(From left) Cheryl Hollis, Army, Air Force Exchange Sservice Clothing Sales store manager, talks about her store and its future with U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Pearson, AAFES senior enlisted advisor, and Wayne Hansen, Joint Base Langley-Eustis AAFES general manager, at the Fort Eustis Exchange, Oct. 16, 2012. Pearson was conducting a site visit of the main exchange and talk about its future with staff and vendors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Wesley Farnsworth / Released)
Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson, (right) Army & Air Force Exchange Service senior enlisted advisor, visits the base shoppette Sept. 16, 2012, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Pearson is one of 72 active-duty Service members assigned to Exchange to carry out its mission to provide quality products, services and food to the military community. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Katie G. Ward / Released)
by Lisa J. Neidinger
Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs
10/15/2012 - JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- The senior enlisted advisor for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service visited facilities on Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis Oct. 15-17.
During his visit, Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson toured Exchange facilities, met with Soldiers, Airmen and community members and addressed Exchange-related issues here.
The Exchange is a joint non-appropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense with a retail mission to provide quality products services and food to servicemembers, their families, Reserve and Guard members, plus military retirees. Exchange sales generate earnings to supplement Air Force Services programs as well as Army Morale Welfare and Recreation activities.
Pearson is one of 72 active-duty Service members assigned to Exchange to carry out this mission. The Exchange also employs more than 42,000 civilian associates worldwide.
"Part of my job as the senior-enlisted advisor is to visit bases throughout the world, and find out what Exchange can do to better to serve its customers and fix existing problems," said Chief Master Sgt. Pearson.
"For every dollar earned, 67 cents comes back to the military community from the MWR dividend. Last year Joint Base Langley-Eustis activities got back more than $532,000 - so shopping at the Exchange is a win-win," said Pearson. "You get great products at a great price and your spent money comes back to the installation through the dividend."
While here, Pearson discussed the benefits of shopping at the Exchange instead of off-base facilities with customers.
"Educating our customers on the Exchange benefit is the most important part of my job. Our goal is to be your number one choice for retail shopping. You can go anywhere to purchase an iPod or a TV, but when you buy from the Exchange, that's money going back to support our military and communities," said Pearson.
"More importantly, military clothing is the only place our military troops can buy uniform items on base without mail ordering them, making it our goal to have what they need when they need it so they can be outfitted properly," he added.
For more information about the Exchange and Exchange programs, visit www.shopmyexchange.com.
