126 Years of Family Serving Family – Julie Gregory, Offutt Air Force Base

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 126 years of family serving family

Julie Gregory, services business manager at Offutt Air Force Base, is passionate about helping people, both in her job at the Exchange and also when she’s away from work.

Julie Gregory, services business manager at the Offutt Air Force Base Exchange, works at a display during a base event for Preparedness Month (September) at the Exchange. The base provided informational pamphlets and the Exchange provided items that could be purchased for emergency safety kits.

In 2013, after visiting a friend who had PCS’d to Fort Sill, Okla., she drove past Moore, Okla., on the way back. An hour later, Moore was struck by an EF5 tornado.

After seeing the disaster’s aftermath on the news, Gregory and Sheila Enderle, an Exchange associate (now the general manager of the Redstone Arsenal Exchange), decided they had to do something. They gathered donations from businesses and individuals for several days, purchased supplies, loaded their vehicles and drove seven hours from Offutt to Moore to do what they could to help.

“When we arrived, the devastation we witnessed was something I cannot explain in words,” Gregory said. “We delivered the supplies we had collected, we worked with other volunteers to organize and hand out care packages to the residents of Moore, and we went to neighborhoods to help clear areas and deliver water to the rescue teams.”

There were no hotels, so they slept in their cars for a few hours and then made their way back to Nebraska.

“It was one of the most rewarding and, at the same time, heart-breaking experiences of my life,” Gregory said. “Being able to help people who had lost everything is something I will never forget.”

She’s also served in different ways in her professional career. Gregory worked as a manager at Burger King, Taco Bell and the Offutt food court for most of her 25 years (and counting) with the Exchange.

“I truly enjoyed my time in food service,” Gregory said. “It was a great experience. I met lots of amazing people and learned about each of the different brands and their standards and procedures.”

She’s also been enjoying her role as Offutt’s services business manager, which she started November 2019.

“Services has been a real educational experience because I’ve been learning contracting and marketing, while in food most of the marketing was according to the individual brand requirements,” Gregory said. “As a services manager I go out into the community and build relationships, spreading the Exchange story to people who may or may not have a connection to the military.”

Gregory’s son and daughter are also part of the Exchange family; they worked at Charleys on Offutt AFB while they were in high school.

Before moving to Offutt, Gregory worked at Fort Eustis, Va.;  Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.; Fort Gordon, Ga., and Fort Meade,  Md.

“I’ve really enjoyed my career with the Exchange

it’s given my children and me the opportunity to travel, see many interesting places in the U.S., and make lifelong friendships.”