125 Years of Family Serving Family – Charlie Rios

Carlos “Charlie” Rios, third from left, currently works as an inbound LG operation manager at the Dan Daniels Distribution Center.

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

When Carlos “Charlie” Rios began his Exchange career as a janitor 31 years ago, he could not have imagined the places and experiences that lie ahead.

Rios, currently an inbound LG operation manager at the Dan Daniel Distribution Center (DDDC), learned about the Exchange from his family. He had an uncle and sister who worked for the Department of Defense retailer.

“I guess you could say it was a family affair,” Rios said. “That janitor job was my first, and I was right out of high school.”

From 2008 to 2013, Rios worked at the Japan Distribution Center in Yokota, Japan, when he discovered his love for logistics.

“It was then that I realized that the mission of the supply chain was my passion, and I recognized it was part of my DNA,” Rios said.

Based on his experience in Japan, Rios wanted to “experience the ‘we go where you go’ motto again.” In 2019, he deployed to Kuwait for more than 14 months.

“It was an honor to work side by side with our Soldiers and Airmen during difficult times, including the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rios said. “I was amazed at how the Exchange partnerships enabled the sustainment of the supply chain and facilitated our ability to deliver a piece of home to forward deployed service members.”

In addition to his uncle (retired) and sister Maria Rios (Fort Buchanan), Rios’ wife Janet Vasquez (Fort Eustis), brother-in-law Jose Pedraza II (Camp Santiago) and son-in-law Angel Ramirez (DDDC) all work for the Exchange. He also has three brothers that served in the Army and Marines.

“I’m living the family serving family core value. We all have vital roles to play to ensure our Warfighters and their families have the best quality service and receive the best customer experience possible,” Rios said.