Shull, Team Tinker Honored for Dedication to Oklahoma Combat Veterans
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE—Army & Air Force Exchange Service Director/CEO Tom Shull and the Tinker Air Force Base Exchange team were honored Aug. 15 for their unwavering dedication to wounded Veterans and their families in Oklahoma.
Shull and Team Tinker received the Department of Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart special recognition awards. The group’s state commander, Larry Van Schuyver, presented the awards at the Tinker main store.
Shull was nominated from the Military Order of the Purple Heart’s eight chapters across Oklahoma, representing nearly 4,000 Purple Heart recipients. He received a Hall of Honor recognition, the second year the group has bestowed the honor to those making a difference for Veterans. The Tinker Exchange team was also honored for its dedication to the Veteran community in Oklahoma City—the first time the Military Order of the Purple Heart has honored an organization vs. an individual.
Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull receives a Department of Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart special recognition award from the group’s state commander, Larry Van Schuyver, who also operates a T-shirt conncession at the Tinker AFB Exchange.
“Our collective moral compass needs to be focused on our Veterans and service members,” Shull said. “The Tinker Exchange team fully appreciates that it is insufficient to simply thank our heroes for their service.”
Shull is a staunch Veterans’ advocate. Since 2010, the Exchange has hired more 2,050 Wounded Warriors worldwide. Hiring Veterans and military spouses is a priority for the organization, with more than 57,000 hired since 2013.
All honorably discharged Veterans can use their lifelong Exchange benefit at ShopMyExchange.com—tax-free with military-exclusive pricing. Disabled Veterans can shop in store. Shull championed both patronage expansions.
The Exchange is constantly recruiting businesses of all sizes to serve those who serve and go where service members go. Companies and vendors that do business with the Exchange gain increased brand visibility, a proven environment for testing new products and a welcoming culture for entrepreneurs, as well as flexible leases, fees and formats.
Col. Hardy “Tom” Giles, vice commander of the 72nd Air Base Wing; and Col. Robert Clouse, 72d Mission Support Group commander, joined the recognition ceremony along with retired Maj. Gen. Rita Aragon, who was previously honored by the group.
Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull with retired Maj. Gen. Rita Aragon, a previous recipient of a Department of Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart special recognition award.
Van Schuyver is a Navy Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and small-business owner who understands the value of doing business with the Exchange. He operates a concession at the Tinker Exchange shopping center, designing his own T-shirts. All labor, from printing shirts to running the store, is done voluntarily by fellow disabled Veterans in the Oklahoma City area.
In the last year, he and his volunteers have built wheelchair ramps, paid for utility bills for Veterans’ widows and more. During the holidays, he and his team donate 250 meal baskets to Veterans in need.
“Larry, your efforts of recognition our Tinker Exchange teammates speaks volumes regarding your incredible dedication to serving those who serve,” Shull said. “You continue to epitomize the motto of my old division, ‘Steadfast and Loyal.’”
