Fort Hood leaders learn scope of military?s retail mission in Iraq

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Fort Hood leaders learn scope of military?s retail mission in Iraq


BY DEBBIE STEVENSON
Herald Staff Writer


FORT HOOD ? Sending in the troops means more than weapons and the basics these days.

?Today?s soldier is very different from us old guys,? said Lt. Col. Ginger Simonson, chief of contingency operations for the Army Air Force Exchange Service, during a briefing Wednesday at the Copeland Soldiers Service Center on Fort Hood. ?They expect more ... They want their CDs, they want their DVDs.?

The military?s retail chain is key to fulfilling those expectations, Simonson told commanders and noncommissioned officers from III Corps, the 1st Cavalry Division and 13th Corps Support Command who are preparing to go to Iraq early next year.

?AAFES pretty much was the morale factor in Iraq,? Simonson said.

But as U.S. troops moved into Iraq during the spring and their tours developed into yearlong stays, growing pains surfaced and troop expectations often exceeded the chain?s capabilities, Simonson said. Commanders often were unaware of their role in bringing the stores to their camps.

To fix those problems, Simonson said the Dallas-based service was conducting briefings, such as the one on Wednesday, to explain the chain?s mission and needs.

?There were a lot of misconceptions about PX support, what AAFES can do,? Simonson said. ?We wanted to compile this so you guys could learn from our early issues.?

Simonson urged commanders to ensure there is enough space allocated to allow camp stores to accommodate the number of troops stationed there. Adequate space, she said, helps the camp avoid long lines at the cash register and is key to keeping the shelves stocked.

?Most units don?t expect to go into theater and provide PX support,? Simonson said.

But, she said, if a commander wants a store for his troops, he must expect to provide the space and logistical support needed to make it happen.

?In base camp construction, we have got to be in on the ground floor,? Simonson said. ?We really have to work together to plan it out ... so we can do it right the first time.?

Once the store is there, the military?s support role doesn?t end, Simonson said.

?One of the biggest pieces of AAFES operations is really logistics,? Simonson said.

In Iraq alone, Simonson said the chain has moved between 2,600 to 3,000 containers in 3,000 convoys to 28 sites from ports in Kuwait and also through Turkey from Germany. Simonson said commanders are expected to provide vehicles to help move those goods, and also military police escorts.

In remote areas or at sites considered too dangerous to station the chain?s 150 Defense Department civilian employees, the units are trained to stock and run their own retail outlets, which often clear up to $50,000 in sales.

?The unit signs for the merchandise and a change fund and basically opens up their own mom-and-pop site and keeps it stocked,? Simonson said.

Since its first sale April 7 in Iraq, Craig Sewell said the chain has expanded its inventory and introduced name-brand eateries to meet the demands of the soldiers and commanders, including Burger King, Baskin Robbins, Pizza Hut, Subway, Nathan?s hot dogs and KFC.

?I don?t know of any situation where we have said no,? Sewell said.

In Baghdad alone, the airport?s Burger King is serving 500 Whoppers a day.

The chain also fulfilled a $1.1 million order for Gatorade for the 101st Airborne Division after its commander decided to supply the sports drink free to his troops.

Phone cards sold through the military retailer are also down, in some cases to 25 cents a minute, Sewell said.

?We have driven the price down and will continue to drive prices down,? Sewell said.

Computer centers provide soldiers access to the chain?s online store, and catalogs offering seasonal wares also are made available at each PX site.

The big demand, though, has been for magazines, souvenirs, electronics, cameras and the top 10 DVDs, which are now available along with basic health, personal care and snacks goods, Simonson said. Iraqi vendors also are setting up bazaars that reduce the need for troops to shop off base.

?We will continue to evolve,? Sewell said.

Despite the seasoned shopping audience, many of the soldiers attending Wednesday?s briefing were surprised at the scope of the chain?s mission.

?I learned actually a lot, especially for the FRG (family readiness group)? said Maj. Angela Gilliam with the 1st Cavalry?s Division Support Command.

Gilliam said she had been impressed by the chain?s alternatives to sending bulky care packages that include gift certificate programs and online shopping services for those who do not hold military identification.

?I thought that was really good,? she said.