In brief:
- Gary Ship quickly worked his way up from warehouse worker to Fairchild Express Shift Manager.
- Originally from the U.K., he married Air Force Tech. Sgt Shanice Ship six years ago and joined her in her military journey overseas.
- He enjoys the opportunities for growth and development while getting to give back to community around him.
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 131 years of family serving family
Who he is: Gary Ship, Fairchild Express shift manager, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
Years with the Exchange: 3
Military connections: Married to U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt Shanice Ship, Operations Manager, AFN Okinawa, Japan, for six years.
“We met in England when Shanice was stationed at RAF Lakenheath,” Gary said. “I was working in the U.K. defense industry as a manager for a small weapon-mounting solutions company and fortunately for us, our paths crossed.”
The couple have two boys, ages 14 and 16.
What brought him to the Exchange: “I joined AAFES in February 2024, so I’ve been with the Exchange for a little over two and a half years. Before that, I spent around 12 years working in logistics and engineering support in the U.K., including work supporting military programs. So, working around the military community was already very familiar to me.
“When we came to Okinawa, I wanted to continue working in an environment where I could use my logistics and leadership experience while also supporting the military community. AAFES seemed like a natural fit. Once I started working here, I realized there were also a lot of opportunities to develop and progress within the organization.”
What he did at first: Gary’s first Exchange position was as a warehouse worker. He moved into a temporary warehouse foreman position and then became a shift manager.
“It’s been great being able to progress through several different roles within the Fairchild Express and learn about different sides of the Exchange.”
Why the Exchange is a good place for spouses/dependents to work: “One of the biggest benefits is that the Exchange understands the military lifestyle,” Gary said. “Military families move; schedules change and spouses sometimes have to rebuild their careers every few years. The Exchange gives spouses and dependents an opportunity to gain experience, develop leadership skills, and build a career that can potentially continue when their family moves to another installation. My own progression from warehouse worker to foreman and then shift manager shows that there are genuine opportunities to grow within the organization, especially in a duty station/country where the job market is almost exclusively limited to on-base opportunities.”
Memorable experience working for the Exchange: “One of my most memorable experiences was volunteering on my days off to help reopen Exchange facilities following Typhoons Saudel and Dolphin [this year],” Gary said. “While my wife was in her own capacity at work supporting the community as well. Knowing that we were supporting mission-essential military members and civilians as the bases prepared to reopen really reinforced what the Exchange mission is all about.”
Shanice appreciates how the Exchange helps them stay connected to traditions and comforts of home.
“Holidays like Thanksgiving aren’t celebrated off base the way they are back home, so there’s something comforting about walking into the Exchange and seeing the seasonal decorations for Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas,” she said. “Those things may seem small, but when you’re thousands of miles from home, they help you still feel connected to those traditions. And if it’s not the holidays or decorations, sometimes it’s simply stopping by and unexpectedly seeing my husband working. Our community overseas can feel very small, so it’s nice getting those little glimpses into his world and seeing the community we’re both a part of from a different perspective.”
Family serving family: To Gary, family serving family is about the people he serves and how important they are.
“They’re our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and in my case, people like my own wife and her fellow service members. Working for the Exchange gives me an opportunity to support the same military community that supports my family. It makes what we do feel much more personal than just coming to work every day.”
For Shanice, the family-like connection the Exchange provides speaks volumes.
“‘Family serving family’ means reliability, safety and connection. Being stationed overseas, there’s a sense of comfort in knowing there are people and organizations within our community that we can rely on. The Exchange is a familiar place where our families can find the things we need, stay connected to some of the comforts of home, and know that the people serving us understand the military lifestyle because many of them are part of that same community. Having my husband now be one of those people makes it even more personal for me. We may serve the community in different ways … but at the end of the day, we’re both helping take care of the same military family.”
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