128 Years of Family Serving Family: Racquel and Victoria Mackey, Fort Drum

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 128 years of family serving family.

Who they are: Racquel Mackey, recruiting manager, Fort Drum; daughter Victoria Mackey, inventory control associate, Fort Drum

Years with the Exchange: Racquel, five years; Victoria, five years

What they did at first: Racquel: “I was hired as a Human Resources assistant at Fort Drum in 2017. I left for a short time and worked off base. When the recruiting manager position opened, I applied and returned to the Exchange.”

Victoria: “I started here at the Starbucks in 2017. I then worked at Subway, then in the movie theater until it closed due to COVID in 2020. I was then in the main store warehouse and worked in the mobile field Exchange (MFE) on the airfield that was set up for quarantined Soldiers. I’ve also worked at the Qdoba as a foreman and a shift manager at the Military Clothing store until I started as an inventory control associate this summer.”

What’s it like working together: Racquel: “It’s convenient at times. Victoria is also a full-time college student and lives on her own, so sometimes the only time we see each other during the day is at work.”

Memorable moment: Victoria: “I was working at the Reel Time Theater here when COVID-19 struck. The theater closed, and I was picking up hours wherever help was needed most and I began working at the MFE. It was positioned outside barracks and served a maximum of two shoppers at a time with one employee.

“Our responsibility was to make sure we were stocked, sanitized and ready for the Soldiers. I enjoyed bringing the quarantined Soldiers a sense of normalcy in a very abnormal time. They told us constantly how much they enjoyed our presence there. The steady rotation of new Soldiers weekly meant there was no shortage of stories. The group of us who worked at the MFE were recognized and awarded coins from the installation.”

Military connection: Racquel: “My husband served in the Army for 20 years until his retirement, after which we bought a home in Fort Drum last year. We went through nine duty stations from Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and Hawaii before settling here. He still works as a contractor at Fort Drum, and all the employees on base still know him.”

What it was like growing up as a military child: Victoria: “I honestly loved it a lot. I switched schools every three years, but I like traveling and meeting new people, so it was easy for me. Even now I feel like I’m ready for another move. Five years is the longest we’ve ever been in one place.

“Coming to the Exchange when I was a kid was like going to the mall. I was constantly begging my parents to go and always flocked to the Exchange for something to do on post, so it was always a big part of my life.”

Family serving family: Victoria: “My favorite part is all the people. I’m constantly meeting new kinds of people every day with new stories. I’ve liked all the jobs I’ve had and I’m constantly learning different things. It’s like a big melting pot. It’s very eye-opening.”

Racquel: “Fort Drum is so unique. We’re in a world of our own up here in Upstate New York. Because I was a military spouse, I understand the lifestyle, and I know what they’re going through. They’re my favorite people. Everything we can do to get them settled and make them comfortable is important. It really is a huge family here.

“It’s also amazing running into people we knew from other installations. When our kids were little, they had all these friends who would come to our house wherever we were stationed, and I remember being recognized 15 years later by someone in uniform from when he was stationed as a child with us at Fort Gordon. I love when it comes full circle, and we can reconnect with people that we know because of the military and the Exchange.”