale Air Force Base Exchange, has a lot of memories from her 40 years at the Exchange-and she’s still making them.
“One day, a young man waiting in line said to me, ‘Every time I see you, I just want to give you a hug,’” said Bell, who turned 90 years old last year. ‘”You remind me of my grandmother.’”Get the whole story on www.theexchangepost.com View More Shared Associate Stories on the Exchange Post