{"id":853,"date":"2017-07-19T14:27:40","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T14:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=853"},"modified":"2018-02-01T16:56:34","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T16:56:34","slug":"its-just-a-tradition-exchange-supports-14000-troops-during-saber-guardian-17-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/19\/its-just-a-tradition-exchange-supports-14000-troops-during-saber-guardian-17-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s Just a Tradition\u2019: Exchange Supports 14,000 Troops During Saber Guardian 17 in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

CINCU, ROMANIA \u2013 <\/strong>Supporting the U.S. Army Europe-led, multinational exercise Saber Guardian 17, Pfc. Nathan Harberson<\/a> is a long way from his home in Denton, Texas. While serving in a remote village in Romania, Harberson and service members feel closer to familiar comforts as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service goes where they go to deliver a needed taste of home.<\/p>\n

\"\"A couple times a week, Harberson picks up his favorite Texas beverage\u2014sweet tea\u2014at the Exchange\u2019s mobile field exchange (MFE) in Cincu. Up to 100 troops join him during his regular visits to the Exchange\u2019s 53-foot long trailer<\/a> packed with sports drinks, microwaveable meals, beef jerky, tuna and snacks as well as necessities such as socks, underwear, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and other hygiene items.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Exchange really helps us out,\u201d said the 20-year-old Harberson. \u201cI get my sweet tea and energy drinks here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Exchange supports Harberson and the Soldiers he serves with from Fort Carson\u2019s Charlie Battery, 3rd<\/sup> Battalion, 29th<\/sup> Field Artillery Regiment, along with some 14,000 troops participating in the training exercise in the Black Sea region, with MFEs at Cincu and Papa Air Base, Hungary; as well as semi-permanent stores at MK Air Base, Romania, and Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice little taste of home,\u201d said Sgt. Mark Mandery<\/a>, who was buying energy drinks and crackers. \u201cIt gets us away from the hustle and bustle of the unit and gives us a little break.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Exchange Director\/CEO Tom Shull, supporting service members far from home helps the Department of Defense\u2019s oldest and largest retailer deliver on its promise to provide a taste of home wherever America\u2019s military mission goes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustere, remote locations like Romania<\/a> are where Exchange support is needed most,\u201d Shull said. \u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to be a lifeline to America for our Warfighters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Saber Guardian began, the MFE was driven to Cincu<\/a> along with eight trailers of merchandise from the Exchange\u2019s Germersheim Distribution Center in Germany. The MFE and trailers housing merchandise are parked just across the dirt road from the Soldiers\u2019 tents, near the entrance to the camp nestled among hills and valleys. Rain has drenched the area this summer, and a small makeshift bridge of plywood guides Soldiers across the mud to their Exchange.<\/p>\n

Sgt. 1st<\/sup> Class Robert Wilson<\/a> from the 742nd<\/sup> Support Maintenance Company, South Carolina National Guard, says the MFE lifts his spirits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lifesaver,\u201d said Wilson, who\u2019s served for 28 years. \u201cThere\u2019s no other store\u2014no other means. We need it badly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just 72 hours after the MFE and merchandise arrived, seven Exchange associates set up and stocked shelves, installed cash registers to accept credit and debit cards and hooked the trailer up to a diesel generator for electricity and air-conditioning\u2014and opened the doors to the store. The first day, more than 500 Soldiers came through to stock up on necessities. Since then, between 800 to 1,000 shoppers enter the store each day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

U.S. Army Europe Commander Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges<\/a>, who attended a military training demonstration at Cincu on July 15, acknowledged the importance of the Exchange\u2019s support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the AAFES motto of \u2018we go where you go,\u2019\u201d Hodges said. \u201cA Soldier is often looking for a soda<\/a>\u2026or shaving cream. Things actually as simple as that kind of help take the edge off for the men and women who have been out here a very long time. It\u2019s just a tradition of you all always being there somehow, and it kind of gives you something to look forward to. Thanks very much for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

While MFEs have been an Exchange tradition, this is the first deployment for the trailer at Cincu. This sturdier, more sophisticated MFE is made from a shipping container encased in steel; older models were smaller and less durable, made of plywood and aluminum. The Exchange associates who run the store live like the troops do\u2014sleeping in tents and eating MREs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Soldiers are my family, our family,\u201d said Camelia Ireland<\/a>, the MFE\u2019s manager who deployed from U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden\u2019s Exchange. \u201cWe want to be here for them when they need us.\u201d<\/p>\n

— 30 —<\/p>\n

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service goes where Soldiers, Airmen and their families go to improve the quality of their lives through goods and services provided. Exchange earnings provide dividends to support military morale, welfare and recreation programs. The Exchange is part of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors, responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force through the Chiefs of Staff. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http:\/\/www.aafes.com\/about-exchange\/public-affairs\/press-releases.htm<\/a> or follow us on Twitter at https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CINCU, ROMANIA \u2013 Supporting the U.S. Army Europe-led, multinational exercise Saber Guardian 17, Pfc. Nathan Harberson is a long way from his home in Denton, Texas. While serving in a remote village in Romania, Harberson and service members feel closer to familiar comforts as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service goes where they go […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"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":"","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":[25,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press_releases","category-uncategorized"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/19\/its-just-a-tradition-exchange-supports-14000-troops-during-saber-guardian-17-in-europe\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"\u2018It\u2019s Just a Tradition\u2019: Exchange Supports 14,000 Troops During Saber Guardian 17 in Europe","url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/19\/its-just-a-tradition-exchange-supports-14000-troops-during-saber-guardian-17-in-europe\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/19\/its-just-a-tradition-exchange-supports-14000-troops-during-saber-guardian-17-in-europe\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Press Releases","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chris Ward"}],"creator":["Chris Ward"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Exchange Newsroom","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2017-07-19T14:27:40Z","datePublished":"2017-07-19T14:27:40Z","dateModified":"2018-02-01T16:56:34Z"},"rendered":"