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Army & Air Force Exchange Service AAFES Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce A. Casella, USA “July is a special month for our country, the one in which we celebrate the birth of this great nation. For the men and women of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, July also holds a special meaning as it also signifies the month that AAFES was born.

Since 1895, AAFES has supported servicemembers and their families during wartime and peacetime, Stateside and overseas, at the beginning and end of their careers. AAFES is a key part of the military community and continues to strive to find new ways to impact the quality of life of all military members.

It's that opportunity to have an impact on all active duty, Guard, reserve, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, their families and retirees that has me excited and proud to take the reign of this unique military organization. Supporting the men and women of the military is what AAFES does best, and our charter here at AAFES is to continue doing this.”

AAFES Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce A. Casella, USA pauses to survey a jewelry counter during a tour of the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center (KMCC), Germany, BX/PX.

“When one looks back over AAFES’s 115-year history, growth and development have been the keys to its success. Today, AAFES stands strong during tough economic times and against a countless number of competitors, both online and outside military installations. AAFES never rested on its laurels but instead sought new ways to deliver the best shopping experience for its shoppers.

It's a great shopping experience that our customers can always count on when they shop at AAFES. I can remember my days as a young Navy brat, shopping at the base exchange on Beale and McClellan AFBs in California. Going to the BX was the highlight of my day, and it's that same experience we strive to provide each and every time military shoppers enter our exchanges or visit us online at aafes.com.”

AAFES Vice President, Support Division,
Mike Smietana, P.E.

Through versatile advance planning and by seeking opportunity in adversity, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is finding ways to turn current economic challenges to its patrons' longer-term benefit when it comes to building new stores and renovating old ones.

In his own words, Mike Smietana, P.E., vice president (VP) of the exchange service's Support Division, talks about the ways in which AAFES is “building for the future,” and how its construction program is dovetailing with the exchange service's new rebranding initiative.

The Kadena AB, Japan, Shopping Center is a unique, two-story shopping center that includes escalators and elevators to better serve customers. It is the largest exchange in the Pacific Theater.

“Instead of taking a conservative approach during this recessionary period, AAFES saw potential for savings and took an aggressive approach. ... This was a “win-win” endeavor as AAFES looked to get stores upgraded at reduced cost, and local construction contractors surrounding military installations could get much-needed work at a time when major contracts were becoming scarce.”

Senior Tactical Buyer,
Paul Atherton

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has a thriving tactical business, powered through its worldwide network of nearly 200 Military Clothing Sales Stores (MCSS) as well as main stores and other locations both Stateside and abroad.

Although sales lessened during fiscal 2009 due, at least in part, to a shift in focus from one part of the world to another, tactical gear — everything from hydration devices to goggles — is in high demand in AAFES facilities.

According to Senior Tactical Buyer Paul Atherton, AAFES operates 180 MCSS facilities, with 100 stand-alone facilities and 80 collocated with another retail operation. AAFES also operates MCSS stores in the Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) theaters.

AAFES has always remained true to its mantra “We Go Where You Go,” and currently its exchange operations in Iraq have been streamlined along with the drawdown in personnel, while the exchange service's tactical presence in Afghanistan is expanding.

“Iraq is experiencing a decrease in stores due to the drawdown of personnel,” Atherton noted. “Afghanistan has one MCSS with many tactical field exchanges (TFE) supported by this MCSS and other larger locations.”

Marine Corps Exchange
Personal & Family Readiness Division (PFRD),
Robin Pruett

MCX is expecting its fiscal 2010 tactical category sales to reach $14.8 million, an increase of 7 percent, but not as aggressive as the 23.7 percent growth experienced in the previous year.

“Rewarding and challenging” are the words that Robin Pruett used to describe her first 10 months as tactical and sporting goods buyer, in addition to her other centralized buying responsibilities in the Marine Corps Personal and Family Readiness Division (PFRD) for the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX). “Our sales growth has been very rewarding, yet it has also been challenging to keep up with the demands for product in our stores,” she continued. “It has also been challenging to find a balance between taking care of the individual needs of the commands and sites while also working toward clustering our assortments.”

At the same time, Pruett noted, “There haven't been too many surprises, as I came into this area knowing there would be many challenges, yet also many exciting opportunities to develop strategies to continue our growth in these categories.”

Defense Commissary Agency
Marketing Business Unit (MBU) HBC Buyer,
Andres Beres

Andrew Beres, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Marketing Business Unit (MBU) buyer responsible for a variety of health and beauty care (HBC) categories, has in many ways experienced the classic range of commissary responsibilities along the path to becoming a category buyer. He began in 1975 as a meat cutter, later becoming a meat department manager, before becoming a headquarters produce specialist in 2008.

Although overall sales in the DeCA HBC department have been flat, yet outpacing industry, sales gains were seen in cosmetics, upper respiratory medications, body wash and bar soap, and shaving needs. NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas.

Now, under his aegis are HBC subcategories including shaving needs, oral care, cosmetics, hand and body items, body wash and bar soap, and “upper respiratory medicine” (cough and cold products). ...

During the past two years, Beres has seen first-hand the performance fluctuations of this multi-million-dollar-a-year category. Although at DeCA the category has topped the performance of outside-the-gate stores, he reported that while overall HBC sales activity has trended down, it still outpaced supermarkets in the remaining market. Also, Beres noted there has been an uptick in sales performance of some of his subcategories for the 52-week period ending March 31, 2010.

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