AAFES Cut & Paste Standard Reply

Anytime one complains to AAFES regarding sexually explicit material, AAFES always sends the same standard reply. It never includes solutions nor does it include new courses of action to fix anything. Their response attempts to make one feel like part of some scarce minority. However, it is well know in the business community that customers who harbor a complaint rarely voice it. Research has indicated that there are several reasons for this. Often, customers are afraid their voice will not be heard, or they may simply want to avoid confrontation altogether. Therefore, when we do voice our concerns, AAFES must realize that every one complaint may in fact represent numerous others who share our views.

This cut-and-paste reply that many of us have received indicates that AAFES has heard these complaints before. It is time AAFES addresses our concerns instead of passing the buck like they attempt to do here:

AAFES thanks you for utilizing the Exchange Customer Comment Program to let us know that you have had a recent concern with sexually explicit headlines at our check-out lines.

First, let me start by saying AAFES is a "family" store and we go to great efforts to ensure our customers have a pleasant experience while shopping in our stores. In regard to magazine presentation, AAFES has a very clear policy about the location and presentation of "adult magazines" which the magazine industry classifies as Men ' s Sophisticates (e.g. Playboy). These magazines must have restrictive closures applied by the supplier to avoid random customer browsing, and are displayed on the top shelf/shelves of the self-service magazine display rack with only the title showing. An "adult reading material" panel will be used if the display fixture allows more than the title show.

Exchanges are to post a sign in the display area stating: WE SELL ADULT-ORIENTED MAGAZINES TO CUSTOMERS 18 YEARS OR OLDER. PLEASE DO NOT OPEN SEALED MAGAZINES. Managers are to check the magazine display racks regularly to make sure adult magazines aren ' t left where underage customers can reach them...and they check to ensure the restrictive closures are in place.

However, the magazines at our central-checkout do not fall in this category-they are classified as Women ' s General, Women ' s Fashions, Teen, House & Gardening, Weeklies, Tabloid, Social-Literary, etc. The criteria for the classification are based on the magazine content and not the cover. The magazine companies pay retailers, like AAFES, to display their magazines at their central checkouts.

Normally, the covers of these magazines are not bothersome to most of our customers. Nevertheless, we are aware that an occasional issue of a "non-adult magazine" can have an offensive cover, such as the recent issue of some magazines. The local general manager then has the option of placing a panel over the magazine to cover everything but the title until that issue is sold out. We encourage customers, like you, to notify the manager on duty if they are bothered by any of our central-checkout magazines so appropriate action can be taken.

The Military Honor and Decency Act of 1996 (Section 2489a, Title 10, United States Code) prohibits the sale or rental of sexually explicit materials on property under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense (DoD).

At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, a Resale Activities Board of Review was established to review publications and other materials that might be viewed as sexually explicit. As a result of that review, a list of publications and other materials that may not be sold on property under the authority of DoD was published on 21 Sept 98, as was a list of publications that may be sold on property under DoD authority. The Commander of AAFES has instructed managers of all AAFES facilities to remove from sale all materials deemed sexually explicit by the Board of Review.

It is important to note that the Army and Air Force Exchange Service did not develop the list of approved publications. Those decisions were made at the Department of Defense, and our comment on them would be inappropriate. We suggest questions on these matters be directed to the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.