The Realization

AAFES (The Army Air Force Exchange Service) is not a store for everyone, although by design it is supposed to be. It is only a store for adults who do not mind being bombarded with sexually explicit slogans and images throughout the store. Additionally, AAFES has no policy that prevents children from purchasing CDs with explicit lyrics, movies that are rated R (Restricted), and or video games that are rated M (Mature). Because of this, we are asking AAFES to incorporate policies that are very similar to what Wal-Mart has already put in place. We call this standard "the Wal-Mart Standard". In time, we hope that AAFES rises to the challenge and adopts this standard as the norm so that children and principled adults can shop for supplies in a family-friendly environment.

Our Mission

Our mission is to help AAFES make sensible changes to its current policies that result in every AAFES establishment becoming family-friendly.

A Call to AAFES

1. Incorporate a pro-family stance into the AAFES Mission Statement reflecting the values of the people AAFES serves - military families.

2. Develop, publish, and implement a family-friendly policy. The following must be included in this policy:

2a. Stop selling all pornography (e.g. Playboy) and publications that appeal to prurient interest (e.g. Maxim, FHM, Stuff, Cosmopolitan, Heavy Metal).

2b. Do not position any publications that might be interpreted as offensive in areas where the customer is a captive audience (e.g. checkout aisle, store entrance, restroom hallway).

2c. Stop selling all music labeled "Explicit Lyrics".

2d. Post a sign clearly visible at each register and enforce a policy that states no rated "M for Mature" games and "R for Restricted" movies will be sold to anyone less than 18 years of age.

Contact AAFES

Anyone can call (1-800-527-6790) or email them at commander@aafes.com. You can also fill out an online comment form if you are in the military. They always send a response, so let them know what you think about this important issue!

Monday, October 09, 2006

AAFES Mission Statement



This is the AAFES mission statement that needs to be amended:

AAFES mission is to provide quality merchandise and services of necessity and convenience to authorized customers at competitively low prices; and generate reasonable earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support of Army and Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs.
(Taken from AAFES.com)

So in a nutshell, according to their mission statement, this should be the logical break-down of AAFES' priorities:

1. Sell cheap products to the military & its families (authorized customers)
2. Make a profit (reasonable earnings)
3. Give that profit to MWR (which is supposed to support military families)

So, although it is implied that AAFES is supposed to support military families, according to this mission, it only does so with money. Families and children deserve safe, healthy, and friendly places to shop as well as cheap prices and the funding of social programs.

The AAFES mission statement needs to be amended to read something like:

AAFES mission is to provide quality merchandise and services of necessity and convenience to authorized customers at competitively low prices; and generate reasonable earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support of Army and Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs; and ensure a decent and innocuous shopping experience for all authorized customers.

AAFES has done a lot of good with its money. However, profit and funding MWR are seen more as priorities than customer service or having a friendly shopping environment. Even if a tremendous amount of money is made from selling explicit material, that amount of money should never outweigh a duty to an organization's moral fiber, especially when the possible exploitation of children is involved.

Children are not the only ones who fall victim to these explicit slogans and images - military wives do to. They browse the cooking and household magazines only to find service members standing next to them reading Stuff and Maxim magazines. That makes women feel extremely uncomfortable knowing that a man is reading about sexual positions and looking at sexually seductive images right before they turn to them and say "hello" or "excuse me" as they walk by.

As stated in our "A Call to AAFES" we ask AAFES to please rewrite its Mission Statement to reflect a more family-friendly tone.

Posted at 9:33 PM

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

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1/08/2010 3:16 AM

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