Exchange Marks 70 Years of Nourishing Warfighters’ Children

For 70 years, the Exchange has fueled our Nation’s youngest heroes with nutritious, affordable meals while giving military parents peace of mind.

The Exchange’s school meal program, in 73 Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools in seven countries (Japan, South Korea, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy and Turkey), serves meals under the same USDA guidelines as schools in the U.S.

“The school meal program is just another aspect of our family serving family core value,” said Col. Jason Beck, the Exchange’s Pacific Region commander. “The program brings tastes of home to the Nation’s youngest heroes while allowing parents to stay mission-focused, knowing their children are well-fed at school.”

With about 20,000 meals daily, the program dishes up 3.4 million meals annually and is focused on providing whole grain, fruits and vegetables while reducing added sugars and sodium.

The Exchange began serving meals in DoDEA schools in the United Kingdom in 1955. Since the implementation of DoD Directive 1015.5 “DoD Student Meal Program (SMP)” in 1983, the Exchange has been the official feeding source for all DoDEA schools.

DoDEA schools in Europe and the Pacific receive their whole-grain baked goods from the Exchange’s bakeries at Gruenstadt, Germany; U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys; Yokota Air Base; and Camp Kinser, Okinawa.

“This is a great program because it offers nutritious options for our students who live overseas,” said Margaret Bunton, an Army Reservist and Parent Teacher Student Association volunteer at Ramstein High School in Germany. “Sometimes as working family members and military members, it’s not so easy to prepare meals every day. So to have that convenience of being able to send the kids to school knowing they’re going to get a nutritious meal to make it through the day is very comforting.”

Free or reduced lunches are provided to children in families who meet income eligibility requirements.

Qualifications for free and reduced-price meals are based on family size and income using federal income eligibility guidelines, which are updated and published annually by the USDA. Parents can go to linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new, enter AAFES DoDEA in the search field and fill out an application, including all family members and all income.