Education and Awareness is AAFES Senior Enlisted Advisor's Mission

  • Published
  • By Capt. David Tomiyama
DALLAS,Texas --  Few assignments in the military involve taking care of 12.2 million people. For Army & Air Force Exchange Service Senior Enlisted Advisor Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm, taking care of that many people is his day-to-day responsibility. From the small Cannon Air Force Base, N.M Exchange to the large Ft. Lewis, Wash. Post Exchange to exchanges in Japan, Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan, Chief Helm takes care of the AAFES customer through education and awareness of the exchange benefit and what AAFES does to support troops and their Families.

AAFES is a joint military command with a retail mission. The command's dual mission is to provide quality products and services to all active duty, Reserve, Guard members, their families and retirees and to generate earnings to supplement Army Morale Welfare and Recreation and Air Force Services programs. Carrying out AAFES' day-to-day operation are 72 active duty Army and Air Force personnel and more than 43,000 civilian Associates.

Chief Helm recently brought his educational awareness mission to the Non Commissioned Officers Association's 45th annual convention in Las Vegas, July 14-17. He spoke to more than 250 active duty, Guard, Reserve and retired NCOs from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, on a variety of topics.

Chief Helm emphasized to the NCOA audience that Guard and Reserve members and retirees who are not geographically near an AAFES Base Exchange/Post Exchange can still take advantage of their exchange benefit right in their own household via aafes.com.

"AAFES.com has more than 18 million items, tax free, at low prices along with a variety of free shipping options," he said. "Military shoppers have the largest exchange right there at their finger tips."

Another point Chief Helm made was how AAFES lives up to its motto of "We Go Where You Go" with the support to service members deployed to Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

"AAFES' most import mission is to support deployed troops which we do with 91 exchanges and more than 200 fast food restaurants in OIF/OEF," he exclaimed. "By providing a shopping experience or serving a Whopper, it gives troops a moment where they can forget where they are and make them feel like they're back home."

The NCOA conference was Chief Helm's 65th stop on a 10-month trek that has allowed him to address issues and educate troops at Army and Air Force installations and conferences around the world.

At any of Chief Helm's installation visits, he meets with wing/garrison leadership and customers. During meetings with senior leadership, AAFES issues are discussed along with ideas as to how to make AAFES a bigger and better part of the military community. However, it's the face-to-face interaction with customers at settings like Airmen Leadership School, First Term Airmen Center, spouses clubs, 1st sergeants, chiefs and sergeant majors groups, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers and town hall meetings that Chief Helm is able to bring the AAFES education and awareness directly to Soldiers and Airmen.

"Many of our Soldiers and Airmen don't know what AAFES does to support them," he said. "I can understand our young troops not fully grasping everything AAFES brings to the table, but it's also our Senior NCO's who've served for 15-plus years who are also in the dark on AAFES. I try and touch them all, young and old troops, officers and enlisted, retirees and family members."