Like any US base (actually a nominally Italian-run coalition base but mostly funded and staffed by US military), we have an exchange. For the civvies out there, an army base has a post exchange (PX), air force has base exchange (BX) and navy, a navy exchange (NEX). The Air Force grew out of the Army Air Corps in 1947 and they typically have had the acronym AAFES for Army/Air Force Exchange Services. PX is easier than "A-Fiss", so PX is typical.
The one here at Camp Stone is staffed by volunteers who manage the inventory and keep accounts. The exchange is only open about an hour and a half each day since these volunteers do it on top of their normal work and the exchange is quite small.
For quite a while, Navy folks have provided most of the support, including the monthly trip to Bagram AFB to purchase new inventory. Hence, you can see the store has also been named "Ship Store" and "USS Neversail".
I helped with the monthly unloading and restocking and took the photos of the store and helpers. We stock snacks and toiletries and lots of tobacco products. Army guys seem to smoke a lot and the ban on alcohol in Muslim countries makes tobacco the vice of choice.
4 comments:
Lets not slight the Marines - Marine Corps Exchange -- Roy
So, that would be... Mex? And if it were in Texas, it would be Tex-Mex?
Yuk, yuk.
I think it is called THE MARINE CORPS EXCHANGE!!! SIR!!!!
Actually, I think the Marines refer to it as the PX.
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