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I know their intentions are good and that this Chief Mitchell said, “The Commander can structure [the attempt to bring AAFES on board has taken a lot of work, rec fund] any kind of way he wants”. especially for those green-suiters involved. However, Would amenities go away if budgets weren’t met? several questions remain unanswered, even after the Last, but not least, what about our friends and hosts, town hall meeting on Monday. the Marshallese workers who will undoubtedly lose their The fi rst question many people have is why, given our jobs? Each retail and food service Marshallese employee population of 1800 and shrinking, would AAFES even probably supports several generations of family members consider coming to Kwaj? When, after reconfi guring on Ebeye. Where else can these people fi nd life sustain- Macy’s and Macy’s West to fi t the AAFES’ fl oor plan, and ing work? converting Three Palms to four complete and different I realize the allure of a wider selection of reasonably franchise food chains, would they begin to see a profi t? priced retail items combined with a menu of quality con- Would the ‘local dividend’ to our recreation fund be tied to trolled proven franchised fast food is almost irresistible, those profi ts? but let’s remember why 99.9 percent of the Americans How will the Kwajalein recreation fund, which is cur- who are employed here chose Kwajalein. rently funded by the profi ts from retail sales by Kwajalein I think it was to support the mission, to erase accumu- Range Services, be funded after AAFES arrives? lated debt and to fi nd a simple, decent way of life in a Chief Phyllis Mitchell stated the savings in transporta- paradise setting, without cell phones, Blackberries, cars, tion alone would make up the shortfall between the bud- pollution, and billboards. get and what AAFES intends to contribute. But AAFES Most everyone dives, snorkels, plays golf or just has said during the meeting that shipping methods are the extra time to take things at a slower pace with more remaining the same — ship to Guam and barge to Kwaj time to spend with their children and friends. at the expense of the government. If the annual rec fund budget is roughly $700,000 and AAFES agrees to donate See LETTER, Page 16 USAKA Person of the Week Tennille DeMello is one of the team members working in the Public Works Planning section. She is specifi cally tasked with reviewing incoming work requests, assembling work packages, tracking work internally and assisting with the Service Desk. DeMello has a To the Community Activities super positive attitude and a bubbly employee who used three personality. She brings out the team machines upstairs at the gym spirit and is the heart and soul of the on the afternoon of June 13 Planning Department. She goes out of and did not wipe them off. her way to assist customers both inter- nal and external to Public Works Tennille DeMello To fast food coming to Kwaj TThehe KKwajaleinwajalein HHourglassourglass The Kwajalein Hourglass is named for the or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department E-mail: [email protected] insignia of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, of Defense, Department of the Army or USAKA. It is which liberated the island from the forces of Im- published Saturdays in accordance with Army Regu- Commanding Offi cer......Col. Stevenson Reed perial Japan on Feb. 4, 1944. lation 360-1 and using a network printer by Kwajalein Public Affairs Offi cer (acting)........Tamara Ward Range Services editorial staff. The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized pub- Editor......................................Nell Drumheller lication for military personnel, federal employees, P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555 contractor workers and their families assigned Phone: Defense Switching Network 254-3539; Graphics Designer..........................Dan Adler to U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll. Contents of The Local phone: 53539 Reporter..............................................JJ Klein Hourglass are not necessarily offi cial views of, Printed circulation:1,500 Distribution..................................C.J. Kemem The Kwajalein Hourglass 2 Saturday, June 23, 2007 AAFES team holds town hall meeting Representatives address concerns, detail AAFES planning By Nell Drumheller 3,100 facilities worldwide, includ- pees, etc. Editor ing more than 50 in Operation •The AAFES team encouraged Enduring Freedom and Operation audience members to submit their In the United States when civic Iraqi Freedom arenas, according to recommendations to AAFES via the or school groups visit a military in- Younginer Internet, and when the stores are in stallation, the tour guide describes “We plan on operating Macy’s, Ma- place in USAKA, complete customer the base as being similar to a small cy’s West, Ten-Ten and Gimbel’s,” comment cards community. Typically, the tour Younginer said. Ten-Ten will be con- • Staffi ng issues have not been guide, often a young enlisted mili- verted to a traditional convenience decided; however, Younginer said tary person, stands at the front of store model known as a Shopette. he was sure that AAFES would the bus as the group travels around The DVD Depot will be incorporated employee some of the current staff. the installation. The guide points into the Ten-Ten facility. He added staffi ng is sales driven to the facilities and describes how As soon as the audience of more • Younginer said stock rotates they mirror those of any American than 80 was given the opportunity, rapidly within AAFES. He said all small town. And if the tour is of they began to ask questions. It stock is received with an exit strat- an Army or Air Force installation, didn’t take long to learn that many egy and that mark downs are made eventually the bus will drive past people at the meeting had very at pre-determined intervals to en- the ‘Exchange.’ little prior knowledge as to what an sure the stock sells. He added that During this tour, the guide would AAFES facility included. if something doesn’t sell it will be probably describe the ‘Exchange’ as rotated out a store where community members Retail: • He said that customers could can shop to fi nd comparable prod- Questions about the retail ser- shop online at the AAFES Web site ucts that they would fi nd in any vices included: using the catalog service. Glenn downtown mall. That would mean What will the hours of operation J. Schubert, area manager, Pacifi c shoes, socks, toothbrushes, toys, be? Who can shop there? How can Region said he would work with tools, furniture, over-the-counter the community express their desires Kwajalein Range Services Human medications, clothing, books and for a product? Who will work there? Resources staff to input customer’s electronics. There would be greet- How often will the stock change? names into the AAFES database ing cards, home décor options and What will the prices be? What is • The structures will primarily many more items. going to happen to the current remain the same, with some mod- The Army and Air Force Exchange retail stock? Will community mem- ernization and possible expansion Service provides retail services on bers be able to special order items? if sales dictate. “We take the fl oor military installations and facilities Will home-based vendors still be plans now existing and send them around the world. able to make and sell their crafts? to our store planning department in In remote locations, both stateside Will AAFES sell scuba equipment? Dallas,” Younginer said. and overseas, AAFES provides its What’s the cost for shipping when • Prices will probably drop for customers with the standard re- ordering from the catalog? How long most items. Schubert said he quirements for day-to-day living. will it take to get special orders? received a list of ten items from Emmett Younginer, vice president Younginer and his staff had an- USAKA for price comparison. The for AAFES for the Pacifi c, accompa- swers: current price on Kwajalein for these nied by a team of seven subject-mat- • Ten-Ten will be probably be open items is $88.39; in comparison the ter experts, conducted an AAFES- from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily price through AAFES for the same related town hall on Monday. • Macy’s and Macy’s West will ten items is $33.59. Schubert ex- The team was on island at the re- have the same hours they do now, plained that AAFES buyers are pur- quest of Col. Stevenson Reed, U.S. but won’t be closed on Sundays or chasing for stores worldwide and so Army Kwajalein Atoll commander. for lunch get better prices than KRS, which is According to a statement made by • Permission to shop in AAFES shopping only for a small popula- Reed in the May Kwajalein town is a local command decision.