Exchange Quick Facts
MISSION
Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service has gone where Warfighters and their families go to provide quality, tax-free merchandise and goods and services military communities need - regardless of location, risk or challenge.
STRUCTURE
The Department of Defense’s largest retailer, the Exchange is governed by a Board of Directors responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force.
The Exchange is fully aligned with the Army, Air Force and Space Force. A force multiplier for Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and military communities, the Exchange improves military readiness, recruiting and retention.
VALUE PROPOSITION
The Exchange is a lifetime benefit that provides goods and services to the military community worldwide, offering tax-free shopping and military-exclusive pricing. 100% of Exchange earnings support the military community.
WHO WE SERVE
The Exchange serves an eligible customer base of 33.5 million active-duty military; retirees; National Guard members; Reservists; Purple Heart recipients; former prisoners of war; Veterans with service-connected disabilities; caregivers of eligible disabled Veterans designated by the Department of Veterans Affairs as primary family caregivers; non-disabled, honorably discharged Veterans (online only); authorized Public Health Service associates; authorized National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration associates; Coast Guard members; DoD and Coast Guard civilian employees; and military family members.
EARNINGS
The Exchange is the 54th largest retailer in the U.S., achieving competitive earnings of 3.7% of sales in 2020. 100% of Exchange earnings support our military community. In the last 10 years, the Exchange benefit has provided $3.4 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs such as outfitting 700,000 Warfighters at cost annually, providing school meal support for Department of Defense Education Activity facilities overseas and delivering needed services to locations impacted by natural disasters.
The Exchange self-funds its operations budget through customer revenues, except for 3% of its funding, which is paid from appropriated funds to ship goods.
FOOTPRINT
The Exchange operates more than 4,900 facilities with operations in more than 30 countries, 50 states, four U.S. territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa) and the District of Columbia. No matter where troops go, the Exchange goes with them. The Exchange serves troops in Southwest Asia, Africa, Europe and the Pacific.
FAMILY SERVING FAMILY
The Exchange supports Warfighters at the tip of the spear, bringing products, services and a taste of home to remote locations and war zones where traditional retailers can’t operate. Since 9/11, nearly 4,900 Exchange associates have deployed to serve in conflict situations.
The Exchange is a major employer of military families. 85% of the Exchange’s 35,000 associates are connected to the military, and 45% of the Exchange’s U.S. workforce is made up of Veterans, military spouses and dependents.
The Exchange has hired more than 50,000 Veterans and military spouses since 2013 and plans to add 25,000 more over the next five years, aiming for a total of 75,000 heroes hired by 2026. Hiring our heroes is a quality-of-life force multiplier. The Exchange gives spouses first consideration for open positions, and the continuity program lets military spouses transfer to an Exchange when their family has a permanent change of station. For military families, an Exchange career means benefit retention, retirement opportunity and stability. For more on careers with the Exchange, visit ApplyMyExchange.com.
PLUS
- Mobile field exchanges (stores on wheels) supporting military exercises and disaster support efforts (hurricanes, typhoons, forest fires, etc.)
- TV, internet and cellphone services on military installations around the world
- Robust logistics network - third largest shipper in the Defense Transportation System
- Contingency operations including more than 370 facilities in remote locations
- Business opportunities for Veterans, military spouses and dependents
EXCHANGE CREDIT PROGRAM
The Exchange Credit Program offers affordable credit to the military community. Established by Congress in 1979 to protect service members from predatory lending, the credit program operates the MILITARY STAR® card for 1.7 million cardholders and manages a $2.25 billion credit card receivables portfolio. Benefits include one of the lowest flat interest rates in the country among store cards, free shipping on online purchases and acceptance at all military exchanges and commissaries and online at ShopMyExchange.com, MyNavyExchange.com and ShopCGX.com.