‘I’ve Enjoyed the Years I’ve Been Here’: Beloved Fort Benning Associate Retires After Nearly 50 Years

When Rosa Bell’s husband joined the Army, she wanted a job where she could be near him. She had two strong prospects: Delta Air Lines in Atlanta, and the Fort Benning Exchange. The Exchange called first.

That was in 1972, when Bell started as a part-time associate. “If you did well, they would make you permanent,” she said. “I did well. They made me permanent.”

Rosa Bell with LTC Cory Roberts, commander of the 1st Battalion, 19th Regiment at Fort Benning, which held a retirement presentation for Bell on May 17. Her Exchange retirement ceremony is scheduled for May 27.

Permanent, that is, until May 27, when Bell will retire after more than 48 years with the Exchange, almost continuously at Fort Benning. When her husband came home from Vietnam, he was assigned to Fort Knox, and she went there to be with him. But she was unable to find a job at Fort Knox, so in 1973, she came back to Fort Benning.

“In 1974, when they opened the new main store at that time, I became a full-time employee, and I was making $2.13 an hour,” she said. “I stayed on and advanced pretty quickly. I became a salesclerk supervisor, and I got a 50-cent raise. I’ve been through every grade in at the Exchange,” she added with a laugh.

Throughout her long career, said Bell, now the manager of the Fort Benning Sand Hill Troop Store, she has put her heart into everything she’s done.

“I was passionate about it, seeing the troops through all the years,” she said. “I saw troops through basic training, and they’d come back as drill sergeants. Then they went to college and came back as officers. It was just a growing family, and I’m a people person. I love people, so that was the job for me.” She said she was treated like family, and was often invited to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

“Ms. Rosa Bell has dedicated a half century of service to the Soldiers and families of Fort Benning,” said Fort Benning Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Brett Johnson. “We are grateful for her dedication and commitment to service at AAFES and to our Soldiers, their families and retired beneficiaries. It is people like Ms. Rosa Bell that truly make it Better at Benning.”

Bell is being celebrated at a ceremony on May 27. Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull and Chief Operating Officer Jason Rosenberg are honoring her virtually.

Bell and her passion for serving those who serve are well-known at Fort Benning.

“Rosa is a pillar of the community,” Fort Benning General Manager Don Sydlik said. “Her connection to customers goes beyond the store and installation.”

She said her favorite customers are retirees, who often just needed a friendly ear.

“They just need somebody to talk to,” she said. “Whether you’re busy or not, you make time for them. That’s what I did best.”

About nine years ago, her daughter, Clevetta, joined the Exchange, where she is store manager at the Fort Benning Mini-Mall Express.

“She’s done well, so I guess she did pick up some of my good habits,” Bell said. “She knew my dedication and when she came up, she picked up those habits.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Bell’s post-retirement plans, which weren’t about relaxation or travel. She wanted to help senior citizens at her church.

Rosa Bell with her daughter, Clevetta, who is also an Exchange associate.

“I wanted to assist them with their doctor’s appointments and going to the grocery store,” she said. “Spend some time with them and take them to lunch once a week.”

At her 45-year anniversary, Bell was awarded a brick from the original Camp Benning Command Building. And in the ‘90s, she received a $2,500 regional award for her hard work with the company.

“The Exchange has been good to me, and I’ve been good to the Exchange,” Bell said. “It’s a team effort, and it has paid off, and I’ve enjoyed the years I’ve been here.”