Head’s Up Veterans. Shop Online At Military Exchanges Beginning Veterans Day, 2017
Honorably discharged Veterans need to know that on Veterans Day, 2017, they will be able to shop online at all military exchanges.
This was made official on January 18, 2017, when Peter Levine, Under Secretary of Defense For Personnel and Readiness issued Department of Defense Memorandum DTM 17-003. This memo
Extends limited online military exchange shopping privileges (no uniform items, alcohol, or tobacco products) to all honorably discharged veterans of the Military Services effective November 11, 2017 (Veterans Day, 2017).
This means that, regardless of your service branch, veterans will be able to shop at any of the four military exchanges:
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)
The Navy Exchange Service (NEXCOM)
The Marine Corps Exchange (MCX)
The Coast Guard Exchange (CGX)
Note: this privilege does not allow access to military facilities to shop in the various on-base exchanges.
Thomas C. Shull, chief executive officer of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has been working on this project for three years. He expressed two reasons for it:
One was to reward their service with exchange product savings that, on average, will be near to 20 percent versus commercial department store prices when military exemption from state and local sales tax are considered too.
And two:
To increase exchange revenues to help offset troubling declines due to the drawdown of active duty forces, base closures and the end of military tobacco discounts for the higher priority of healthier populations.
How do veterans participate in this upcoming benefit? It’s easy, just go to the AAFES website and follow the instructions.
Why would veterans want to take advantage of this new benefit? One major reason is obvious: veterans will not pay any state and local taxes. People are pretty much unaware of those rates outside their own city and state.
Nationally, state and average local tax rates very from the minimum of less than 2% in Alaska (there is no state sales tax here) up to greater than 11% in California. In fact, there are 13 states whose state and local sales tax rates are in excess of 8%.
OK, veterans, sign up now and be ready to save yourself and your family money beginning on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017!