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AAFES Chief checks out base services

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Emerald Ralston
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm, enlisted advisor to the commanding officer of the Army, Air Force Exchange Service, visited Fairchild July 27 and 28 to see the Base Exchange and meet with members of the Fairchild community. 

"I travel to Army and Air Force bases around the world to talk to commanders, chiefs, first sergeants and private organizations to find out what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong at AAFES," Chief Helm said. 

During his visit to Fairchild, the Chief addressed issues such as uniforms, budget, gas prices and, of course, Popeye's Chicken.
"I've heard many suggestions about getting a Popeye's on base here. Every time I talk to Chief [Master Sgt. David Nordel, 92nd Air Refueling Wing command chief,] he is always fighting for a Popeye's," Chief Helm said with a laugh. 

He went on to explain that Popeye's chicken takes 20 minutes to cook and is only good for 20 minutes after it is ready. Therefore, Fairchild simply doesn't have the kind of consumer traffic to keep sales up for such a restaurant without being a waste of resources. He also went on to talk about the nutritional value of Popeye's, stating it might not be conducive to maintaining Fairchild's overall PT average. 

All joking aside, Chief Helm talked about many of the other AAFES initiatives being put in place to improve quality of life for Fairchild's Airmen, such as the newly renovated Shoppette, plans for renovation at the BX and Burger King, and the importance of 'going green.' 

"A lot of our new structures are going to be a lot more energy efficient," Chief Helm said, emphasizing the importance that has recently been placed on energy conservation and more efficient facilities. "We are going to have the latest and greatest facilities here at Fairchild and we've started 'going green' with certain things even at the new shoppette, such as motion sensors for lighting the coolers. They don't turn on until you approach them."
Most importantly, though, Chief Helm wants to ensure every AAFES location on base offers the best service and creates a great experience for shoppers. 

"We want to be your number one choice for retail," he said. "Never walk out of the BX unhappy. Find a manager and they will try to solve any problem for you. We want to create the total experience for shoppers because studies show if you get average service, you will tell one person. If you get outstanding service, you'll tell five. But if you get poor service, ten people will hear about the bad experience. We want to keep giving that outstanding service."