Garage closure leaves motorists in a jam

[unhappycamper]

Garage closure leaves motorists in a jam
By Scott Schonauer, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, September 25, 2007


KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — When it comes to services and American amenities, few bases in Europe can compare to this area, the U.S. military’s largest community outside the United States.

There are three movie theaters, spacious commissaries that could compare to grocery stores in the States and exchange stores that offer more variety than most overseas installations. But the one thing the community does not have, and most other bases do have, is an Army and Air Force Exchange Services-run automotive garage. The area’s lone AAFES Car Care Center stopped fixing cars about three months ago.

While the center brought in more than $230,000 in sales through the garage and parts sales in fiscal 2007, the store and garage lost about $7,000 due to costs, AAFES spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Konop said.

Rick Talbot, AAFES general manager for the Kaiserslautern military community, said the cost of labor and equipment is among the main reasons they and military commanders decided to shutter the garage this past summer and only sell parts. Local self-help garages run by Morale, Welfare and Recreation also cut into business, Talbot added.

~snip~

That might be a surprising explanation to many customers who went to the garage to get work done on their car. Last winter, customers had to wait more than a month to get winter tires installed on their vehicles because of the demand.

The garage has had a reputation of long waits for work to be done, from tire installation to routine tuneups.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49012



uhc comment: Another sign of the * cabal's policies. Divert every penny from anything not war.

I wounder how many 500-lb bombs we can buy with that $7,000?

Support Our Troops, my ass.

[Zywiec]

1. Does the military fund AAFES? n/t

[unhappycamper]

2. According to their web site:

http://www.aafes.com/pa/history/facts.asp


o Organization:
AAFES is a joint military activity providing quality merchandise and services to active duty, guard and reserve member, military retirees and their families at competitively low prices. AAFES return earnings to the Army and Air Force to improve troops’ quality of live and to provide a dividend to support MWR programs.

o People:
AAFES is a major source of employment for members of the Army and Air Force family. Approximately 23 % of the more than 45,000 AAFES associate are military family members. Another 1.1 % are military member who work part time in exchanges during the off duty hours.

o Revenues and dividends:
Roughly 70% of AAFES earnings are paid to MWR programs. In the past 10 years, $2.4 billion has been contributed by AAFES to military MWR programs to spend on quality of life improvements. For 2005, AAFES paid a per capita dividend of $234 for every Soldier an Airman.

o Facilities worldwide:
AAFES operates more than 3,100 facilities worldwide, in more than 30 countries, five U.S. territories a The purpose of the AAFES archives is to identify, collect and preserve photographs and documents pertaining to the origins, programs and policies of AAFES and make them available for research and 49 states. AAFES operates some 160 retail stores and 2,063 fast food restaurants. AAFES also provides military communities with convenience, specialty stores and movie theaters on installations worldwide, including locations in Operation Enduing and Iraqi Freedom.


So who is the MWR?


http://www.armymwr.com/portal/about/

The U.S. Army Family and MWR Command (FMWRC), activated on 24 October 2006, is a subordinate command to the Installation Management Command. Formerly known as the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center (CFSC), FMWRC has been the Army’s headquarters for family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs since November 1984. Commanded by Brigadier General Belinda Pinckney, the FMWRC provides oversight for Army MWR operations worldwide, and is committed to providing the highest quality family and MWR programs to support Soldiers (active and reserve), DA civilians, retirees and their families.



I think the answer is yes.

[Zywiec]

3. A non-appropriated fund activity (NAF) of the Department of Defense

The only congressionally appropriated money spent in AAFES comes in the form of utilities and transportation of merchandise to overseas exchanges and for military salaries.


http://www.aafes.com/pa/Corporate_Profile.htm