Army & Air Force Exchange Service

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service, known as the Exchange, is a military retailer based in Dallas, Texas. It runs stores and online shopping for the US military community. Prices are tax-free and set at exclusive military rates.

The Exchange has served America's armed forces since 1895. It goes where soldiers, airmen and their families go. Its aim is to improve their quality of life with valued goods and services. It is the Department of War's largest retailer.

About 30 million people are eligible to shop with it. They include active-duty military, family members, retirees, National Guard members and Reservists. Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, disabled veterans and Coast Guard members also qualify. So do some Department of War and Coast Guard civilian employees and retirees. Honorably discharged veterans can shop online.

Shoppers can browse electronics, furniture and appliances, patio and garden items, household goods, sports and outdoors gear, clothing, shoes, beauty and health products, jewelry and watches, baby items and toys, and food and gifts. The Exchange also has an outlet, clearance items and a marketplace. Military units can place orders through a unit purchases service.

The Services and Food Directorate provides services and food wherever troops serve. This includes restaurants, American-style baked goods, school meals, health and wellness services and telecommunications. The Exchange works with small, veteran-owned and national brand businesses to offer barber, laundry and salon services and restaurants. Businesses can run concessions in two ways. Short-term concessions are managed by the local Exchange on each military installation. Long-term concessions are competitively bid by corporate contracting officers at headquarters in Dallas.

The Exchange has service offices in many regions. In Europe they cover Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, the Azores, the Balkans, Belgium and the Netherlands. A Pacific region and a Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa region have their own offices. Contingency support reaches places such as Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. Businesses that want to become suppliers complete a source list application, which stays on file for one year.

Services

• Military retail
• Tax-free shopping
• Online shopping
• Restaurants and food
• Concessions program
• School meals
• Health and wellness services
• Telecommunications services
• Military clothing
• Unit purchases