127 Years of Family Serving Family: Christi Cook, Eglin Air Force Base
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 127 years of family serving family.
Who she is: Christi Cook, office assistant, Eglin Air Force Base Exchange
Years with the Exchange: 38 years
What brought her to the Exchange: “My husband was active-duty Air Force,” Cook said. “I applied for the job with the Exchange at Okinawa. I got an interview and was offered a job at the Shoppette.”
Where she’s worked: Kadena and Eglin Air Force bases. She started at Eglin in 1986 and has worked as an office assistant since 2005.
What she did at first: Cashier at Fairchild Shoppette at Kadena Air Base and front cashier at Eglin. “I worked in the home and garden department when I first came to Eglin,” she said. Cook was also a price surveyor before starting her current position.
What she does now: “As an assistant I do a little bit of everything from answering phones, completing correspondence, taking care of vehicles and handling the GM’s appointments. On my first day on this job, I got a call that the Shoppette was on fire! My first message was letting the general manager know to drive up to the Ranger camp where the Shoppette was. The job has been crazy, but I love it!”
Memorable moment: In 2008, Cook and General Manager Ron Daugherty created the Eglin AAFES Red Shirt Brigade. “We made gift bags for deploying service members,” Cook said. “Each bag contained snacks, candy and a deck of cards with a sticker that said ‘AAFES thinks you’re ACES.’ We also had a welcoming committee for the returning men and women,” she said.
Military connections: Cook’s stepfather was in the Navy for 25 years. Her uncle served in World War II and died during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Her youngest son, Samuel, is a customer experience associate at the Eastgate Express at Eglin.
Family serving family: “We’re here to take care of those who serve our country. They make sure we’re afforded freedoms by making the ultimate sacrifice so we can be secure in our jobs and homes. We need to help their families as much as we can.”
