On July 25, the Exchange will celebrate 131 years of service to Warfighters and their families. From Pituffik Space Base in Greenland to American Samoa in the South Pacific, from Camp Casey in Korea to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, the Exchange lives up to its “We Go Where You Go” promise, providing the best comforts and tastes of home wherever Soldiers, Airmen and Guardians serve.
“The Exchange has been an integral part of military life for 131 years,” said Exchange Director/CEO Brad Bingham. “We will uphold that legacy of support by accelerating modernization efforts that are strengthening the tremendous value the Exchange benefit provides service members, families and the Services’ recruiting and retention initiatives. Serving those who serve remains the ultimate responsibility and honor.”
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service was established on July 25, 1895, when the War Department issued General Orders No. 46, directing all Army commanders to establish “post exchanges” on their installations.
“Post exchanges” was a new term for “canteens,” which began about 15 years earlier at Vancouver Barracks, Washington, where Col. Henry Morrow, commander of the 21st Infantry Regiment, noticed that members of his garrison who visited disreputable places in a nearby town often returned to the guardhouse with disciplinary problems.
Morrow decided to offer them an on-post place where they could socialize. On Nov. 29, 1880, the first canteen opened at Vancouver Barracks. Soldiers could play cards and shoot pool while enjoying food and drink.
The canteen was a success, and the idea grew in popularity throughout the West, leading to the establishment of the post exchange system. Those exchanges grew into the Army Exchange Service, which became the Army & Air Force Exchange Service on July 26, 1948.
The Department of War’s largest retailer, the Exchange delivers tax-free goods and services to more than 5,500 facilities on military installations worldwide, including department stores, convenience stores, Military Clothing stores, name-brand restaurants, barber shops and salons, mall vendors, bakeries, water plants, school meal program support and more, as well as at ShopMyExchange.com.
The Exchange’s authorized customer base has never been larger, as the Department of War extended a lifelong online military exchange shopping benefit to all honorably discharged Veterans on Veterans Day 2017. Additionally, all Veterans with service-connected disabilities were authorized for in-store shopping privileges on Jan. 1, 2020, and Department of War and Coast Guard civilians received access to online and in-store Exchange benefits on May 1, 2021. Today, the tax-free Exchange benefit is accessible to more than 30 million Americans who serve or have served.
Throughout its history, the Exchange has supported deployed service members at the tip of the spear. Exchange associates have served troops on the front lines, during natural disasters and throughout a global pandemic.
Since 2013, the Exchange has hired more than 68,000 Veterans and military spouses, demonstrating its commitment to extend career opportunities to our Nation’s military community.
Shopping the Exchange strengthens military recruiting, readiness, retention and lethality. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In 2025, the Exchange delivered $307 million for Quality-of-Life programs, with $2.4 billion generated in the last 10 years.
To learn more about the Exchange’s history, visit the Exchange History album on Flickr.
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