{"id":2812,"date":"2017-02-09T12:51:37","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T18:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=2812"},"modified":"2017-03-01T09:38:18","modified_gmt":"2017-03-01T15:38:18","slug":"exchange-bakeries-nourish-troops-spirits-overseas-with-fresh-baked-tastes-of-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=2812","title":{"rendered":"Exchange Bakeries Nourish Troops\u2019 Spirits Overseas with Fresh-Baked Tastes of Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

DALLAS \u2013 <\/strong>For Cpl. Deamborene Outlaw, a simple slice of Wonder bread goes a long way toward making South Korea feel more like home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s comforting to me because it\u2019s like a little piece of home,\u201d said Outlaw, who serves as a chaplain\u2019s assistant at U.S. Army Gar\"Fo-Bakery\"rison Humphreys in South Korea. \u201cI\u2019ve lived in several different places in the States, and everywhere I\u2019ve been in the States has had Wonder bread or baked goods. It\u2019s like a comfort food.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service takes care of Outlaw and other troops serving overseas through its four bakeries<\/a>\u2014three in the Pacific and one in Germany\u2014that produce fresh-baked goods made with American flour<\/a>, so the bread, buns, rolls, tortillas<\/a>, cakes, doughnuts and other treats taste just like they do back home.<\/p>\n

\"_MAP_2742\"Baked goods from name brands, including Wonder<\/a>, Home Pride, Country Hearth, Milton\u2019s and more are shipped to Exchange Express stores and restaurants across Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific, nourishing Soldiers, Airmen and military families with familiar, fresh-baked products and a taste of home. Commissaries, military dining halls, ships in port, Quality-of-Life restaurants and child-care programs and Department of Defense Education Activity schools also receive the Exchange-made products.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause all of our goods are baked fresh, the quality is so much better than if we were to ship frozen products from the States,\u201d said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, the Exchange\u2019s senior enlisted advisor. \u201cFrom Burger King buns for Whoppers to whole-wheat bread for kids\u2019 school meals, the Exchange\u2019s bakeries improve the quality of lives for those who are so far from America by giving them a simple taste of home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The largest of the Exchange bakeries is in Gruenstadt, Germany, and it serves 24 countries, including warzone locations. The 92,000-square-foot facility even produces Krispy Kreme doughnuts<\/a> using proprietary equipment and ingredients\u2014so the doughnuts rolling off the line are just like the ones found at Krispy Kreme shops back in the United States. In 2016, the plant produced 7 million Krispy Kreme doughnuts for troops and families across Europe.<\/p>\n

The Exchange also operates bakeries at Camp Market, Korea; Camp Kinser, Okinawa; and at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Together, they produce 2 million loaves of bread, 10.5 million buns and more than 12,500 decorated cakes a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the bakeries, the Exchange serves thousands of Soldiers, Airmen and military families overseas,\u201d Reyes said. \u201cExchange is \u2018all in\u2019 when it comes to taking care of troops, and the bakeries are just another example of how we touch the lives of America\u2019s warfighters.\u201d<\/p>\n

And for Cpl. Outlaw in Korea, that means the world to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn days when the op tempo is really high, I can rely on my Exchange to provide me with something that\u2019s warm and fluffy and buttery and all those good things,\u201d she said.<\/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.\u00a0 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

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

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

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