Store-to-Ship: Fort Buchanan Exchange Makes Ship-Side Delivery for USS Wichita

When the USS Wichita docked in Puerto Rico on May 12, the Sailors were not allowed to disembark to go into town to shop because of COVID-19 protocols—but the Fort Buchanan Exchange brought the shopping to them.

Main Store Manager Rochelle Tolentino and her teammates delivered about 50 personal orders for the Sailors, including hygiene items, socks and snacks—Nutella and Oreos were particularly popular requests.

“Instead of ‘ship from store,’ we call this our ‘store-to-ship’ service,” said Tolentino, who has worked for the Exchange for 27 years, the last 20 at Fort Buchanan.

The Fort Buchanan team delivered ship-side in January for Sailors on the USS Comstock. Word spread among commanders, and leaders on the USS Wichita reached out to the store to ask whether their Sailors could place orders for delivery as well.

Tolentino’s team created a list with popular items organized by categories—health and beauty, electronics, softlines, snacks and more—for easy ordering. Sailors could also request specific products.

“The team was so excited,” Tolentino said. “When we got the orders, everyone was so focused. We wanted to fill every one. We found approved substitutions for items that were requested that we didn’t have. We went to the PXtra and different Expresses to make sure we got everything the Sailors asked for. The associates really went above and beyond.”

For Tolentino, serving the Sailors had a special meaning. “My dad was in the Navy for 22 years, so being able to serve these Sailors was sentimental for me,” Tolentino said. “They’re on that ship for a long time, so we wanted to do what we could to make things better for them.”

Tolentino, Visual Merchandiser Manager Jessica Rosado and Visual Merchandiser Assistant Angie Encarnacion made the roughly 90-minute drive from Fort Buchanan to Ponce, where the ship was docked, to deliver the orders personally.

“The service Rochelle and her team provided to the USS Comstock and USS Wichita Sailors is typical of our associates at Fort Buchanan,” said Exchange General Manager Thea Sarver. “They are truly dedicated to taking care of service members like family.”