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AAFES provides dividends back to MWR to run clubs, bowling centers and golf courses, (not libraries or youth labs and other programs like that). The most important service AAFES provides is that they are effective at deploying stores into forward deployed areas. Even if it is sometimes more expensive than we'd like you have to admit that not many other civilian based organizations would do that.AAFES does get a significant subsidy from the taxpayer (around $300M per year) for shipping product from the US to overseas locations. This is why they are able to sell product at a reasonable if not cheap price, so lay off of the toothpaste example. For many that live overseas just something that seems a bit like the US is a value in and of itself.If only AAFES would focus on managing, there are many good, honest people in AAFES, the problem is there are many agendas at play that include Senior Enlisted Spouses groups to corporate lobbying that impact some of the very bizarre issues we all see.
Quote from: joemauldin on November 05, 2009, 09:18:25 AMAAFES provides dividends back to MWR to run clubs, bowling centers and golf courses, (not libraries or youth labs and other programs like that). The most important service AAFES provides is that they are effective at deploying stores into forward deployed areas. Even if it is sometimes more expensive than we'd like you have to admit that not many other civilian based organizations would do that.AAFES does get a significant subsidy from the taxpayer (around $300M per year) for shipping product from the US to overseas locations. This is why they are able to sell product at a reasonable if not cheap price, so lay off of the toothpaste example. For many that live overseas just something that seems a bit like the US is a value in and of itself.If only AAFES would focus on managing, there are many good, honest people in AAFES, the problem is there are many agendas at play that include Senior Enlisted Spouses groups to corporate lobbying that impact some of the very bizarre issues we all see.Joe, I don't know where you get your figures because AAFES' annual sales last year were $7B or so. Since the figures published by AAFES claim less than 2% of the funding comes from appropriated funds, that figure for shipping would at most be about $140 M. Don't forget--that 2% also includes the salaries of the military people working at HQ and in the field, so shipping aid would be even less. The other thing you are missing is that, if AAFES was indeed getting that much taxpayer lucre, they would be subject to OPM rules and all the other labor laws they currently dodge.The fun thing is that you make the argument that should be foremost in the minds of upper management--AAFES does its best work OVERSEAS. With a Walmart or Target outside just about every gate and most of the activities contracted, there is not really a need to have a store inside the fence (even with the no-tax benefit, those stores kick our butts on most things). Also, you are wrong in your list of what gets subsidized with MWR money, especially stateside. The money, once turned over to a local commander, goes where that commander wants it to. Some places, that might well be the bowling alley or the golf course. In other places, it is the CDC or the pools or Youth Programs. The clubs where I am are also run by contractors. Not a dime of MWR goes into those facilities.Management is the biggest problem, though. How many people are cutting deals at HQ who have never seen the inside of an actual BX?
