Fifty years ago this week, on Dec. 2, 1975, 68 people met in Dallas to organize the AAFES Retired Employees Association, also known as AREA.
The program had been gestating since about 1972, shortly after Nick Powers, the director of Merchandising, retired. Fellow retiree Gordon Rowland suggested to Powers that there should be an organized way for retired associates to stay in touch with other retirees. About a dozen retirees became involved in discussions that led to the formation of the group. (Rowland, who was the retired director of transportation for the Exchange, passed away mere weeks before the organizational meeting in 1975.)
The organizational meeting included approving a constitution and bylaws, as well as the election of temporary officers until the first annual AREA membership meeting could be held.
Membership was open to all former civilian Exchange associates who were receiving a retirement annuity because of their Exchange employment.
AREA officials stressed that membership is worldwide and expressed hope that local chapters would be organized to encourage social contact among retirees. Today, AREA has more than 20 chartered and informal local chapters with thousands of members and spouses all over the United States. (Initial membership was a little more than 125 people; within three months, membership doubled.)
In 1985, through the philanthropic efforts of retirees and active associates, the National AAFES Retired Employees Association (AREA) Scholarship Program was established. Since then the program, which awards scholarships to the children on Exchange associates, has provided more than $1 million in financial assistance to more than 430 graduating seniors. AREA recently announced that it will elevate the program further in 2026.
AREA also works to protect the retiree benefit and, through its Emergency Relief, aids Exchange associates and their families who have been affected by disasters such as fires, tornadoes, hurricanes or floods.
For much more information on AREA, click here.
Sources: Exchange Post archives; https://aafesretired.org; Newspapers.com; the Biloxi Sun-Herald.
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