Anthony's Pizza
 |
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| Department store, Government agency | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Headquarters | 3911 South Walton Walker Boulevard, Dallas, Texas, United States 75236 |
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Number of locations
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2,500 (all facilities) |
|
Key people
|
Tom Shull, Director/CEO |
| Revenue |
|
|
Number of employees
|
35,000 |
| Parent | United States Department of Defense (1895–present) |
| Website | www.shopmyexchange.com |
US$8.3 billion (2016)
US$8.5 billion (2015)The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) or "AAFES," is the retailer on U.S. Army and Air Force installations worldwide. The Exchange is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and its Director/chief executive officer is Tom Shull.
The oldest and the largest of the Department of Defense's exchange services, the Exchange operates department stores, convenience stores, restaurants, movie theaters and an Internet shopping site to serve soldiers, airmen and their families. In addition to U.S. bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, South Korea and Japan, the Exchange operates stores for U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the region. The Exchange ensures soldiers and airmen have access to U.S. goods and services, wherever they serve.
In addition to their retail support for the military, the Exchange also outfits troops with combat uniforms below cost, and serves approximately 3.2 million discounted school lunches per year for children attending Department of Defense Schools overseas.
Starting Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2017, military exchanges will offer online exchange shopping privileges to an estimated 17 million to 21 million honorably discharged veterans. The exchanges launched VetVerify.org in June 2017, allowing veterans to verify their eligibility ahead of the benefit's start date.
For more than 100 years before the post exchange system was created, traveling merchants known as sutlers provided American soldiers with goods and services during times of war. Sutlers served troops at Army camps as far back as the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars.
Complaints of sutlers charging premiums for substandard merchandise were widespread during the Civil War, and in 1867 the War Department created the post trader system. While intended to prevent the unscrupulous practices of sutlers, the post trader system still subjected troops to over-inflated prices and was rife with bribery and corruption.
On Nov. 29, 1880, Col. Henry A. Morrow, seeking to quell disciplinary problems resulting from troops visiting disreputable places of amusement in nearby towns, established the first American military canteen at Vancouver Barracks. There, troops were provided newspapers and magazines, played billiards and cards, and could obtain light food and drink without leaving post.
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Wikipedia