Yokota BX Team Gives Yokohama North Dock Command a Behind-The-Scenes Look
The Yokohama North Dock, a U.S. Army transportation hub for Japan, is somewhat separated from standard Exchange support. It’s less than 50 miles from the Yokota Air Base Exchange, but the drive can take more than an hour and a half. Although it’s in a large city, the North Dock has a small population of Soldiers and civilian workers.
The Yokota Exchange, which has been working to provide support and improve Quality of Life for the North Dock community, recently hosted a visit for a North Dock command team. Lt. Col. Alexis Jackson, 836th Battalion commander; and 836th Command Sgt. Maj Summer “Reign’”Riley-Fernando; took an immersion tour of Yokota. They were accompanied by 765th Transportation Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Erik Hansen and Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Williams Jr.
Since he arrived at Yokota in 2022, General Manager Andrew Defelice has conducted many of these tours for Pacific Region command teams, spouses’ groups and service members.
“One of the most important benefits of these tours is the education they provide the military community,” said Col. Jason Beck, Exchange Pacific Region commander. “People who take the tours will carry that education with them to their next installation and beyond.”
The military leaders learned about the scope of Exchange operations at Yokota, specifically services and initiatives that the Yokota team is working to bring to the North Dock.
“One of our biggest initiatives is direct vending,” Defelice said. “We’re freezing some of our local bento meals that we make at Yokota and transporting them down to Yokohama so that there’s an option for grab-and-go food.”
Because of that initiative, the tour’s first stop was Yokota’s central kitchen, where the command teams learned how the meals are made. Bento meals include options from Japanese, Korean, American and other cuisines; the ones assembled during the Yokohama North Dock tour included a Nashville chicken dish; curry eggroll; and onigiri, a Japanese steamed-rice ball.
The next stop was the Yokota bakery. “They learned about how we ship baked goods throughout all of mainland Japan and about some of our products they can use if they have a squadron function or event,” Defelice said.
Yokota Exchange General Manager Andrew Defelice, center, talks about Yokota’s airline catering service during a Yokota immersion tour taken by LTC Alexis Jackson, 836th Transportation Battalion Commander at Yokohama North Dock (second from right), and 836th Command Sgt. Maj Summer “Reign” Riley-Fernando. At left are airline catering manager Shunichi Kobayashi and Mikako Nakada, airline catering short- order cook.
The command teams also learned about logistics at the next stop, the Japan Distribution Center, including the synergy between the Exchange and the North Dock.
“A lot of our containers go through Yokohama North Dock,” Defelice said. “There’s a customs office in Yokohama that processes all the paperwork for all Exchange containers that come from the States, so their support does help our mission.”
Most Soldiers who work at the dock live at Camp Zama, so the commanders also learned about telecom, vending-machine support and other services the Exchange provides. The tour wrapped up with a behind-the-scenes look at loss prevention and main-store operations.
Jackson later thanked Beck and the Yokota team or a “phenomenal tour.”
“It exceeded our every expectation and helped create a shared understanding of AAFES’ role throughout mainland Japan,” she said. “We have much to gain by remaining synced with your team as we seek to provide access to much needed necessities on Yokohama North Dock.”
Defelice said he began the tours because Yokota provides a great example of what the Exchange can do for the military community.
“It’s different from stateside,” said Defelice, who was previously a general manager at the Cannon AFB Exchange in New Mexico. “When you’re in OCONUS, everything is magnified to a 10. The services are broader in terms of how they directly relate to the mission and Quality of Life for our military members and their families. Yokota is a great symbol of all these different things and functions that directly impact the community.”
During their tour, the Yokota North Dock commands also learned about Yokota’s airline catering service.
“A lot of people don’t know about the airline catering service and or that the meals that passengers get on Patriot Express flights come from our kitchen,” Defelice said. “A lot of people don’t think about the bakery—they have this idea that the bread is shipped in from the states, but don’t realize until they see the bakery that we’ve the capability to produce various fresh baked goods that support not just Yokota but the entire Mainland.”
The Exchange also learns through taking visitors on these tours. The Yokota Exchange will continue to refine the assortment in the vending machines at Yokohama North Dock and offer a variety of general merchandise categories, such as health and beauty care products and expanded pre-workout drinks and sports nutrition bars.
“The tours give a big takeaway to the commanders that the Exchange brings a piece of home overseas,” Defelice said, “and that we play an integral part in their mission.”
