Store loses money, soldiers lose store [View All]

Store loses money, soldiers lose store
By Jimmy Norris, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, September 25, 2007


CAMP LONG, South Korea — Camp Long soldiers seeking anything beyond basic food and living products must now take one extra step before shopping — to catch a bus to Camp Eagle.

The remote installation’s Army and Air Force Exchange Service store closed Sept. 14, leaving the roughly 150 Camp Long-based soldiers waiting for an hourly shuttle bus to ride the seven miles to Eagle.

The closure should have been no surprise to those stationed there. Discarded boxes and empty shelves made it obvious the post exchange was ready to close a week before it did.

Officials say the store hemorrhaged money until it bled to death: Total sales dropped from about $2.77 million in 2004 to about $2.17 million in 2005. Sales dropped again to about $1.61 million in 2006 and, as of Sept. 10, sales for 2007 were only about $172,000, according to AAFES officials.

That meant earnings of $584,145 in 2004; $229,897 in 2005; $66,181 in 2006; and a loss of $16,919 for this year as of Sept. 10.

Army Maj. Bruce Townley, installation commander for Long and Eagle, said the reason the store lost so much money was that authorities busted a major black-market ring there last year.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49001


uhc comment: Let's take a minute and think about this. PX in place for soldiers. Check. Black market alcohol available. Check. The store loses $16,919 for this year as of Sept. 10. Check. The army sez "Fuck You" and closes store. Check. Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

The last time I checked, 500-lb bombs were $280 or so.

The fuckers are squeezing everybody for every penny they can.