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Did an elephant once work at a post exchange? Well, yes. And he got paid in bananas and bread. In 1944, the PX officer of the Southeast Asia Command headquarters during World War II moved a 2,600-pound electric refrigerator into a PX in India with the help of some Soldiers and an elephant named Karunavathi.…
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Every summer the Exchange celebrates the BE FIT lifestyle with the release of a specialty sales tabloid dedicated to keeping fit. This year, COVID-19 concerns caused Corporate Communications team members to pivot—and the result is an interactive solution putting BE FIT merchandise and tips at the military community’s fingertips. The final product is a 14-page,…
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The Exchange’s foray into name-brand restaurants came in 1977 when Baskin-Robbins opened its famous ice-cream shop at Edwards AFB, Calif. In 1984, Burger King became the first name-brand burger restaurant to join the AAFES family, opening 185 BKs throughout the world on Army and Air Force installations. The first one was at Ansbach, Germany. Other…
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The Army & Air Force Exchange Service dished up its first school lunches back in 1955 when school cafeterias opened on military installations in the United Kingdom. In 1980, the Exchange was designated the sole school feeding authority for the Army and Air Force. In 2019, the Exchange served 2.6 million meals in 76 Department…
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The Exchange Post celebrated the 125th anniversary in a big way this week, going all out with a series of messages of thanks from Director/CEO Tom Shull, senior leadership and celebrities. In case you missed it, here’s a look at this week’s rundown in the Exchange Post: Watch Now! Words of Thanks From Director/CEO…
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In 1965, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service took over a handful of PXs from the Navy in Vietnam the day after Christmas. At the height of the war in the late 1960s, the Exchange served American Warfighters with 50 major stores, 1,800 concessions and 180 food facilities, from cafeterias to snack wagons. On…
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One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 125 years of family serving family. When Petrice Gonzales started at the Exchange 31 years ago, working in the fashion department was a great fit because she had already walked the walk—on the fashion runway. “I was a fashion model in upstate New York, Germany and Texas, where…
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One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 125 years of family serving family. Maria “Nancy” Luke will always remember how she came to work at the Exchange. “When I walked into the shoppette, I met Ruthie Meeks, a shift manager, and I asked her if they were hiring,” Luke said. “She liked my enthusiasm and…
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In its 125-year history, America’s Warfighters could always rely on the Exchange to be there for them, regardless of whether the “stores” were tents, pack mules, bamboo huts, mobile trucks, boats, choppers or spacious modern malls. In fact, the organization remains as relevant today as it was on the open frontier more than a century…
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