AAFES Announces Commitment to Hiring Military Spouses
The Exchange is the Department of Defense’s largest retail operation. Operated by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), these stores are found on military installations worldwide.
AAFES Announces Commitment to Hiring Military Spouses
Since 1895, AAFES has provided goods and services to soldiers, airmen, guardians, and their families and at press time is said to be the 51st largest retailer in the United States.
AAFES is in a unique position to support troops and military families around the world, and has affirmed a commitment to helping reduce the military spouse unemployment rate. How can this retailer help with career opportunities for military spouses?
The MilSpouse Unemployment Problem
Military spouses face an unemployment rate of 22 percent, roughly five times the national average. Many ask why this rate is higher, and the answer is fairly simple.
Frequent relocations destroy career continuity. When active-duty military members receive permanent change of station orders, their spouses usually must resign from their current jobs and relocate to new cities or countries, unless they choose to stay put.
Time-Consuming Job Searches
Finding suitable new work under these conditions can take months, with the added complication that some employers hesitate to hire people whose resumes show short tenures at multiple jobs.
Frequent moving (once every three to four years in many cases) forces some military spouses to accept entry-level positions or part-time work that do not match their education and experience, but there is help with employment stability through AAFES, thanks to both the job openings themselves and an employee relocation program that can help spouses stay employed during PCS moves.
>> Never miss benefits news and updates that are important to you. Sign up today to receive the MyMilitaryBenefits newsletter free to your inbox.
AAFES is Ready to Help
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service hires military spouses and veterans to help combat this 22 percent unemployment rate. In a May 2026 press release, AAFES announced it is “reinforcing its commitment to hiring Veterans and military spouses.”
The Exchange employs nearly 68,000 veterans and spouses worldwide, and, at press time, these employees make up 45 percent of AAFES’ United States-based workforce. The Exchange operates stores at almost every major military installation, a global footprint that allows the company to offer an Associate Transfer Program to add stability to military spouses’ resumes despite frequent moves.
AAFES Employee Transfer Options
When a service member receives orders to move, their spouse can transfer to an Exchange facility at the new location. The spouse maintains their employment status, their seniority, and their AAFES benefits.
This system can, for some, eliminate months of job hunting that usually follow a military move. Professional growth continues uninterrupted, and the transfer program turns a temporary retail job into a long-term career.
AAFES Employment Benefits
The Exchange provides highly competitive pay. Employees may qualify for medical and dental insurance. The organization offers retirement options. Veterans, military spouses, and family members make up the core of the Exchange workforce, representing roughly 45 percent of the organization’s employees in the United States. More than 80 percent of all associates share a direct connection to the military community.
Since 2013, the Exchange has hired almost 68,000 veterans and spouses, helping them stay employed even as they relocate to another military base or city.
If you are interested in learning more about career opportunities with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, visit the official site.
>> Never miss benefits news and updates that are important to you. Sign up today to receive the MyMilitaryBenefits newsletter free to your inbox.
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.
