Flashback Friday

#FlashbackFriday: 1962—The Exchange Plays a Supporting Role in a Key Civil-Rights Moment

By Robert Philpot / September 29, 2023 /

In September 1962, James Meredith, a 29-year-old Air Force Veteran, tried to become the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi. After being barred twice from registering, he sought help from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense and Education Fund. He also received help from Attorney General…

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#FlashbackFriday: Let’s Talk About the Elephants in Exchange History

By Robert Philpot / September 22, 2023 /

In honor of National Elephant Appreciation Day, here’s a brief look at some elephants that have played a role at the Exchange.

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#FlashbackFriday: The Exchange and National Hispanic Heritage Month

By Robert Philpot / September 15, 2023 /

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins today and runs through Oct. 15. The special emphasis month begins in the middle of September because Sept. 15 is the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and 18, respectively.…

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#FlashbackFriday: Stories of Exchange Support After the 9/11 Attacks

By Robert Philpot / September 8, 2023 /

Monday will mark the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, when terrorists hijacked jet planes, flying them into both World Trade Center towers and into the Pentagon. Passengers on United Flight 93 died preventing an attack on the U.S. Capitol, overcoming hijackers to crash that plane into a field in Somerset Count, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000…

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#FlashbackFriday: 1960—the Exchange Associate Who Ran a U.N. PX in the Congo

By Robert Philpot / September 1, 2023 /

One of the more unusual stories of Exchange support began on Sept. 1, 1960—63 years ago today—when the United Nations established a PX in the Republic of the Congo.  An Exchange associate was put in charge—and he would have some stress-inducing adventures that weren’t directly related to running the store. A couple of months earlier,…

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#FlashbackFriday: August 1992—The Exchange Responds After Hurricane Andrew Devastates Homestead AFB

By Robert Philpot / August 25, 2023 /

In August 1992, 31 years ago this week, Hurricane Andrew struck, leaving 250,000 homeless across Florida, Louisiana and the Bahamas, caused more than $30 billion in damage and took more than 30 lives. At the time, it was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida in 60 years. One of the places it hit hardest was…

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#FlashbackFriday: 1993—Firestone and the Exchange Begin a Journey of Car Care Service for Military Communities

By Robert Philpot / August 18, 2023 /

Thirty years ago this, the Exchange opened Firestone Master Care Car Center at Fort Lewis. It was the first such facility on a military installation in CONUS, opening a new era for automotive care at the Exchange.

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#FlashbackFriday: August 1989—The Waco Distribution Center Officially Opens

By Robert Philpot / August 11, 2023 /

The DC, about 100 miles south of Dallas, had already been receiving merchandise for processing for months before the grand opening.

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Flashback Friday: The White Sands Missile Range Exchange and Its Links to the Nuclear and Space Age

By Robert Philpot / August 4, 2023 /

The movie “Oppenheimer,” and the approaching anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb explosions, inspired this look back at the White Sands Missile Range Exchange. Although it opened after World War II, the Exchange’s location connects it to nuclear-age history. The facility was set up around 1949 as a “satellite” Exchange, according to a…

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#FlashbackFriday: 2010—The Exchange Debuts a New Brand

By Robert Philpot / July 28, 2023 /

You may have heard this week about a certain social media site’s rebranding, which inspires this look back at the Exchange’s own brand, which debuted nearly 13 years ago. On Sept. 17, 2010, a 77,000-square-foot main store opened at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Customers liked the store’s wide aisles and sleek design, and…

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