JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH – A routine stop at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Exchange in December turned into a big payoff for retired Master Sgt. Leroy Porter.
That purchase—which was likely a gift for his grandson—made him one of five grand-prize winners in the Exchange’s MILITARY STAR fifth annual Your Holiday Bill Is On Us Sweepstakes. On March 27, Porter received his prize—his entire $3,927 MILITARY STAR bill paid in full at a celebration at the Randolph Exchange.
“It was one of those magic moments,” Porter said of the phone call he received informing him he was a winner. Porter served 23 years in the Air Force as a firefighter and KC-10 Extender crew chief, among other roles, before retiring in 2000.
Porter lives near Joint Base San Antonio and stops by the Exchanges often to get his hair cut, fill up his car, grab a meal and pick up whatever everyday home supplies he needs. When he does so, he always uses his MILITARY STAR card.
“I try to use it whenever I’m on base because I know it supports [the community],” he said of the Exchange’s support for on-installation Quality-of-Life programs. 100 percent of Exchange earnings are re-invested in the communities. When shoppers use the MILITARY STAR card, the Exchange does not pay the transaction fees associated with other credit cards, allowing it to contribute more to community programs that make life better for service members and their families.
“Presenting Master Sgt. Porter with his prize wasn’t just about congratulating him,” said Exchange Chief Financial Officer/Executive Vice President Jim Jordan, who attended the presentation. “It was also a chance for the Exchange to thank him for his service to our country.”
Porter could shop elsewhere, but he prefers the JBSA community: “I like the feeling of family you get being on base.”
During November and December, shoppers automatically earned an entry in the Your Holiday Bill Is on Us Sweepstakes every time they used their MILITARY STAR card at any military exchange, ShopMyExchange.com, myNavyExchange.com or at the commissary. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service collaborated with the Navy Exchange, Marine Corps Exchange, Coast Guard Exchange and the Defense Commissary Agency to sponsor the sweepstakes.
The MILITARY STAR card is an exclusive line of credit for service members and their families to use at exchanges and commissaries – no matter where they serve.
Facebook-friendly version: Retired Master Sgt. Leroy Porter had his entire holiday bill paid off at the JBSA-Randolph Army & Air Force Exchange Service. Porter, who served in the Air Force for 23 years, was a grand-prize winner of the fifth annual MILITARY STAR Your Holiday Bill Is On Us Sweepstakes. Read more: https://wp.me/p9Q7PG-VX.
— 30 —
Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 61st-largest retailer in the United States. Its earnings provided $2.4 billion in dividends to support military morale, welfare and recreation programs over the last 10 years. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http://www.ShopMyExchange.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExchangePAO.
###
Media Notes:
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Marisa Wolfe at 214-312-5111 or [email protected].
Follow the Exchange:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shopmyexchange
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopmyexchange
Instagram: @shopmyexchange