125 Years of Family Serving Family – Frederick R. Crowther, Loss Prevention Manager II

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 125 years of family serving family

For Frederick R. Crowther, the tragedy of losing his mother ultimately led him to finding his passion. After his mother was killed by a drunk driver when he was just 11, Crowther ended up living with his eldest brother, David, who was an active duty Soldier assigned to the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Va.

At 22, Frederick Crowther joined the Army as a drummer for the Army Band and spent 26 years on active duty.

“Living with David and seeing how he carried himself in everything he did helped me tremendously,” Crowther said. “And he encouraged me to pursue my passion for music and playing the drums.”

At 22, Crowther joined the Army as a drummer for the Army Band and spent 26 years on active duty that included seven tours overseas and spending 27 months deployed in Iraq. Throughout his career he has had the privilege of playing in front of U.S. Presidents, Vice Presidents and foreign dignitaries from all over the world—but he loved playing in front of the Soldiers most of all.

While growing up and going to the Exchange with his brother David, working for the Exchange never crossed his mind. When deployed, however, going to the Exchange was something he and his fellow Soldiers looked forward to.

“Seeing that the Exchange was there for me and my Soldiers provided a level of peace and comfort,” Crowther recalls. “They were always there to provide us with a little taste of home.”

His admiration for the Exchange grew so much when he was in uniform that he decided to go work for the organization in 2013. Nearly seven years later, he is enjoying his second career as the Exchange’s Loss Prevention Manager in mainland Japan.

“I wanted to work for the Exchange to give back to a company that had given so much for me while I was on active duty,” Crowther said. “I take pride in doing my part for the Loss Prevention Directorate that helps the Exchange maximize their earnings by minimizing their losses.”