Fort Carson Associate Moved Mountains, Got Rewarded

Joe Giles, Fort Carson customer experience associate, embodied the spirit of Family Serving Family by going the extra mile for a military shopper. He had no idea that shopper was Command Sergeant Major Kenyatta Mack.

When Fort Carson Customer Experience Associate Joe Giles was asked to come to installation headquarters for a meeting with post leaders, Giles didn’t know what to think.

At first, he was nervous, not knowing what to expect, but he soon found out upon entering the room May 23.

Prior to the start of the meeting, Command Sergeant Major Kenyatta Mack brought Giles to the front and bragged before senior installation leaders about how he provided him with first-rate customer service.

For his commitment to superb customer service, Giles, who’s worked at the Exchange for about a year, received the Fort Carson Mountain Movers certificate—all because he wanted to do the heavy lifting for the 6-foot-4 Mack.

“I wasn’t expected to be given praise for just trying to do what I do on a daily basis, which is help everyone who may need it,” said Giles, “I was excited and very grateful to be recognized with the Mountain Movers award.”

Here is what happened:

While shopping out of uniform recently, Mack bought three bags of lawn fertilizer in the Exchange’s Outdoor Living department. Noticing that a bag was torn and dirty, Giles insisted on loading the merchandise on a cart so that Mack’s clothes would remain clean.

Not knowing Mack’s rank let the officer know that Giles was acting sincerely.

To Giles, lifting the fertilizer bag onto the cart was nothing.

“Customer service shows not only your character as a person, but also represents the respect we show the men and women who protect our country,” Giles said. “I have family members who were in the military. Although I didn’t serve myself, all my love and respect go out to all who have served.”