Exchange Lifting Soldiers’ Morale in Ukraine

It’s rewarding to see them (Soldiers) come through the door after they have been in the field all day and pick up some items to boost their morale.Â
—Staff Sgt. Michael Ford
The Exchange field unit opened its doors to Soldiers of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine in early April and has continued to raise Soldier morale by providing a lifeline to America.
Master Sgt. Emily Toomey and Staff Sgt. Michael Ford have been the key leaders in the successful setup of the small store located within the International Peacekeeping and Security Center.
“Being deployed and being away from everything you love, it’s hard to find some relief because you are constantly going,” Ford said. “It’s rewarding to see them (Soldiers) come through the door after they have been in the field all day and pick some items up to boost their morale.”
The store was initially allotted a $10,000 line of credit to purchase products to fill the shelves, but recently was approved to receive $25,000 due to demand from the Soldiers.
Soldiers shop in the mobile field exchange (MFE) at International Peacekeeping and Security Center in the Ukraine. The MFE opened in early April and has continued to successfully grow, because of the demand of the Soldiers who are deployed. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Tarr