127 Years of Family Serving Family: Ashlee Destajo, KMCC Exchange 

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 127 years of family serving family. 

Who she is: Ashlee Destajo, facility manager, Pulaski Express and Rhine Ordinance Barracks Troop Store in Vogelweh, Germany. 

Years with the Exchange: 9 years. 

What brought her to the Exchange: “It was my first job at 16. I was raised shopping at the Exchange and have been fortunate to have the opportunity to grow my career with them.” 

Where she’s worked: Travis Air Force Base, Ramstein Air Base and Pulaski Barracks. 

What she did at first: Destajo’s first role was as a food service worker at Burger King then at Cinnabon in Travis AFB. In 2011, she became the general manager’s administrative assistant at the Travis AFB Exchange in California where she worked closely with the Services team to grow the business. In 2017, Destajo came to Germany as a food court administrative assistant. 

What she does now: Oversees store operations and manages associates at the Pulaski Express and Rhine Ordinance Barracks Troop Store. 

Memorable moment: “When I was at Travis, we were one of the first Exchange locations to work with the base to create the first Color Run on a military installation. We did a Zombie Run shortly after that. Working with Force Support Squadron and Morale, Welfare & Recreation, we exceeded the average sign-up for racing events, making it one of the best turnouts of any base sponsored event. The community outreach programs are my favorite part of working with the Exchange.” 

Military connection: “My dad and stepdad both retired from the Air Force. I grew up in the military, married into the military and now proudly support the military.” 

Exchange connection: “My mother has had over a 30-year career with the Exchange, starting as a Sales Area Manager at Travis AFB Exchange. You could say the Exchange is in my blood.” 

Family serving family: “The Exchange is a one-of-a-kind organization. We continue to be a huge support and ally for the troops everywhere in the world. There is no other company as readily available to the service members as we are. With team support from MWR and FSS, we could collectively be a powerhouse for all troops and their families.”