New Military Support Resource Available for Exchange Associates in the Field
No more searching high and low! Exchange associates can now find answers to their military questions in one convenient location at their fingertips—Teams.
The Military Support channel is a centralized communication platform hosted on Microsoft Teams to streamline coordination between HQ and the field. Its primary purpose is to provide timely updates, share resources and maintain alignment on policies and support issues that directly affect operations at military installations.
The channel was launched in response to a large volume of emails and Teams messages asking the same questions regarding military protocols.
“What became clear was that we needed a better way to push out consistent guidance and eliminate confusion,” said Exchange Chief of Military Support Lt. Col. Peter Thompson. “Instead of having general managers and region vice presidents reach out to HQ one at a time, we built a space where they can access vetted info directly—24/7—and stay informed on what’s already been resolved elsewhere.”
General managers initially used an Excel spreadsheet for military support references. While helpful, it lacked user-friendliness and clarity on when it was last updated.
“I wanted to go further than just what that Excel file did,” Thompson said. “I wanted to provide them with what we in the military would call an information paper or position paper that had already been vetted here at HQ with links.”
“For example, if a general manager says, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize that I was entitled to routine grounds maintenance.’ Essentially, they no longer have to search for it elsewhere. They can click what they need, and then that would take them to SharePoint.”
The channel has enhanced associate awareness of military regulations and enables general managers to address installation issues more quickly and confidently.
“We’ve seen a major increase in awareness and participation,” Thompson said. “GMs are proactively reaching out with better questions, and they’re resolving issues with their installations faster and with more confidence. The Teams channel has become a launchpad for educating our associates — especially new GMs or store managers — on how to handle complex topics like environmental compliance and utility funding. We’re trying to get ahead of problems now instead of reacting after the fact.”
Click here to gain access to the Military Support Teams channel.
