AAFES Offers Financial Help During Shutdown
U.S. service members face uncertainty as the government shutdown continues. While troops received their November 1, 2026, pay, Congress has not secured funding for paydays beyond that date at press time.
That is subject to change at any moment, but regardless of when it ends, the prospect of missed pay is a source of stress for military families.
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AAFES Offers Financial Help During Shutdown
In response, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) created a relief program to help qualifying families purchase food, providing 0% interest and a payment deferral when using the MILITARY STAR card for purchases at DeCA commissaries.
The program runs through November 30, 2025, at press time, but this deadline is subject to change.
What Is the MILITARY STAR Card?
The AAFES MILITARY STAR card is a credit card available exclusively to the military community. AAFES administers the card through the Exchange Credit Program. Congress established this program to offer credit to service members.
The card is accepted at all on-base exchanges (AAFES, NEX, MCX, CGX), commissaries, and gas stations. It features a low interest rate and does not charge annual, late, or over-limit fees.
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Who Can Get a Card and How
Eligibility for the MILITARY STAR card extends to all authorized patrons. This includes:
- Active-duty service members
- National Guard and Reserve members
- Military retirees
- Eligible family members
- Department of Defense civilians
- Disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients
Those who qualify can apply for the card online at the MyECP.com website or in person at any military exchange customer service desk.
How the Relief Program Works
To take advantage of the STAR card offer, no additional steps are needed for existing cardholders. When using a MILITARY STAR card at a DeCA commissary, the Exchange Credit Program system flags the transaction, applying a 0% interest rate and payment deferral to the statement.
All MILITARY STAR cardholders in good standing qualify for this relief. AAFES intended the measure to ensure families can purchase supplies from the commissary without incurring debt.
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Understanding On-Base Retailers
These two agencies serve separate roles on military installations. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service and Navy Exchange function as a department store. It operates stores, gas stations, and food courts. AAFES is a non-appropriated fund entity, meaning it generates its own funds through sales and other revenue streams. AAFES returns its profits to the community to fund Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs.
The Defense Commissary Agency runs the military’s grocery store, known at each base as “The Commissary.” DeCA’s mission is to provide groceries to personnel at or near cost. Unlike AAFES, DeCA relies on appropriated funds from Congress to operate.
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About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
