DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is giving Warfighters, military families and stakeholders an inside look at efforts to serve those who serve during the COVID-19 pandemic with the release of its 2020 Mission Report.
The annual report recounts the Department of Defense retailer’s agility in protecting and strengthening the Exchange benefit as COVID-19 transformed the day-to-day lives of Warfighters and their families.
“With 100% of Exchange earnings supporting the military community, it matters where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families shop,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull. “Thanks to military shoppers’ continued investment in their communities and prudent financial management, the Exchange is on track for growth in the post-pandemic era, continuing to honor its nearly 126-year commitment to improve Quality of Life for Warfighters and their families.”
The Exchange, which offers tax-free shopping and military-exclusive pricing to military communities worldwide, ended the 2020 fiscal year with $7.5 billion in revenue and $218 million in dividend-eligible earnings. Installations worldwide received $153 million in dividends that support critical Quality-of-Life programs such as Child, Youth and School Services; Armed Forces Recreation Centers and more. In the past 10 years, the Exchange has distributed more than $2.1 billion to such programs.
The report also details the Exchange’s efforts to:
- Ensure a safe, sanitized and secure access to necessities during the pandemic.
- Provide military children attending school virtually overseas with grab-and-go meals.
- Establish a personal shopper program for quarantined troops.
- Launch curbside pickup and aggressively expand in-store pickup services.
- Deploy mobile field exchanges, 53-foot-stores on wheels.
- Launch the Digital Garrison app, a one-stop resource for installation-specific information in partnership with U.S. Army Installation Management Command.
- Support military communities through nine hurricanes and tropical storms.
- Provide meaningful career opportunities for Veterans and military spouses, drawing closer to its goal to hire 50,000 Veterans and spouses.
Financials included in the Exchange’s 2020 Mission Report are audited by EY, a third-party global financial services company. The report can be found at the Exchange’s online Community Hub at https://publicaffairs-sme.com/Community/.
Facebook-friendly version: The Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s 2020 Mission Report details how the Department of Defense’s largest exchange service protected and strengthened military shoppers’ hard-earned benefits during an unprecedented year. #ItMattersWhereYouShop Read more: https://wp.me/p9Q7PG-1Lr.
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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 $2.1 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.
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Media Notes:
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Conner Hammett, 214-312-2714 or [email protected].
Follow the Exchange:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shopmyexchange
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopmyexchange
Instagram: @shopmyexchange