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

Added twice in error.

Thank you for your service and sacrifices, but there is already a way to get what you want. If you want to continue to have access to base and base services, get a civilian DoD job. At least that way you can buy your 5-6 years of military service towards your civilian retirement... and you'll get your much coveted access to base shopping and MWR. As a vet, you get a 5 point hiring preference. If you are a disabled vet, you'll get a 10 point hiring preference. Check out http://www.usajobs.gov.

Don't expect things to be handed to you. If Exchange and Commissary access is so important to you, follow the existing path that leads you to what you want.

Other then supporting the health and welfare program(USN),I see no reason to shop at either the Exchange or Commissary.You almost need a bank loan at the exchange the prices are so high and prices at the grocery store are the same as on base and I don't have to pay someone to push my cart to the car.

Something my dad told me when he retired was "I've done my time" now I'm still only two years in. But I do feel as if I do 20 I earned my benefits, 20 years of hardship and sacrifice. It adds up a whole lot more then a few to five years. I always have and always will respect the brothers and sisters in arms now and those who served. But you can't say it's discrimination if you knew before you signed up, that there are different benefits for retirees compared to just doing a contract

Well the SMSgt hit the nail on the head. I'll just add - the Exchange isn't so great these days. You aren't missing anything.

One other thought - when my disabilities caught up to me in full blossom and I lost two years of my life because of that, the commissary privileges would have been a great blessing. The PX not so much. Because I was not 100%, and the VA has incredible long periods to react, I was not able to work.

Someone else mentioned that this should be be a major issue, because the VA still has a lot of holes that need filling. There are a lot of good people there, but a lot of poor policies. Fixing those policies should be the priority, because even in the 70's the PX was no bargain, but if you had limited ability to get off base was necessary.

Now, the security issues are problematic for bases, so is securing access to the base more important, or the ability to have questionable savings at a PX? Commissary was a better buy then. And, how close are veterans to a base to shop there in any event?

I was seriously injured in the military during a tactical operation in 1976. The short side is that I stayed in as long as I could, but the injuries required me to leave the service. Not on a medical discharge, and because the VA in the 1970's was not a great place to be I gave up on them early on, and never contested their denying coverage even though it was on my DD-214 because I had better things to do than fight with the VA. I am in my 60's now, and the injuries have seriously changed my quality of life and mobility. The VA, true to form, is still miserable in their time to update ratings.
I had to leave military service because of serious injuries. I never had the opportunity to continue my career path, and I do not have a 100% rating so I can not shop there. I feel that as long as I have a VA ID card showing disabled rating that I should be able to shop there if I want to. But that is not the case. So, just my 2 cents.
From a business model, however, deliberately cutting off the opportunity to shop there by more people is a lousy decision because they are reducing ability to increase market share and ameliorate costs accordingly. So cutting the exchange altogether while using defective business models, while seemingly in accord with other governmental approaches in solving (sic) problems, is a poor decision in absence of other factors.

Why are we even having this discussion? I remember running into retirees as a troop and I never minded their presence on base. They were simply making use of the benefits they worked for. You serve your time, you get the benefits you were promised. Well... that's how it used to work. Not any more. The free medical and dental I was promised isn't free any more... nor are the Space A rides on military aircraft (correct me if I am wrong). Would have been nice to go to Europe like so many retirees did when I was in. They were never turned away at the commissary or exchange, or treated like they didn't belong. So what gives?

The Base CO's are knee-jerk reacting to the terrorist threat and when you do that they win. I'm not saying you don't take smart and sensible precautions, but when you deny retirees access to the base and facilities, and hassle them over regulations that really don't apply to them, you're setting bad precedents.

I went to ride my motorcycle aboard Camp Lejeune and got stopped at the gate because I didn't have an Orange Vest, Gloves (it was warm out), or Boots. I was wearing leather shoes. So the next time I went there (a few months later), I had the Orange Vest, Gloves, and Boots but I didn't have their base approved safety course sticker. New rule. Grrrr! 2 hr ride wasted.

Honestly, you would think that once a person is out of the military and not subject to the military chain of command that you would no longer be subject to the Base Commander's rules that go above and beyond State Law. Speed Limits, yes. State Inspection, yes. Helmet, yes. These I get. Orange vest, long pants, boots and gloves? Are they required to ride a motorcycle out in town? Don't you think we're getting carried away just becaise the Base CO doesn't want accidents on his safety record? I'm even okay with wearing the required boots, gloves, long pants, AND orange vest, but to make me pay to go to a safety class before I can ride on that base? !!! That's just plain NUTS! If the Base CO wants to make it mandatory for his troops, fine, but don't put that on those who are retired. They earned their right to the base and don't need to be hassled. The obsession with political correctness, control, and knee jerk reacting has to stop.

Never complain about a seven month deployment to people who have done 15 month tours. Now that we have that out of the way. I do agree it would be a nice perk to be able to use AAFES locations but I'm not going to get my undies in a wad about it. If they change their policy great, if not keep calm and carry on.

Yes they have more than earned the right to use any facility on post.