Do Retirees Really “Deserve” Access to AAFES Stores More Than Non-Retirees?

CMSgt (Join to see) - Back in Afghanistan, doing what I do. Life is good.

I hope life is treating you well!

You don't think it's right because you don't qualify under the Regs....shame, should had stayed in and got that benny like we others did that put up with far more than you did and longer!!!!

As well it should be. I have never asked for anything that I did not earn.

AAFES has the worst prices anyway. They asked me to test their new website about a year or two ago and I thought their prices were outrageous. I told them they can keep their website and I'll never shop there unless they make their prices more competitive. I was also not impressed with their offerings.

According to their rules, only active-duty military, retirees, National Guardsmen, Reservists, and 100 percent disabled Honorably Discharged Veterans are authorized. All other Honorably Discharged Veterans can only use the online store. For the Anonymous OP you have the option to use the online store. They used to not even allow that years ago.

Don't feel left out MSgt, $24,000, actually $22,500 is pre tax and every year it will go up due to pay increases. This number also doesn't take into account disability rating or VA. Todays retirees are absolutely making more than those ten years ago and in 10 years I will look at younger generations differently also. What SSG Bozo is not accounting for are the changes that take place every year that modify our retirement perspective. Yes every year new retirees are making a few more bucks due to their pay at the time of retirement. But to think that there are no insurance issues or co pays means he hasn't began to prepare to leave active duty. Every year there are more and more stories of possible changes to retirement, or benefits. Luckily most of the Idea Fairies are shot down but there are a few that still get through. I will retire soon and become the third consecutive generation of military retired men in my family. Each one had completely different retirement standards. Some better but most not so much. Before long it may end up a gold watch and a pat on the ass out the door, welcome 401k Army. As far as shopping at the PX, well it gives us a tax break, great, its not like the prices are any better. A $100 item still costs $100, the only difference is we cant claim anything purchased there on your taxes, so its the same outcome. Every year the Exchange is becoming less and less advantageous for saving. I live 1/2 mile from mine and I never go there because their stock sucks and the prices are not saving me anything. I look at it like SAM's Club, My service provides my membership. Retirees have earned the right to shop at the PX, if nothing else because they retired, period. Anyone that would even question that would have to be extremely selfish, or just a self entitled prick. Yes there are a lot of prior service that I feel should have been retired not just discharged. That's not my lane to determine. If you left service honorably and proud with your head held high, whether you have Exchange privileges or not, thank you for your service and I hope your country is taking care of you and your family. For those of you that didn't, or feel entitled because your super special and you want to celebrate it, Wal-Mart has a club also, they give out cards and everything. Have a ball.

SFC (Join to see) - No copay??? What the hell are you talking about....tricare has copays for retirees ......either that or i'm getting screwed over

SFC Aaron Lewis - Just FYI there has been no pay raise in retiree pay or VA disability pay for three years......it's not a guarantee never has been.......it's one of the reason that the longer you've actually been retired the less your retirement is worth....it does not keep up with the cost of living.

MSgt Ronald Stacy - I admit don't have a full handle on the flow of retirement pay yet. I was just using an example. I have no elusions that retirement pay wont cover me for the rest of my life. Unless I love refrigerator boxes... Thanks for the info though.

PO2 George Ermeling , are you implying that I have mommy issues?

I retired from the Navy in 1 Nov 2011, 20 years and 7 days of active duty service, 13 of those are sea duty. I'm sorry, unless you were medically separated from the service through NO fault of your own, NO you don't deserve to get what someone that put in 20+ gets. This isn't Congress, where you do your 2 years and your now "vested" into the Congressional retirement system..

I left the wire 10x....to go pee. I deserve it damn it. Give me bennies.

I spent over 13 years in, just recently got out and I have no complaint that I can't use the PX/BX. I plan on joining the reserves in the near future, and maybe I'll take advantage of those benefits again. but consider this, those folks who spent 20 years or more, or were 100% disabled EARNED that lifelong right. The pX is not a privelege that can be extended to every has been who joined the ranks, if so where does it stop? The kid who gets kicked out of boot because he quits during his PT test? Why stop there? How about our DEP-loss soldiers-they swore an oath of enlistment, they just never served. If this privilege is extended to everyone, it will soon not seem like much of a privilege at all. One of the benefits of this benefit is that it is not available to everyone and anyone. Those who use it have earned the right to use it. Let it go, you had your 5 years to use it. I really don't think I would publicly share that my "kit" hurt my shoulder. I got a buddy who's still serving who is still getting shrapnel removed from his shoulder, and he's still proudly serving in the ranks. please take your pity party elsewhere, you're not going to get much sympathy here.