More than four million more people will be eligible to shop at an Army or Air Force base effective January 1 when the Army & Air Force Exchange Service loosens its requirements to allow veterans with service-connected disabilities, former POWs or Purple Heart recipients
In the past, only active and retired military members along with their direct family members — along with veterans with 100 percent service-connected disabilities — could shop at the Army PX.
The new policy came about because of the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018.
“It is an honor to welcome our nation’s heroes back to their Exchange,” said Army & Air Force Exchange Service CEO Tom Shull, himself an Army veteran. “They fought for us. They sacrificed for us. They deserve this.”
In addition to “PX privileges,” they will be able to shop at commissaries and any other retail facilities on Army or Air Force bases. But, officials said the details of the program are still being worked out.
Since 2017, all honorably discharged veterans have been allowed to online shop at military exchanges.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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