{"id":2161,"date":"2015-10-20T12:00:53","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T17:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=2161"},"modified":"2015-10-20T12:00:53","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T17:00:53","slug":"passport-agent-at-exchange-headquarters-brings-family-serving-family-to-life-for-soldier-daughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=2161","title":{"rendered":"Passport Agent at Exchange Headquarters Brings \u2018Family Serving Family\u2019 to Life For Soldier, Daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"

DALLAS \u2013 <\/b>Across the globe, associates at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s retail stores and restaurants embody the organization\u2019s core value of \u201cfamily serving family.\u201d But even associates who don\u2019t typically work directly with military shoppers still exemplify this core value at the very heart of the Exchange\u2019s mission.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jutta Peterson<\/span><\/a>, a contingency operation\"Jutta<\/a>s specialist in Human Resources at the Exchange\u2019s headquarters in Dallas, recently put \u201cfamily serving family\u201d into action by helping a Soldier \u00a0get a last-minute passport for her daughter before a permanent-change-of-station move to Korea.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Peterson is a certified military passport agent at the Exchange, and she\u2019s able to process and receive passports designed for official military travel. This summer, she received a call from chief of the Department of Defense\u2019s Passport and Visa Office in Virginia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe chief contacted me, asking for help,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cThe Soldier was assigned to Fort Sill, but was staying in the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of a family emergency. The Soldier was PCS\u2019ing to Korea with her teenage daughter in just days. Her daughter\u2019s passport was processed at the last minute, and the DoD needed to get it to her in the fastest way possible.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Military passports must be delivered to military passport agents\u2014they can\u2019t be sent to home addresses, Peterson said. Instead of having the document sent to the military passport agent at Fort Sill, Okla.\u2014roughly three hours away from Dallas-Fort Worth\u2014Peterson told the passport chief that she\u2019d handle receiving the paperwork at the Exchange\u2019s headquarters.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018No problem! I\u2019m happy to help her get the passport, instead of having her driving all the way to Fort Sill,\u201d Peterson said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The day before the flight to Korea, the Soldier and her daughter met Peterson at Exchange headquarters, and she handed off the passport.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Soldier didn\u2019t know the Exchange even had a passport agent,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cShe thanked me very much\u2014she was very happy.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Arna Yarbrough, the Exchange\u2019s chief of career assignments and Peterson\u2019s supervisor, praised her willingness to alleviate a stressful situation for a military member.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that Jutta has eased a burden for a Soldier warmed my heart,\u201d Yarbrough said. \u201cHer actions speak straight to the heart of our core value of \u2018family serving family.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For Peterson, her helpfulness is just part of her nature.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI try to be as helpful as I can,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI\u2019ll do what I can to help anybody.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>— 30 —<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The 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.\u00a0 To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at <\/span>http:\/\/www.aafes.com\/about-exchange\/public-affairs\/press-releases.htm<\/span><\/a>or follow us on Twitter at <\/span>https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0###<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Media Notes:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/b>For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Julie Mitchell, 214-312-3327 or mitchelljul@aafes.com<\/span><\/p>\n\t

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