127 Years of Family Serving Family: Chad & Stacey Brazil, Real Estate/Finance & Accounting, HQ

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 127 years of family serving family.

Whh they are: Chad Brazil, Systems Business Analyst, Real Estate, Exchange HQ; Stacey Brazil, Accounting Manager, Finance & Accounting, Exchange HQ

Years with the Exchange: Chad, 34 years; Stacey, 18 years

Where they started: Chad: “I began working as a sales associate at Reese AFB after high school in 1989 to stay busy and pay for my truck. To date, working for the Exchange has been my only job.”

Stacey: “I moved to Germany, and it was my first time in a foreign country. I needed to occupy my time while my children were at school and wanted the opportunity to meet new people, so I applied to the Ramstein BX. I started as a senior store associate in 1997.”

Where they’ve worked: Chad: Reese AFB, Luke AFB, Camp Tuzla (Bosnia), Ramstein AB, Travis AFB, Camp As Sayliyah (Qatar), Fort McCoy, Edwards AFB, Supreme Bagram Logistics (Afghanistan), Exchange HQ

Stacey: Ramstein AB, Edwards AFB, Exchange HQ

Where they met: Chad: “The ‘love at first sight’ fairy tale was quite the opposite at first—Stacey did not like me much. She was working in the cashier’s cage at Ramstein when I was transferred there. Over time I settled into my job and the narrative changed.”

Stacey: “After a year and a half, we married at the courthouse in nearby Landstuhl on Dec. 1, 2000. A co-worker served as our witness and translator—the ceremony was conducted in German, and our wedding license is in eight different languages.”

What it’s like working together: Chad: “I think it’s cool, because we can talk about our jobs together and both understand. We have great communication because of our work, so it makes it kind of relaxing. We can each appreciate what the other does.”

Stacey: “Even though we’ve been working from home for a while, it’s still nice to have the 30-minute drive to and from work together when we are in the office. It’s great to have each other to rely on.”

Memorable moments: Chad: “Aside from meeting my wife, the most rewarding times for me were my deployments (to Bosnia, Qatar and Afghanistan). It’s what the Exchange is here for. Being able to support the service members firsthand was an honor and they enjoyed having us there. Seeing the degree of appreciation from them made it easier for me to work harder and go out of my way for them.”

Stacey: “Being in Germany at Ramstein Air Base was my favorite. Of course that’s where I met my husband, but it’s so centrally located there that traveling was very easy. Being able to experience so many different countries with my family was amazing.”

Military connections: Chad’s father and brother were both in the Army, while his niece served in the Army and is now part of the National Guard. His cousin also served in the Coast Guard.

Stacey has a brother who served in the Navy and multiple cousins who were in the Army. 

Family serving family: Stacey: “Our service members need a piece of home wherever they are. In my position, I am more behind the scenes, but making sure that the financial aspect is taken care of—the pricing, the inventory—is very important to make that happen.”

Chad: “With my position now in Real Estate, even if I don’t have the direct interaction with the service members anymore, I’m supporting the vice presidents, store managers and project managers to make sure they can accommodate them. Being able to live through them is very rewarding.

“Being a part of an organization like the Exchange whose sole purpose is to serve those who serve is a valuable thing.”