MAIN MENU
September 15, 2020 / NEWS RELEASE: 40-20
Navy Exchange Service Command Features Six Business Lines, History of Service
Patrons visiting their local Navy Exchange (NEX) come for the discount pricing and convenient service, but they may not realize that the retail stores are only one piece of the larger enterprise that makes up Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM).
“Roughly 30% of our 14,000 NEXCOM associates are affiliated with the military, whether as family members or veterans. Our patrons are sometimes surprised to learn that we are actually a Navy command, not a civilian organization, and we carry that proud 74 year tradition,” said retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi, Chief Executive Officer, NEXCOM.
NEXCOM is comprised of six primary business lines: 100 Navy Exchange (NEX) facilities and over 300 stores worldwide; 39 Navy Lodges; ships stores; the Uniform Program Management Office (UPMO); the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility (NCTRF); and the Telecommunications Program Office (TPO).
NEX facilities provide quality goods and services at a savings and support Navy quality of life programs. On average, customers save over 20%, not including sales tax, when shopping at a NEX. Seventy percent of NEX profits are given to MWR while the remaining 30% is used to build or refresh NEXs worldwide. Since its inception in 1946, NEXs have given nearly $3.7 billion to MWR. Authorized customers also can shop online at myNavyExchange.com. Over the past few months, the NEX has adapted its business to support its customers during COVID-19 including creating a Drive/Up Program, a NEX Quarantine Program and feeding Sailors placed in restriction of movement (ROM).
The Navy Lodge Program provides safe, clean and affordable permanent change of station (PCS) accommodations worldwide. Navy Lodges provide military guests value with room rates at an average of 45 percent below comparable civilian hotels. Navy Lodges offer free Wi Fi, oversized rooms and family suites and kitchenettes with microwave and utensils. Since March, over 65,765 Navy Lodge room nights have been used for guests put on ROM.
Ships stores provide retail goods and services to afloat Sailors as well as funding for afloat recreation programs. Ships stores sell a variety of items including health and beauty products, snacks, drinks as well as a limited selection of uniform items. In addition to the ships store, the program also oversees afloat vending, barber shops and laundry operations. Over the past several years, the Ships Store Program has been re-branded over 100 ships stores to look and feel more like a NEX mini mart.
NEXCOM’s TPO is the Navy’s program manager for unofficial personal telecommunications. The program provides a variety of telecommunications services to include Wi Fi, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and cellular service on Navy, installations worldwide for Navy Gateway Inns and Suites and Getaways, Morale Welfare and Recreation, Navy Lodges, Unaccompanied Housing, Family Housing, Hospitals, NEXs and schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, TPO has been working with its various telecom providers to ensure sufficient Wi Fi bandwidth for virtual learning for MWR School Age Care Programs.
Since 1976, NEXCOM’s UPMO has provided uniform policy recommendations, product improvement, design change and fleet introduction of uniforms and uniform items. It also provides 100 percent availability of the highest-quality certified uniforms as well as professional tailoring at the lowest possible price for the military customer. Currently, UPMO is working with the U. S. Public Health Service to create physical training uniforms for its Commissioned Corps.
Finally, NEXCOM's NCTRF conducts research, development, test, evaluation and engineering support for Navy uniforms and general purpose organizational clothing. NCTRF also provides similar support to other military services, governmental agencies and industry partners on a reimbursable basis. NCTRF's recent initiatives are the development and evaluation of an improved General Purpose Boot and providing technical textile guidance and durability testing on cloth face covers supplied by NEXCOM's vendor partners.
NEXCOM remains fully integrated with the Navy communities as a proud supporter of all service members, Veterans, retirees and their families. The mission of NEXCOM is to provide authorized customers quality goods and services at a savings and to support Navy quality of life programs.
About NEXCOM
The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) oversees 100 Navy Exchange (NEX) facilities and nearly 300 stores worldwide, 39 Navy Lodges, the Ships Stores Program, the Uniform Program Management Office, the Navy Clothing Textile and Research Facility and the Telecommunications Program Office. NEXCOM's parent command is the Naval Supply Systems Command. NEXCOM’s mission is to provide authorized customers quality goods and services at a savings and to support quality of life programs for active duty military, retirees, reservists and their families. NEXs and Navy Lodges operate primarily as a non-appropriated fund (NAF) business instrumentality. NEX revenues generated are used to support Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs. Since 1946, NEXCOM has given $2.5 billion to support Navy MWR quality of life programs.
