Fort Bliss Exchange Personal Shopper Service Raises Quarantined Soldiers’ Spirits

Associate Maggie Rivera prepares a delivery for quarantined Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Exchange associates at Fort Bliss are serving as personal shoppers for 400 Soldiers in quarantine after the troops returned from the Middle East.

“Our mission is to take care of our Warfighters no matter where we are or the conditions,” said Fort Bliss Main Store Manager Paula Bradford. “We are doing more than delivering goods through our personal shopper service—we are lifting spirits and easing minds.”

As a precautionary measure, the Department of Defense is requiring all Soldiers returning from overseas to be quarantined for at least 14 days.

To use the personal shopper service, Soldiers email or call the Fort Bliss Exchange with their orders. Associates in the main store select the items and deliver them personally.

On March 18, the first day of the program at Fort Bliss, the Exchange received 35 orders for food; health and beauty care items; electronics; and board games from quarantined Soldiers. For instance, one Soldier ordered lotion, chips, beef jerky, cranberry juice and instant breakfast drinks.

“The Soldiers are very happy that we are providing this service for them,” Bradford said.

One Soldier, who requested a Dunkin’ Donuts mocha and chips, expressed his gratitude in an email: “Thank you once again for this privilege you have offered us. It was more than greatly appreciated.”

Western Region Southwest Vice President Wayne Hansen praised his team’s hard work.

“This was exceptional work mobilizing the team and implementing the personal shopper program in such short notice,” Hansen said. “The sentiments and accolades already received by those in the quarantine area says it all. I’m really proud of everyone’s rapid response and the Fort Bliss team’s action to help support the troops.”

Fort Bliss associates Marcus Woods, Trent Jones and Michael Candelas load a shipment of merchandise onto a truck to deliver to quarantined Soldiers.