• FORT WORTH, Texas
On Dec. 27, the Navy Midshipmen delivered their best football season since 2019 in dramatic fashion with a 21-20 victory over Oklahoma in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, where messaging and brand marketing by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) also capped a successful year.
This was Navy’s third appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, and its first since 2016. The Midshipmen concluded their year with a 10-3 record that included defeating Army 31-13 for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy in the Army-Navy Game on Dec. 14.
This was the fourth straight year that a service academy played in the Armed Forces Bowl.
YEAR-LONG CAMPAIGN
For AAFES, it was the eighth consecutive year of spreading the word about the Exchange benefit before and during the game.
“The Armed Forces Bowl is the climax of a year-long campaign to spread the word about Exchange relevancy during service academy football games,” said Sandi Lute, senior vice president (SVP), Brand Marketing. “Football unites the military community, especially in a year like this one, when the Navy and Army teams both had strong seasons.
“Games such as the Armed Forces Bowl give the Exchange an opportunity to make a personal connection with fans, reminding our heroes how the Exchange support our nation’s heroes, past, present and future, wherever they serve.
“Long after the game is over, that personal connection remains.”
EXCHANGE ACTIVITIES
During the pregame fan fest outside Amon G. Carter Stadium, members of the AAFES Corporate Communication and Brand Marketing Team handed out 1,500 clear stadium bags containing information on Exchange relevancy, expanded benefits and employment opportunities for veterans and spouses.
The bags also contained Exchange-branded sunglasses, lip balm, towels and other items.
The team gave away the bags in front of a trailer with an Americana wrap co-designed by retired Exchange Art Director Chuck Hatton, an Air Force veteran who passed away in 2023.
For the first time, the Exchange was also a sponsor of the Navy tailgate outside the stadium. Among those at the tailgate were Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Yvette Davis.
Exchange Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer (EVP/CAO) Tom Lozier, a Navy veteran and a 1974 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, joined the Corporate Communication Team at the tailgate, where the team spread the word about the new Military Star Card, which, through a collaboration with Discover Global Network, enables the military community to have a credit card that has more features and capabilities and is accepted at more locations across military installations.
More than 1,100 additional clear stadium bags were handed out at the tailgate.
Also at the game was Chief Master Sgt. Rich Martinez, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor, who met Tom Starr, the namesake of the Armed Forces Bowl’s Starr MVP Award.
A recipient of a Bronze Star, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, a Vietnam Service Medal, and a Vietnam Campaign Medal, Starr was instrumental in bringing postseason football to Fort Worth and was the Armed Forces Bowl’s first executive director.
Starr, a Vietnam War veteran, thanked the Exchange for all it does to serve those who serve and have served.
“It’s always more meaningful when a service academy plays in the Armed Forces Bowl,” said LTC(R) Jose Hernandez, Exchange chief of staff. “It provides an opportunity for the Exchange to build camaraderie and share the Exchange story with military-connected fans.
“It’s a chance for us to connect with the military community more deeply, whether they’re at the game or watching at home.”
Inside the stadium, a ribbon board encircling the stands heralded the Exchange’s tax-free shopping and military-exclusive shopping in view of a sellout crowd of 46,000.
Fans in the stadium and those at home watching the nationally televised game on ESPN saw a message informing veterans about tax-free shopping, military-exclusive pricing and free shipping options at military exchanges and at shopmyexchange.com/vets.
On the stadium concourse, fans viewed the Exchange-sponsored Wall of Heroes, a photo collage saluting military personnel as well as loved ones who served in the Armed Forces.
Fans around the world, including the Exchange’s Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Shull, have submitted more than 4,000 photos of family members and friends who are serving or have served.
Source: AAFES
Edited by Larry Lapka
