Army Awards AAFES Meritorious Unit Commendation Dallas - The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has been awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the Secretary of the Army for its outstanding support of U.S. service members serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maj. Gen. Kathryn Frost, AAFES’ commander, accepted the award on behalf of AAFES during a ceremony at the AAFES Headquarters in Dallas, Texas on Friday, August 20th. The award recognizes the support AAFES provided to more than 300,000 Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, civilians and coalition personnel during the period of January 30, 2003 to February 9, 2004. This prestigious honor is awarded to a unit for at least six months of outstanding service during a period of combat on or after January 1, 1944. The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a unit honor that is awarded to a military command that displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions. “The award description says that to be eligible for this award, a unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart from and above other units with similar missions,” said General Frost. “Only in AAFES' case, we did something nobody else could do – provide this kind of support to our troops in a war zone.” “Working continuously to improve the overall morale of all deployed personnel, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service opened post exchanges, fast food restaurants, gift and alterations shops, and telecommunication centers as quickly as conditions allowed,” reads the citation. “The Army and Air Force Exchange Service lived up to its motto ‘We Go Where You Go’ and dedicated precious time and resources to maintaining outstanding customer service even in times of war.” “From the initial force buildup in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to the actual invasion of Iraq, until robust operations throughout Iraq today, AAFES has been with our troops every step of the way,” said General Frost. “I’m so proud of the AAFES team who accomplished the seemingly impossible to support the troops.” “‘We Go Where You Go’ means so much to our Soldiers and Airmen. Seeing an AAFES trailer roll into a dirty base camp in the middle of the desert, or finding pallets of AAFES goods stacked in an old building in Iraq makes the AAFES motto more than just a phrase,” said Lt. Gen. Claude Christianson, chairman of the AAFES board of directors. “This award reflects the commitment all AAFES employees make everyday on behalf of our Soldiers and Airmen, no matter where they serve. This recognition is so appropriate – no organization deserves it more. I'm so very proud to be associated with AAFES. Although this award recognizes AAFES' unprecedented support to today's deployed soldiers, it should also be viewed as testimony to the AAFES commitment to provide that ‘touch of home’ for the last 109 years. On behalf of the entire board of directors, congratulations AAFES, and thank you!" Prior to the U.S. actually going into Iraq, AAFES quickly established a support presence in all of the tactical assembly areas. In March 2003, the troops went into Iraq and, within days, AAFES was there for them providing life-sustaining support in geographically dispersed areas. Within a few weeks, while major combat operations continued in Northern Iraq, AAFES established and fully supported 92 unit-run imprest fund sites throughout the country, ensuring all troops would have access to basic health and comfort items. As the end of the major combat operations drew to a close, AAFES began to open facilities in areas of major troop concentrations such as Baghdad International Airport, Life Support Base Anaconda, Adder/Tallil Air Base, Al Asad, Tikrit and Mosul. This brought an expanded assortment of merchandise, to include snacks and equipment/gear. AAFES started by selling out of backpacks and footlockers and gradually moved into tents then into existing (hardened) structures. Today, there are 31 stores open in Iraq, 10 in Kuwait, two in Qatar and one in the United Arab Emirates. Within 30 days of being in Iraq, AAFES brought mobile satellite phone service to the troops in Baghdad. Now, AAFES has telecommunications centers open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at all major troop staging areas. In June 2003, AAFES opened its first Burger King at BIAP. The facility, while it was open, sold 6,500 burgers a day and was the number one AAFES Burger King based on sales volume, in the entire world. Since then, AAFES has moved other Name Brand Fast Food operations like Pizza Hut and Subway into Iraq to help provide troops deployed there with a taste of home. “If you want to know how AAFES is doing in OIF all you have to do is ask the troops on the ground,” said General Frost. “Reports from returning Soldiers and Airmen reaffirm my belief that contingency operations are the single most important part of AAFES support for today’s military.” According to Staff Sergeant David Richmond, a Soldier with the 4th Infantry Division that patrolled a stretch of highway deep in the heart of the Sunni Triangle, “AAFES did more for us than anything and was a big morale lifter.” -- 30 -- Home
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