{"id":880,"date":"2017-07-27T17:14:53","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T17:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=880"},"modified":"2018-02-01T16:56:34","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T16:56:34","slug":"across-europe-and-tip-of-the-spear-exchange-delivers-a-lifeline-to-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/27\/across-europe-and-tip-of-the-spear-exchange-delivers-a-lifeline-to-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Across Europe and Tip of the Spear, Exchange Delivers a Lifeline to America"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEMBACH, Germany \u2013 <\/strong>Army & Air Force Exchange Service Director\/CEO Tom Shull<\/a>\u2019s passion for taking care of Warfighters took him overseas this month for a firsthand look at how the Exchange benefit is thriving in the United Kingdom, Germany and the military\u2019s forward training locations\u2014the tip of the spear.<\/p>\n

\"\"While in Europe, Shull visited 20 Exchange sites, from Germany\u2019s Ramstein Air Base Exchange\u2014the largest in the world\u2014to the combination troop store\/Express at Royal Air Force Alconbury<\/a> in the United Kingdom. He also met with Army and Air Force leaders and toured Exchange restaurants, main stores, concession malls and the Germersheim Distribution Center to see how the Department of Defense organization is delivering a lifeline to America for troops far from home.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad, who spent 30 years in the Army, used to say: \u2018As long as my family is taken care of, I\u2019m \u2018all in\u2019 for the Army,\u2019\u201d Shull said. \u201cWhen he served in Europe, my family didn\u2019t get back to the United States for five years. The Exchange was our lifeline. The hamburgers at the food court, Saturday matinees and familiar products sustained us when we were far from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shull, a former Soldier and infantry company commander who applied private-sector business practices to the Exchange once he took the helm in 2012, has led a dramatic turnaround of the 122-year-old Department of Defense retailer. By intensifying national brands, growing concessions and Express stores, transforming the online shopping experience and reducing costs, the Exchange has produced significant results for service members and families.<\/p>\n

Earnings have increased from 3.2 percent of sales in 2011 to 6 percent of sales in 2016 \u2014 translating to more than $1 billion in support to critical military Quality-of-Life programs. This was achieved despite a 13 percent decline in the Exchange\u2019s customer base from the ongoing military drawdowns during that time. As a result, in 2016, the Exchange generated $224 million in dividends to budget-constrained Army and Air Force Quality-of-Life programs, including child development centers, youth programs and fitness centers.<\/p>\n

Shull\u2019s visit to Europe allowed him to experience the unique lifeline to America the Exchange provides troops and families overseas. Exchange support goes beyond the main store. Conveniences of home\u2014American restaurants; Internet service; Wonder bread, hamburger buns and tortilla chips made at the Exchange\u2019s bakery in Grundstadt; Culligan water bottled at the Exchange\u2019s Grunstadt plant; nutritious USDA-approved school meals for service members\u2019 children; first-run movies; and combat uniforms below cost prove the Exchange is much more than a retailer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Exchange plays a big role in troop readiness and resiliency,\u201d Shull said. \u201cWe\u2019re all in to support not only Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Sailors but their family members as well. That support is so crucial.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his trip, Shull met with Brig. Gen. Richard Moore, commander, 86th<\/sup> Airlift Wing; Col. Curtis Juell, commander, 86th<\/sup> Mission Support Group; Col. Lance Varney, commander, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria<\/a>; and Lt. Col. Eric Heigel, deputy commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-United Kingdom to discuss Exchange support and partnerships across Europe.<\/p>\n

The Exchange\u2019s operation in Grafenwoehr is particularly crucial, Shull said. The Grafenwoehr Exchange plays a major role in supporting troops training in Poland at the tip of the spear.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrafenwoehr associates traveled hundreds of miles to Poland to set up and manage our troop store and mobile field exchange,\u201d Shull said. \u201cOur service at the tip of the spear represents the very best of what we do.\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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEMBACH, Germany \u2013 Army & Air Force Exchange Service Director\/CEO Tom Shull\u2019s passion for taking care of Warfighters took him overseas this month for a firsthand look at how the Exchange benefit is thriving in the United Kingdom, Germany and the military\u2019s forward training locations\u2014the tip of the spear. While in Europe, Shull visited 20 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"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],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press_releases"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/27\/across-europe-and-tip-of-the-spear-exchange-delivers-a-lifeline-to-america\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Across Europe and Tip of the Spear, Exchange Delivers a Lifeline to America","url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/27\/across-europe-and-tip-of-the-spear-exchange-delivers-a-lifeline-to-america\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2017\/07\/27\/across-europe-and-tip-of-the-spear-exchange-delivers-a-lifeline-to-america\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Press Releases","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julie Mitchell"}],"creator":["Julie Mitchell"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Exchange Newsroom","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2017-07-27T17:14:53Z","datePublished":"2017-07-27T17:14:53Z","dateModified":"2018-02-01T16:56:34Z"},"rendered":"