Exchange Associates Shine in Darkness of Storm
MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Ward
MEDIA ADVISORY: 12-078
RELEASE DATE: Dec. 12, 2012
DALLAS – As the winds picked up and the torrential rains and flooding began, Exchange associates at the United States Military Academy (USMA) were not fleeing the New York City area or hunkering down with family to ride out the storm. Instead, they, along with a team of logisticians, were preparing to put the Exchange’s motto of “We go where you go” into action.
The USMA Exchange, which includes Ft. Hamilton and West Point, came together with a massive effort in the days and weeks following Superstorm Sandy. The associates worked long, hard hours to support the installation, the community and the mission of the Army. Associates from both Exchanges, as well as a Mobile Field Exchange set up at Bennett Field, worked tirelessly and selflessly as flood waters, fire and a lack of electricity plagued the Northeast.
FT. HAMILTON/WEST POINT
Sitting in the heart of Brooklyn, Fort Hamilton quickly became a de facto headquarters for the emergency relief mission in New York City. Fort Hamilton Soldiers supported the immediate areas devastated by this storm: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Battery Park in Manhattan. Main Store Manager Sharon Wilson and her team (Barbara Rodriguez, Judy Headley, Felicia Mieres, Ellen Dinallo, Akeem Scott, Darryl Dennis, Mandella Edwards and John Jennings) mobilized quickly to support the Garrison and community.
At West Point, Main Store Manager Alex Mamaril and fellow associates Debbie Deleno-Dillelo, Maurice Dixon, Jonathan Hightower and Jeanne Horne supported Ft. Hamilton from the North – transferring merchandise in daily and commuting into Brooklyn to assist with store operations. With mass transit down in the immediate days after the storm, it was the West Point team that came in and opened Ft. Hamilton for the community.
Finally, and maybe most impressively, Fort Hamilton Express Manager Kirill Blajievski stayed on the installation the night of the storm – on standby ready to fuel military and first responders throughout the night and the days after the storm, directly supporting the relief mission. When it was all said and done, the Express, as well as two 4,000 gallon Bobcat trucks they contracted, issued 100,984 gallons of gas for the month of November, 40,000 more than the same time last year.
“The teams showed a true New York City resilience in the days and weeks following Sandy, and worked long hours to support the installations, community and the Army’s mission,” said Michele Weisshaar, General Manager for both Exchanges. “Everyone worked tirelessly and selflessly.”
MOBILE FIELD EXCHANGE: BENNETT FIELD
As troop strength grew, the National Guard contacted the Exchange to bring a Mobile Field Exchange to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn – 11 miles from Ft. Hamilton. Original troop strength was 1553, with troops coming in from as far away as California. West Point associates Lori Downer, Elizabeth Moore, Christian Segura and Natasha Alston immediately stepped up and volunteered to head out. They worked side-by-side with troops, even sleeping in tents. The first night of operation, 11 November, the team insisted on being open 24 hours to ensure as many troops could come in as possible.
LOGISTICS
In addition to the associates at all three facilities, Logistics also played a major role in supporting customers during the time leading up to Superstorm Sandy and immediately afterwards. Distribution Customer Service offices coordinated emergency supply efforts and Transportation created special deliveries to ensure basic supplies were made available several days before the storm hit the east coast. As soon as the weather cleared and travel was safe again, Distribution Centers and Transportation Terminals across the country made stock available and expedited orders to those affected by the disaster. Logistics sStaff also coordinated closely with sales personnel to ensure key items such as generators, water and batteries were in stock at all locations.
In the face of adversity, danger and hardship, the entire Exchange family came together as a team to live out the “We Go Where You Go” motto. And, as a result, they played a key role in the level of emergency response the area received in its time of need.
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The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is a joint non-appropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors which is responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through the Service Chiefs of Staff. The Exchange has the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with quality merchandise and services at competitively low prices and generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military morale, welfare and recreation programs. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http://www.shopmyexchange.com.
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Media Notes:
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Chris Ward, 214-312-2714 or [email protected].