130 Years of Family Serving Family: Tracey Bernard, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 130 years of family serving family

Who she is: Tracey Bernard, restaurant manager, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

Years at the Exchange: 30

Military connection: Bernard’s husband served 22 years in the Air Force and retired as a master sergeant. Her son is a staff sergeant in the Air Force. Her daughter, a licensed therapist, used to provide counseling at Fort Detrick in Maryland.

Her Exchange career: Bernard has held many roles at the Exchange, including management positions. She started as Burger King crew member at the Charleston Air Force Base Exchange (now Joint Base Charleston) and is now the restaurant manager for Burger King at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.

“I started at Burger King as a crew member,” she said. “And when my husband got assigned to Yokota Air Base in Japan, I got a job at the food court there. From Japan we went to Germany and  I was able to pick up where I left off. I’ve worked at Anthony’s Pizza, Robin Hood, Baskin-Robbins, and I worked a little at Casa de Amigos back in the day. Additionally, I was the manager for the Charley Steakery on Bitburg Air Base. After Germany, we went to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where I was the food court manager for the Mini Mall at Hurlburt Field and later on, the food court manager for the Mini Mall on Eglin.  All my experience with the Exchange has been in food.”

What brought her to the Exchange: “My husband was active duty at the time,” Bernard said. “We have two kids, so I was looking for something to do that wasn’t off the base—in other words, a place that worked with my schedule for my kids and so forth. I ended up starting to work at the Burger King in Charleston.”

Memorable moments: “Back at Eglin Air Force Base, we used to do ‘Give a Child a Christmas,’” she said. “We’d sponsor kids who do not have a lot. They’d come to the facility. We’d entertain them and give them care packages. … That was really meaningful for me—to see the smiles on their faces and how appreciative they were of the little things.

“I usually do breakfast with Santa with all the military kids. They come, we take pictures of them with Santa and do a pancake breakfast. We just make it fun and memorable for them. You always want to make sure a kid is happy and loved.”

Food as a love language: “I love food. I just like serving the customers, seeing the smiles on their faces—they’re happy when they get a good burger or a good slice of pizza. I like to feed others. Even at home, I love to cook and feed my friends and neighbors. I just enjoy feeding others and giving back.

‘Most of my coworkers are affiliated with the military, especially during my days in Florida. So, from time to time, we’d go to each other’s house. Everything revolved around food. We’d have a celebration or just a get together.”

Family Serving Family: “As a whole, we take care of each other. If one’s active duty spouse is deployed, we make sure that dependents know we are here for them. If they need anything, it doesn’t matter the time of day or night, they can always call on us. Even when my spouse was deployed, my crew at work would check in to make sure everything is good. As a spouse and Exchange associate, we take care of each other and help each other. When the calling comes, we’re there.”