Army Air Force Exchange Services
American Logistics Association
An exchange is a department store on military bases. It provides quality merchandise and services at uniformly low prices to the military community regardless of where they are stationed. The exchanges donate a percentage of their earnings back to their customers for Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and Quality of Life programs and modern places to shop.
Military exchanges operate as federal entities within the Department of Defense. They are self-funded and pay operating costs from revenues. Exchanges return earnings to customers through payments to MWR activities and investments in new or renovated exchange facilities. Exchange sales total more than $10 billion in nearly 370 stores worldwide.
| Army & Air Force (AAFES) | 161 stores |
| Coast Guard (CGES) | 82 stores |
| Marine Corps (MCX) | 16 stores |
| Navy (NEXCOM) | 110 stores |
The Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) operates 172 stores under the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Customers include patients, staff, medical workers, and volunteers. Product reorders are generated locally through Purchase Order Price Agreement Listings (POPALS).
DeCA operates a world wide chain of nearly 280 commissaries to provide groceries to U.S. military personnel, retirees, and their families.
Military Resale and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Overview