Celebrating 130 Years of Serving the Military Community
Tom Shull
Exchange Director/CEO
Team,
On July 25, the Exchange will celebrate 130 years of serving those who serve and have served. From the American frontier to Iraq and Afghanistan, from South Korea to the Balkans in Eastern Europe, the Exchange has lived up to its “We Go Where You Go” motto for 13 decades.
From its modest beginnings in 1895 at Vancouver Barracks, Washington, the Exchange is now a worldwide organization. Its mission has always been the same: to provide the tastes and comforts of home to America’s heroes no matter where they serve.
In the late 1880s, Maj. Theo Schwan wrote rules and regulations for how canteens — the former name for post exchanges — should operate on military posts. In 1880, the first canteen opened at Vancouver Barracks in the Washington Territory to keep Soldiers from going into town to buy personal necessities and possibly wind up in trouble. Canteens spread to other military posts in the developing West, necessitating Schwan’s policies.
Upon changing the name from “canteen” to “post exchange,” the War Department on July 25, 1895, ordered that all commanders open post exchanges at their installations. They were to follow the rules and procedures in Schwan’s report. Those rudimentary post exchanges evolved into today’s Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
It is an honor to build upon this legacy of service and to do our part to protect, preserve and strengthen the hard-earned benefits of our Nation’s service members and families. 100% of Exchange earnings support our military community. In the last 10 years, the Exchange benefit has provided $15 billion in value that support the military community.
The modern Exchange, the 51st largest retailer in America, supports Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians, retirees and their families and others in military communities worldwide. The Exchange has also provided support in every major conflict since World War II, as well as supporting military rescue efforts after the 9/11 attacks and after hurricanes, earthquakes, forest fires and more.
The Exchange operates more than 5,500 facilities nationwide and in more than 30 countries. Its operations include department stores, convenience stores, Military Clothing stores, self-serve 24/7 markets, name-brand restaurants, barber shops and salons, mall vendors and more, as well as ShopMyExchange.com. We provide a taste of home to customers serving overseas or during deployment. Every year presents new challenges and changes, but these allow us to improve how we serve the best customers in the world.
More than 80% of the Exchange’s 25,000 associates are connected to the military, and 45% of the Exchange’s U.S. workforce is made up of Veterans, military spouses and dependents.
It is a privilege to among the oldest retailers in American history–one with the sole purpose of serving the military community. Since 2013, we have hired more than 65,000 Veterans and military spouses. Many Veteran associates recall how the Exchange supported them when they served and joined the organization because they wanted to keep giving back to their country.
As you celebrate this landmark anniversary, remember the contributions of the Exchange to the military and how important our support is to our customers. And remember that our best work is yet to come.
To learn more about the Exchange’s history, see the interactive history timeline at https://publicaffairs-sme.com/Community/history or visit the Exchange History album on Flickr.
