MILITARY STAR Surprises 10 Shoppers With $35,000 in Home for the Holidays Sweepstakes

Photo of Redstone Arsenal Exchange officials presenting retired Army 1st Sgt. Thomas Tucker with an oversized $5,000 check, the grand prize in the MILITARY STAR Home for the Holidays sweepstakes, Dec. 20 at the Redstone Exchange.DALLAS – Ten military shoppers have won a combined $35,000 in cash—simply for using their MILITARY STAR® cards to make purchases—in the 2021 MILITARY STAR Home for the Holidays sweepstakes.

Five grand-prize winners—one each from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard—received a $5,000 check, while one runner-up from each service branch won $2,000. The winners were automatically entered into the sweepstakes after using their MILITARY STAR card twice at a military exchange and twice at the commissary between Sept. 24 and Oct. 21.

Retired Army 1st Sgt. Thomas Tucker made his grand-prize-winning purchase at the Ramstein Air Base commissary in Germany. Tucker was presented with an oversized $5,000 check at the Redstone Arsenal Exchange on Dec. 20 while visiting Huntsville, Alabama, for the holidays.

“It felt absolutely terrific,” Tucker said. “The Exchange personnel were inclusive, and there was a spirit of peace and happiness in the atmosphere.”

The MILITARY STAR Home for the Holidays sweepstakes is sponsored by PlayStation, Hisense, WestPoint Home and Pegasus. In the four years since the first MILITARY STAR Home for the Holidays sweepstakes, the program has awarded a combined $110,000 to deserving military winners.

Other grand-prize winners include:

  • Airman 1st Class Angela Ospina, Aviano Air Base, Italy
  • Marine Corps Sgt. Jerry Pierre, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa
  • Retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer John Luscan, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
  • Retired Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Barry Atkinson, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana

Runners-up include:

  • Army Sgt. Fidele Agossou, Fort Irwin, California
  • Air Force Veteran Nevardo Cayemitte, Patrick AFB, Florida
  • Retired Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Thomas Kelley, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
  • Retired Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Kelly, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Florida
  • Retired Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Victor Tran, Fort Meade, Maryland

“Using a MILITARY STAR card has literally paid off for these lucky shoppers—and just in time for the holidays,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, Army & Air Force Exchange Service senior enlisted advisor. “With all the sacrifices military families make in service of this nation, the Exchange Credit Program is honored to make these shoppers’ spirits a little brighter this holiday season.”

Facebook-friendly version: Using a MILITARY STAR® card at exchanges and commissaries has paid off for 10 lucky cardholders, who won a combined $35,000 in the Home for the Holidays sweepstakes. Read more: https://wp.me/p9Q7PG-1Wq.

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Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians 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 54th-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $3.4 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs. 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].

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