Exchange Celebrates 129 Years of Serving Military Community

On July 25, the Exchange celebrates 129 years of service to Warfighters and their families. Every day, the Exchange upholds this history of support by living up to its “We Go Where You Go” motto, providing the best comforts and tastes of home wherever Soldiers, Airmen and Guardians serve.

“The Exchange is truly honored to build upon its rich history of service to those who serve and have served,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, an Army Veteran. “It’s a special honor to do our part to protect, preserve and strengthen the hard-earned benefits of our Nation’s service members and families.”

Now one of the largest retailers in America, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service benefit began when the War Department issued General Orders No. 46 on July 25, 1895, directing all Army commanders to establish “post exchanges” on their installations.

“Post exchanges” was a new term for “canteens,” which began in 1880 at Vancouver Barracks, Washington, where Col. Henry Morrow, commander of the 21^st Infantry Regiment, noticed that members of his garrison who visited unsavory places in a nearby town often returned to the guardhouse as disciplinary problems.

Morrow decided to give them a place on Post where they could socialize. On Nov. 29, 1880, the first canteen opened at Vancouver Barracks. Soldiers could play cards and shoot billiards while enjoying food and drink.

The canteen was a success, and the idea grew in popularity throughout the West, leading to the establishment of the post exchange system. Those exchanges grew into the Army Exchange Service, which became the Army & Air Force Exchange Service on July 26, 1948.

The modern Exchange benefit delivers tax-free goods and services to more than 5,500 facilities on military installations worldwide, including department stores, convenience stores, Military Clothing stores, name-brand restaurants, barber shops and salons, mall vendors and more, as well as ShopMyExchange.com.

The Exchange’s authorized customer base has never been larger, as the Department of Defense extended a lifelong online military exchange shopping benefit to all honorably discharged Veterans on Veterans Day 2017. Additionally, all Veterans with service-connected disabilities were authorized for in-store shopping privileges on Jan. 1, 2020, and Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilian received access to online and in-store Exchange benefits on May 1, 2021.

“Team Exchange is dedicated to supporting service members, retirees, Veterans and military families,” Shull said. “Every day, associates worldwide illustrate the Exchange’s core value of ‘family serving family.’”

Throughout its history, the Exchange has supported deployed service members at the tip of the spear. Exchange associates have served troops on the front lines, during natural disasters and throughout a global pandemic.

Since 2013, the Exchange has hired more than 60,000 Veterans and military spouses. This is more than filling positions—it’s a commitment to extend career opportunities to our Nation’s military community.

Shopping the Exchange strengthens military recruiting, readiness and retention. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the past 10 years, the Exchange benefit has provided $3.7 billion in earnings that support the military community, including critical military Quality-of-Life programs.

To learn more about the Exchange’s history, see the interactive history timeline at https://publicaffairs-sme.com/Community/history or visit the Exchange History album on Flickr.