November is the Month of Remembrance, Gratitude

Service is at the Heart of All We Do

For many Americans, November is a time of football and friends—it is also a time to give thanks. As I have done for the past four years, it is you—the spouses, veterans, patriots and wounded warriors who make up the Exchange team—who I will be thinking of this Thanksgiving.

It is you, our dedicated team of professionals, who sets the Exchange apart from any other retailer. No private company can match the passion and commitment you bring to your work.

Family Serving Family

As evidenced by the fact 85 percent of us share a family connection with our customers, we are family serving family. Whether you’re a brother, mother, uncle or cousin of a current or former service member, it is the bond you share with your loved one in uniform that drives us to offer a shopping experience found nowhere else.

Service is at the heart of all we do. Our shared sense of duty is as much a part of our story today as it has been for the past 120 Thanksgivings we have had the privilege to share with our military since the first exchange opened in 1895.

Proud part of the DoD

As part of the Department of Defense, the close connection the Exchange shares with those in uniform knows no bounds. Since 9/11, nearly 4,500 of you have voluntarily left the comforts of your home to support service members far from their own. Our relationship with our customers doesn’t end at the point of sale. In fact, only the U.S. army employs more wounded warriors than the Exchange as more than 900 have joined our ranks since 2010. Additionally, we are honored to serve alongside 3,500 veterans who have chosen to continue serving at the Exchange.

As part of the Department of Defense, the close connection the Exchange shares with those in uniform knows no bounds. 

Beyond employment, we are committed to recognizing the service of all who have served honorably through an online shopping benefit. While updating the outdated Department of Defense instruction to allow our veterans to shop the Exchange online is less than exciting, the impact of a veterans online shopping benefit, once approved, will be extraordinary. Imagine 19 million veterans returning to their military family and community to do their part to support those who remain on active duty. The result will be increased sales and earnings to bolster the Exchange’s existing support of critical yet cash-strapped quality-of-life programs, including youth programs, fitness centers and recreational activities.

Thank you

We give thanks for and are encouraged by some recent positive developments in our quest to honor the service of our veterans. After three years of very hard work by our Washington office and dozens of dedicated associates at headquarters, we look forward to sharing very good news about the veterans online shopping benefit in 2017.

While we gather with friends and family to count our many blessings,  there will be associates in our stores making the holidays brighter for military shoppers. To all of you who have selflessly volunteered to serve on Thanksgiving—thank you!

Thank you, Exchange team. Thank you for caring enough to give so much. Thank you for always being there for our customers. Thank you for your outstanding service to those who serve. One Team, One Fight!