11/01/07 Exchange Cooperative Efforts Result in Gift Card Cross Acceptance HQMC (MR), QUANTICO, VA - A sustained focus on cooperative efforts between the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, Marine Corps Exchange and Navy Exchange Service Command is paying off for military Families who, beginning Nov. 6, 2007, will be able to redeem AAFES, MCX and NEX-specific gift cards at any Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps exchange facility. “Throughout the retail industry, shoppers are expected to spend more than $35 billion on gift cards during the 2007 holiday season,” said AAFES’ Chief Operating Officer Mike Howard. “With convenience being the driver for most gift card purchases, the exchanges realized that cross acceptance would provide greater flexibility, buying power and ease.” For many years, the Military Exchange Services have collaborated on projects of common value, but in 2006 the Exchange Cooperative Efforts Board placed additional emphasis on initiatives like gift card cross acceptance. As a result of these cooperative efforts, each of the exchanges will begin accepting their sister exchanges’ gift cards on Nov. 6, 2007. “The exchange gift card just got much better,” said Commander, NEXCOM Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi. “With joint operations and joint basing increasingly common, our service members need to be able to use gift cards at any military exchange available to them. Now, Exchange gift cards are as mobile as our service members.” Exchange gift cards are available up to $500 and can be purchased at military exchanges worldwide. They can also be purchased online at aafes.com <http://www.aafes.com> or navy-nex.com <http://www.navy-nex.com> . MCX gift cards can only be purchased at MCX locations. For more information, contact Bryan Driver, Plans, Policy & Analysis, Personal & Family Readiness Division, HQMC, at (703) 784-9517 or e-mail : bryan.driver@usmc.mil “Whether visiting the Marine Corps Exchange at Camp Pendleton, the NEX Pearl Harbor Mall or one of the AAFES/MCX stores in Iraq, authorized shoppers will no longer need to sort through three different gift cards to determine what will be accepted at that particular facility,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy R. Larsen, Director, Personnel and Family Readiness Division, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps. “This effort is a terrific example of how the Department of Defense’s exchange services are working together to strengthen the exchange benefit for all Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers and their families.” - 30 - Military exchanges have the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with articles of merchandise and services and of generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. To find out more about the military exchanges’ history and missions or to view recent press releases please visit aafes.com, usmc-mccs.org or navy-nex.com.