New Yarborough Express Brings Convenience to Fort Bragg Community
The Exchange is making life more convenient for the Fort Bragg community with the opening of a new $7.2 million Express in the post’s Yarborough Complex area.
Cutting the ribbon on the new Yarborough Express at Fort Bragg are, from left, Chris Snyder, quality assurance specialist with Fort Bragg Network Enterprise Center; Amanda Hartfield, Fort Bragg Exchange general manager; Maureen Coleman, Yarborough Express store manager; Brig. Gen. Derek Lipson, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) deputy commanding general; Col. Scott Pence, garrison commander; Richard Holcomb, retired deputy to the commanding general for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command; Mike Smietana, Exchange senior vice president of Real Estate; and Natalia Meyer, Exchange retail business manager. Kenneth Lamey, assistant chief of Fire Prevention, and David Volk, fire inspector look on at far left. (U.S. Army Photo by Jacqueline Hill, Fort Bragg Public Affairs Office)
Brig. Gen. Derek Lipson, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) deputy commanding general; Col. Scott Pence, Fort Bragg garrison commander; Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Loehr, senior enlisted leader; and Richard Holcomb, retired deputy to the commanding general for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC); helped Mike Smietana, the Exchange’s senior vice president of Real Estate; and Amanda Hartfield, Fort Bragg Exchange general manager; cut the ribbon on the 7,226-square-foot Express on May 24.
“This has been a team effort from the start, from the advocacy of USASOC as they expand into Yarborough, to [the Department of Public Works] making sure all the permits are in place for the fuel, to AAFES being our great partner here on Fort Bragg and putting establishments like this where the Soldiers and leaders need them,” Pence said. “This is really a good success story … and we’re so proud to be here and be lucky enough to cut this ribbon today.”
Plans for the Express, the first Exchange store to serve the post’s remote special operations area, go back about three years, with construction starting in early 2021. A temporary building served the area until the project was completed. The Express features four pumps offering BP/Amoco-branded fuel, bringing fuel to the Yarborough Complex area for the first time. Inside, the store features a Hunt Brothers Pizza, fresh fruit, salads and more.
“After some initial delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to finally say ‘mission complete’ on this long-awaited Express,” Smietana said. “The Exchange is committed to enhancing the Quality-of-Life at Fort Bragg, and we are grateful to the Fort Bragg community for sticking by us as we brought this project to fruition.”
Construction for the Express was funded by Exchange earnings, in addition to $277,000 contributed by the installation to fund part of the site’s utilities. 100% of Exchange earnings support the military community, including critical Quality-of-Life programs that make life better for those who live and work on Fort Bragg.
