{"id":4312,"date":"2019-09-24T20:42:56","date_gmt":"2019-09-24T20:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=4312"},"modified":"2019-09-26T12:37:06","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T12:37:06","slug":"sergeant-major-of-the-army-gets-firsthand-look-at-the-exchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2019\/09\/24\/sergeant-major-of-the-army-gets-firsthand-look-at-the-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"Sergeant Major of the Army gets firsthand look at the Exchange"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sergeant
Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston and Exchange Director\/CEO Tom Shull, center, stand with Soldiers and Airmen assigned to Exchange HQ.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DALLAS \u2013 <\/strong>Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston visited the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s headquarters<\/a> Sept. 23 to learn about how the Department of Defense\u2019s largest retailer supports Soldiers, Airmen and their families around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you join the Army, it\u2019s like joining a family,\u201d Grinston said. \u201cThe services the Exchange provides to our Soldiers on our installations help make it a better experience. If you didn\u2019t have a good place to buy some clothes, get some food and get a haircut, you probably wouldn\u2019t want to be a part of that community. The Exchange is extremely important for the readiness and resiliency of our Soldiers and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinston, who serves on the Exchange Board of Directors, appreciated the role the Exchange plays as force multiplier. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities, including a dividend paid to Quality-of-Life programs for Soldiers, Airmen and military families. In 2018, the Exchange generated $223 million for these programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sergeant Major of the Army understands the needs of Soldiers and military families who shop at the Exchange, so it\u2019s crucial to have his guidance and support as a board member,\u201d said Tom Shull, Exchange director\/CEO. \u201cWe\u2019re happy to provide all the information we can to keep him updated on our efforts to better serve the men and women who serve all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinston met with Shull; Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, Exchange senior enlisted advisor; Jim Jordan, executive vice president\/chief financial officer; Anna Iosefo, senior vice president, merchandising; Exchange military personnel and other leaders to discuss Exchange operations such as military clothing, the Exchange Credit Program, logistics, and services, food and fuel. He also awarded his coin to deserving Exchange associates as he visited several departments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the Exchange \u2013 it\u2019s where I shop, where I get my gas, and where I get my haircut, right there on the base,\u201d said Grinston, who has served for nearly 32 years. \u201cI\u2018m pretty loyal, and I think it\u2019s a great place to shop. It\u2019s always provided good products and services, and that\u2019s maybe part of the reason why I stayed in the Army so long. It\u2019s a good community, and the Exchange is part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinston is the 16th<\/sup> Sergeant Major of the Army, a sole position and the highest enlisted rank of the Army. He provides direction for the enlisted force and represents their interests, as appropriate, to the American public and to those in all levels of government. He serves as the personal advisor to the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army regarding the welfare, readiness, morale and proper utilization of the enlisted force.<\/p>\n

Facebook Friendly Version:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston visited the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s headquarters Sept. 23 to learn about how the Department of Defense\u2019s largest retailer supports Soldiers, Airmen and their families around the world. Read more: https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-17y<\/a><\/p>\n

— 30 —<\/p>\n

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<\/a> or follow us on Twitter at https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

Media Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Sgt. 1st<\/sup> Class Tim Meyer, 214-312-2132 or meyertj@aafes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Follow the Exchange:<\/p>\n

Facebook:\u00a0 www.facebook.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter:\u00a0 https:\/\/twitter.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

Instagram: @shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Follow the Sergeant Major of the Army:<\/p>\n

OFFICIAL BIO: https:\/\/www.army.mil\/leaders\/sma\/bio\/<\/a><\/p>\n

OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM: 16th<\/sup>_SMA<\/a><\/p>\n

OFFICIAL TWITTER: @16thSMA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DALLAS \u2013 Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston visited the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s headquarters Sept. 23 to learn about how the Department of Defense\u2019s largest retailer supports Soldiers, Airmen and their families around the world. \u201cWhen you join the Army, it\u2019s like joining a family,\u201d Grinston said. \u201cThe services the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":4314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston @16thSMA visited the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s HQ Sept. 23 to learn about how the Department of Defense\u2019s largest retailer supports Soldiers, Airmen and their families around the world. Read more: https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-17y","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25],"tags":[35,34,33,36,173,118],"class_list":["post-4312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press_releases","tag-military","tag-photography","tag-press-release","tag-public-affairs","tag-sergeant-major-of-the-army","tag-the-army-and-air-force-exchange-service"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2019\/09\/24\/sergeant-major-of-the-army-gets-firsthand-look-at-the-exchange\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Sergeant Major of the Army gets firsthand look at the Exchange","url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2019\/09\/24\/sergeant-major-of-the-army-gets-firsthand-look-at-the-exchange\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2019\/09\/24\/sergeant-major-of-the-army-gets-firsthand-look-at-the-exchange\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/09\/SMA-Grinston-visits-Exchange-001-1-e1569356859168.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/09\/SMA-Grinston-visits-Exchange-001-1-e1569356859168.jpg"},"articleSection":"Press Releases","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sgt. 1st Class Tim Meyer"}],"creator":["Sgt. 1st Class Tim Meyer"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Exchange Newsroom","logo":""},"keywords":["military","photography","press release","public affairs","sergeant major of the army","the army and air force exchange service"],"dateCreated":"2019-09-24T20:42:56Z","datePublished":"2019-09-24T20:42:56Z","dateModified":"2019-09-26T12:37:06Z"},"rendered":"