Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes Army & Air Force Exchange Service Senior Enlisted Advisor

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes is the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) headquartered in Dallas, Texas. In this capacity, he serves as the focal point for communications between Exchange leadership and Army and Air Force active duty, Guard, Reserve, family members and retired patrons. He travels to Army and Air Force installations worldwide to present updates on Exchange activities and provides feedback on issues affecting customers. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense. Established in 1895, the Exchange today is the 56th largest retail organization in the U.S. With annual revenue of $8.3 billion, the Exchange employs approximately 34,000 associates, including military personnel. In 2016, the Exchange produced $384 million in earnings, all reinvested into the military community.

The Exchange operates more than 2,700 facilities, including department and convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, theaters, and other specialty retail businesses on military installations in all 50 states, five U.S. territories and 36 countries. Additionally, the Exchange operates an approximately $2.6 billion receivables credit card portfolio. In order to support combat readiness and provide foreign-based service members and their families with U.S. products, the Exchange also operates bakeries in Europe and Asia and water plants in Europe under six licenses from U.S. consumer goods companies, including Wonder Bread, Krispy Kreme and Culligan.

Reyes grew up in Newark, N.J. and joined the U.S. Air Force in May 1997, completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He served in a variety of communications assignments and deployed in support of various operations. Chief Reyes holds an associate degree in Information Systems Management from Community College of the Air Force. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management, as well as a Master of Science in Information Technology, both from Grantham University, Kansas.

Reyes began his military career as a communication computer systems operator at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. He deployed in support of as a tactical telephone switch journeyman to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also served at Camp Humphreys, Korea, and Air Base, . He was the Communication Center Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, and then the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge for Help Desk Operations at Morón Air Base, . At Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, he started as Operations NCOIC, then was Flight Chief Current Operations, Squadron Superintendent and Superintendent, Plans and Implementation. At Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, he was Operations Superintendent and the Squadron Superintendent for the 690th Cyberspace Operations Squadron. In 2014, Reyes was named Senior NCO of the Year for 24th Air Force. Reyes came to his current position at the Exchange in December 2016.

Reyes' awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters, Combat Readiness Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal and the NATO Medal.

(Current as of July 2017)