• DALLAS

The military community’s hard-earned Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) benefit paid off in 2024, as shoppers generated $295 million in dividends for vital quality-of-life programs.

One-hundred percent of Exchange earnings are reinvested in the military community. Every time service members, retirees, military families, veterans, Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and other authorized shoppers shop at the PX or BX, grab a meal at an Exchange restaurant or place an order through ShopMyExchange.com, they make a tangible contribution to our nation’s military readiness and resiliency.

“With 956,000 active-duty troops — or 71 percent — living within 40 miles of an installation, the Exchange benefit makes a difference to quality of life for the military community,” said Exchange Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Shull.

“Nearly 130 years after this benefit was established, the Exchange generated more than $490 million in earnings resulting in nearly $300 million in funding for programs that directly affect military recruiting, readiness and lethality,” he noted.

DIVIDENDS

The Exchange serves Army, Air Force and Space Force installations, as well as select Navy and Marine Corps locations.

The breakdown of the dividends, totaling $295 million, that were provided to the services in 2024:

• Army: $161 million (54.6 percent)

• Air Force: $115 million (39.0 percent)

• Navy/Marine Corps: $19 million (6.4 percent)

About 60 percent of Exchange earnings go to the services for quality-of-life programs, while the remainder improves the shopping experience, such as renovating stores, updating infrastructure and adding services, without creating additional financial burden for taxpayers.

In the last 10 years, the Exchange benefit has generated $15 billion in value for the military community.

MISSION REPORT

The Exchange’s 2024 Mission Report details DoD’s largest retailer’s holistic support of the military community through more than a dozen lines of business.

Operational highlights from 2024 included:

• Supporting 50 military exercises at the tip of the spear.

• Providing added convenience by opening more than 200 24/7 self-service stores at more than 90 installations.

• Installing 80 towers to augment cellular service, boosting connectivity.

• Launching a new and improved Military Star Card, which is now accepted by most merchants on military installations.

• Adding more than 80 restaurants with Better-For-You (BFY) choices worldwide.

The Mission Report can be accessed at https://corpcom.aafes.com/view/3655868/.

Source: AAFES

Edited by Larry Lapka