LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas– Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s senior enlisted advisor, is making it his mission to ensure Airmen and families at Laughlin Air Force Base have the products they need, whether shopping in-store or online.
During his visit to Laughlin on March 26, 2019, Reyes toured Exchange facilities and met with 47th Mission Support Group Superintendent Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Harper to address how the 123-year-old Department of Defense retailer can better serve Airmen.
“The Exchange is all in when it comes to readiness and resiliency,” said Reyes, one of about 30 active-duty service members assigned to the Exchange. “We are committed to providing exceptional service to the Laughlin community.”
The Exchange’s online shopping site, ShopMyExchange.com, features 2 million items tax-free and with military-exclusive pricing. The site focuses on name brands such as Apple, Under Armour, BareMinerals and more—everything from clothing to fitness trackers to big-screen TVs.
“Competitive pricing and tax-free shopping make the Exchange a tremendous value for those who have earned the right to shop their Exchange,” Reyes said. “If shoppers can’t find what they need in-store, ShopMyExchange.com puts an expanded product assortment at their fingertips.”
In 2017, all honorably discharged Veterans were welcomed home to their military family with a lifelong online military exchange shopping benefit. All who served honorably can now shop online, tax-free, for life. Allowing honorably discharged Veterans to shop online strengthens the online experience to better serve the entire military community.
Authorized ShopMyExchange.com shoppers receive free shipping on orders of $49 or more—but shipping is always free when paying with a Military Star card. The Military Star card also rewards Airmen and their families each time they use the card online and in-store.
“Cardholders earn two points for every $1 spent,” Reyes said, noting that all commissaries also accept the Military Star card.
Shoppers receive a $20 Exchange rewards card for every 2,000 points earned, and the rewards card can be redeemed anywhere Exchange gift cards are accepted.
Every time Airmen shop their Exchange, whether on base or on online, they generate funds to make Laughlin a great place to live and work.
100 percent of Exchange earnings support Quality-of-Life programs including military uniforms at cost; school lunches below cost for Warfighters’ children overseas; Child Development Centers; Youth Programs; Fitness Centers; and career opportunities for spouses, Veterans and Wounded Warriors (the Exchange has hired 1,200 Wounded Warriors since 2010).
“In 2017, the Laughlin Exchange generated more than $143,000 on behalf of Quality-of-Life programs,” Reyes said. “Shopping the Exchange—including ShopMyExchange.com—makes life better for every member of the military community.”
During his visit, Reyes also thanked Laughlin Exchange associates for their dedicated service.
“Since 1895, the Exchange has provided a lifeline to America’s service members and their families,” Reyes said, noting that 85 percent of the Exchange’s 35,000-strong workforce has a military connection. “The Exchange is family serving family. Whether supporting troops downrange or here at Laughlin Air Force Base, the Exchange is there to serve them.”