Posted on Apr 2, 2015
Do Retirees Really “Deserve” Access to AAFES Stores More Than Non-Retirees?
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* Please vote in the survey here *
Note: I am a RallyPoint member (served in USAF for 5 years) and wish to remain anonymous, because I need to be 100% honest that I feel the DoD is discriminating against non-retirees like me. Please tell if I am right or wrong here.
While I was serving in the USAF (5 years active), I enjoyed shopping at AAFES locations and online as well. It saved me a lot of money and the deals always seemed good. Now that I am a civilian, and did not hit retirement before I got out, and am not rated 100%, I can’t shop at AAFES anymore. I think that’s flat out wrong. I put in my time as much as anyone.
I know there are going to be RallyPoint members who respond with, “You only did 6 years, and you knew AAFES rules full well.” Well, here is what I say to that.
I did a 7-month tour in Iraq at FOB Taji. Easily left the wire more than 10 times. I hurt my shoulder due to wearing my kit a lot (30% rated). I did as much as most retirees, including retired grunts. I deserve AAFES access as much as any retiree. I respect that retirees served a little bit longer, but I did 7 months in Iraq.
Am I justified in thinking I should get full AAFES access?
Please vote in the survey below. Thank you.
Note: I am a RallyPoint member (served in USAF for 5 years) and wish to remain anonymous, because I need to be 100% honest that I feel the DoD is discriminating against non-retirees like me. Please tell if I am right or wrong here.
While I was serving in the USAF (5 years active), I enjoyed shopping at AAFES locations and online as well. It saved me a lot of money and the deals always seemed good. Now that I am a civilian, and did not hit retirement before I got out, and am not rated 100%, I can’t shop at AAFES anymore. I think that’s flat out wrong. I put in my time as much as anyone.
I know there are going to be RallyPoint members who respond with, “You only did 6 years, and you knew AAFES rules full well.” Well, here is what I say to that.
I did a 7-month tour in Iraq at FOB Taji. Easily left the wire more than 10 times. I hurt my shoulder due to wearing my kit a lot (30% rated). I did as much as most retirees, including retired grunts. I deserve AAFES access as much as any retiree. I respect that retirees served a little bit longer, but I did 7 months in Iraq.
Am I justified in thinking I should get full AAFES access?
Please vote in the survey below. Thank you.
Posted in these groups: 
Benefits
Benefits
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 625
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There is a reason that AAFES only allows Active and Retired military to use their stores, It is that fact that They have ID cards and can prove that they can use the service. You don't have to be 100% disabled to be retired either just 30% will get you the Blue ID card as long as you go through the process before you ETS.
Like CMSgt (Join to see) Stated you can find just as good or even better deals at Walmart and Target anyway.
Like CMSgt (Join to see) Stated you can find just as good or even better deals at Walmart and Target anyway.
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AAFES is for Active Duty; Retirees are an exception. Veterans would create too large of a shopping population. Not to mention base access issues and eligibility verification without an ID card.
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MAJ (Join to see)
What is the verification still? No DEERS equivalent to tap into for non-retiree veterans.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Not sure on that one. I know I have an account on there that dates back to when I was in the Air Force. I haven't used it since my 2 years of base access expired after I separated.
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I have a VA rating of almost 100%. I didn't get the option to retire because while I was deployed I received some minor injuries that made PT tests progressively more difficult after my deployment. After finishing my contract I was thinking about how I couldn't go to the PX or commissary or even go back on the base. It felt like they were saying thanks for your service but F-off. Even if they lowered it to 50% with an honorable discharge that'd be great. Most vets I doubt live next to a base I for one don't and if I could go I'd only be able to go maybe once every year or two.
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there we go with entitlement mentality, Rules are rules, the only way I would agree is if the rules were changed after you joined. but if you knew them before and you wanted to keep those benefit you should have stayed until retirement....
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Please tell me this is a joke. I mean, thanks for your service and all, but... no.
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SSG Tim Everett
HAHA I love that. "Talk to the beard, because the ears aren't listening". I'm going to use that.
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I would like to post a comment that is off the subject, but triggered by the discussion on this subject. We can always express our opinion and counsel our fellow veterans. But, we need to be cautious about comparing the value of one's service to another's. Many of our senior brothers and sisters were in the service for 3 or 4 years, and they fought in WWII. I do not think my 24 years trumps that, not even close. My father served for 20 years, from 1940 to 1961, fought in WWII, fought the communist in Greece, "fought" the Warsaw Pack in the Cold War. I'm always trying to measure up to that standard, but I can't. My brother fought in Viet Nam. Part of me wants to prove to myself and others that, like my brother, I can hack it too, but I can't prove it. I never received a mission to go to war. So, did I render less service than them? Or, did I render more service than someone who served for 1 enlistment? I served the best I could, in the time, and for the time I was given. (What did Gandalf say about not being able to chose our time?) I chose to assume that all veterans served the best they could, in the time, and for the time they were given.
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MSgt Stephanie McCalister
Well stated MAJ Matthew Arnold . All who served, had a mission, were all part of a larger whole ... I know all our varied support services, were part of a whole, & were the winds beneath the wings of our missions, whether in peace, humanitarian, or combat.
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1SG (Join to see)
Sir, We as soldiers go where we are told, when we are told. The fact that you never received orders for a wartime mission does not diminish your service.
As for the original poster's comments, my issue is with his sense of entitlement.
As for the original poster's comments, my issue is with his sense of entitlement.
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MAJ Matthew Arnold
I like the metaphor of all service rendered being the wind beneath the wings or the operators out on missions. (And, it's so Air Force.)
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@ anonymous Retired at 30 years and 1 day. I think you have enough responses from above and I would echo many of them, most likely not nice. so I will leave this professionally. Thank you for your service. OUT
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Ok, so you're saying that if I were to separate tomorrow (at 4.5 years TIS), and since I spent 7 months in Afghanistan, I should be entitled to shop at the BX for the rest of my life? I think not. If I left today, the most I would expect is some form of going away party and a pat on the back. To say you did as much as most retirees, grunts included is completely absurd. Ok, you left the wire "more than" 10 times...could be 11 could be 20, that correlates to roughly 1-3 times a month depending on how many times you actually left. I know guys (and girls) that spent 90% of their deployment OTW. You hurt your shoulder humping your kit around, and there are folks who left arms and legs in the desert. So no, sorry I don't see any validity to your argument.
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Veterans deserve everything we can get. Nobody will ever give us anything of substance without a fight.
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anyone serving a full term should have access to AAFES, anyone who served in combat and/or got injured and couldn't complete their enlistment should as well have full access, many people are being put out early due to some bullshit reason or another because of this communist regime in Washington. anyone with 30% or more rating for disability should have access ......
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