Summer temperatures weren’t the only thing to heat up in Southwest Asia. MILITARY STAR® card signups were sizzling after region Vice President Kenneth Limtiaco introduced a local recognition program for Exchanges.
“The SWA VP (Vice President) MILITARY STAR program was created to engage more directly to promote the MILITARY STAR card,” Limtiaco said. “The goal is to encourage manpower agency associates to embrace and actively promote the MILITARY STAR, ensuring Warfighters understand its benefits.”
The June launch marked the start of the summer surge: More than 160 new cardmembers signed up to benefit from the MILITARY STAR card’s fair and flexible terms, marking a 39% increase compared with prior year.
During deployment, cardmembers also receive a reduced interest rate of 6% and are not required to make payments on purchases.
Additional program milestones included:
- July: More than 330 new cardmembers registered—a near 200% increase compared with prior year.
- August: More than 255 new cardmembers signed—nearly 200% more than prior year.
- September: More than 220 new cardmembers—an increase of 112% compared with prior year.
“The success of this program demonstrates the impact people can make when they feel empowered at work,” said Vice President of Credit Strategy Grant McCloud. “The results we’ve seen from Southwest Asia over the summer are phenomenal. The team has raised the bar for success.”
Limtiaco said the criteria for recognition are simple and foster healthy competition among the stores.
“Since manpower agency associates are not eligible for cash awards, this initiative recognizes their achievements through the ‘Store of the Month’ and ‘Hero of the Month’ awards,” Limtiaco said.
The store with the most applicants approved in a month is named the SWA Store of the Month. The individual who secures the most applicants is recognized as the SWA Hero of the Month.
Both the Camp Buehring Zone 2 Exchange and Camp Arifjan Zone 1 Exchange have been named Store of the Month twice each. Together, the stores have helped more than 350 new cardmembers access even more savings on morale-boosting goods.
Among top performers is Aashis Yadav, who has secured more than 170 signups since the program’s launch. Yadav has won the Hero of the Month award for four consecutive months.
Recently, Limtiaco also introduced the “MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Award,” presented to anyone who secures more than 10 approved applications.
Six individuals were recognized as MVPs in September.
From the Camp Arijfan Zone 1 Exchange, they were Harunur Rashid; Ghotam Lal; Abbas Badshah Shamas Ali; Mostafizur Rahman Abdul; and Nisa Khan. At Camp Buehring Zone 1, Al Amin was named an MVP.
Since the program’s launch, Kuwait/Jordan Exchange General Manager Flor Payton said she noticed a boost in morale.
“This program not only makes them feel genuinely valued but instills a deep sense of pride knowing their efforts are being noticed,” Payton said. “I have always believed recognizing contributions is essential to building a strong and motivated team.”
To continue driving results, Limtiaco and Payton have also gathered MILITARY STAR swag to hand out to manpower agency associates to motivate them further.
The SWA Vice President MILITARY STAR program, separate from the MILITARY STAR ambassador program, is operated by Limtiaco and store management.
The program also differs from previous editions that were in place before Limtiaco became the region vice president.
“When I was here in fiscal year ’21 and ’22, we awarded teams with a traveling trophy, but now we provide a recognition certificate they can keep for as long as they wish,” Limtiaco said. “They even send the rewards home to their loved ones.”
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