Navy Exchange: You Serve, You Save

Honoring the Legacy

Celebrating the 250th Birthday of the U.S. Navy

The Navy Exchange proudly salutes the United States Navy on its 250th birthday as the strongest sea fighting force in the world. As our brave Sailors continue to keep our seas safe and our nation strong, the Navy Exchange remains dedicated to standing by their side—providing exceptional service and unparalleled support to those who courageously defend our freedom and protect our prosperity.

NAVY

DEFINING MOMENTS IN NEXCOM'S HISTORY

1896 - First Canteen

The first canteen was established on the USS Indiana and sold only beer. These small stores, known as slop chests, were established with funds contributed by the crew, and the profits were used for Morale, Welfare and Recreational purposes.

USS Indiana in 1896

1909 - Naval Appropriations Act

The Naval Appropriations Act gave legal status to ship’s stores and commissary stores and directed they operate strictly on a not-for-profit basis. In the same year, the first ship’s stores were established by a general order of the Secretary of the Navy.

Early Canteen Essentials

1929 - Ship's Stores

The operation of ship’s stores was made mandatory on ships having supply officers as department heads. Additionally, to meet the needs of Sailors, service stores began operating ashore and also offered many afloat conveniences, including laundry, barber shop and tailoring.

USN Ship's Store Color Postcard

1944 - Ship's Store Division

Ship’s stores and service stores operated side by side until a plan was approved to merge the two. The Bureau of Supplies and Accounts established the Ship’s Store Division. It supervised the stores and established operational guidelines.

USS Denver Ship’s Store

1945 - Capt. W.H. Bingham

Sailors could eat ice cream at a soda fountain operated by their ship’s store and candy bars were a just a nickel. Capt. W.H. Bingham, Supply Corps, USN, was appointed to head a committee to develop detailed plans for the establishment of a central retail organization.

BB44 USS California During WW2

1946 - Navy Ship’s Store Office

April 1 - The Navy Ship’s Store Office (NSSO) was officially established based on the Bingham Committee’s recommendation, to be responsible for the oversight of the Navy ship’s stores ashore, commissary stores and ship’s service stores. Then Capt. T.L. Becknell Jr., Supply Corps, USN served as the first Officer in Charge of NSSO.

Rear Admiral T.L. Becknell

1950 - The Navy Ship’s Store Office

The Navy Ship’s Store Office assumed control of approximately 60 Military Sea Transportation Service exchanges. MSTS vessels regularly ferried service members and their families to and from overseas duty stations and offered a wide selection merchandise and services.

Navy CPO and Family Debarks in NYC from Germany

1955 - The Navy Ship’s Store Office

The Navy Ship’s Store Office adopted the retail trend of self-service, which increased customer convenience, store traffic and sales. Due to the Korean War, the national average cost of gasoline was about $0.29 per gallon, with some places giving .05 discounts for pumping your own.

NEX Service Station in Mayport, Florida

1955 - Commissary Store Division

The Navy Ship’s Store Office officially established a Commissary Store Division. Its primary mission was to provide military personnel with essential food items at the lowest cost. The Commissary Division Bakery could produce 5,000 loaves of bread in eight hours.

CSC (Commissaryman Chief Petty Officer) E. F. Andrews USN

1956 - Worldwide Growth

Ten years after its establishment, the Navy Ship’s Store Office marked worldwide growth, with sales of over $2 billion and $126 million in recreation funds distributed. The rate of babies born to Navy parents also increased the same year, with 1,000 born each week!

All Hands Magazine Cover, Special Issue

1958 - Navy Exchanges

Streamlining support for sailors and their families, the Secretary of the Navy directed a shift: all ashore stores with grocery sections would be commissaries focused on providing food at the lowest prices and operate with government appropriated funds. Navy Exchanges carried retail merchandise and operated with non-appropriated funds.

NEX in Brooklyn, New York

1960 - The Uniform Shop

The Navy Ship’s Store Office assumed control of the Naval Uniform Shop in 1960, which at the time was the sole provider of enlisted uniforms. This acquisition brought a 40-year-old operation, previously funded through appropriations, under the purview of the Ship's Store Office. The Uniform Shop encompassed a manufacturing facility, a mail-order department, and a retail store serving the immediate vicinity. Notably, the Naval Uniform Shop also supplied NEX uniform outlets catering to officers and chiefs exclusively. Later in the decade, the first Navy Uniform Shop for women opened in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1966.

Uniform Shop Fitting Women, Rhode Island 1966

1961 - Enlisted Men’s clubs

The scope of the Navy Ship’s Store Office broadened with the assumption of management control and technical guidance over all Enlisted Men’s clubs (EMs). Throughout the 1960s, the office implemented a film program within these clubs and facilitated performances by American entertainers for personnel stationed overseas. This increased emphasis on entertainment, combined with a renewed focus on facility renovations and management practices, contributed to notable increases in sales and earnings for the Navy Exchange system.

Enlisted Men’s Club, Taiwan 1963

1964 - Navy Guest House Program

Recognizing the challenges of securing suitable off-base lodging, the Navy Exchange established the Navy Guest House Program. This initiative involved the acquisition of existing guest houses as well as hotels and motels to provide temporary housing for authorized patrons at installations where convenient, adequate, and reasonably priced alternatives were scarce. The inaugural Guest House, featuring 25 rooms, opened at the former Mitchel Field Air Force Base in Meadow, New York.

Navy Exchange Motel, Subic Bay 1967

1969 - Navy Lodge Program

While the world watched Navy astronauts Cmdr. Charles Conrad, Jr. and Cmdr. Alan L. Bean walk on the moon during the Apollo 12 mission, the Navy was also focused on the critical needs of its personnel. In 1969, responding to a shortage of military housing, the Navy Ship’s Store Office joined forces with the Bureau of Naval Personnel and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command to build affordable temporary lodging – marking the start of the Navy Lodge Program. That same year, the organization was renamed the Navy Resale System Office to better reflect its expanding role, and it achieved its first $1 billion in revenue, ranking it among the top 25 retail organizations in the U.S.

Early Promotional Picture of Navy Lodge Guest Room

1970 - Navy Lodge Program

The Secretary of the Navy officially gave the green light in 1970 for the Navy Lodge Program. The first locations to break ground were Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Following the opening of the Navy Lodges, construction of 11 more locations quickly followed. Occupancy rates climbed and, as a result, the Assistant Secretary of Defense authorized construction of an additional 175 family units.

Navy Lodge Little Creek, Virginia

1973 - Z-grams

Soon after Adm. Elmo Zumwalt became the Chief of Naval Operations, he started issuing his famous “Z-grams” containing initiatives that he thought would help improve the Navy’s image. He reasoned that relaxing grooming policies, allowing longer hair, beards and sideburns, would boost recruitment and retention. By 1973, two professional grooming specialists were hired to be advisors as NEX Barber & Beauty Shops entered the “Age of Aquarius” and traditional haircutting made way for more modern styles.

Adm. Zumwalt, CNO, at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan

1976 - Military Construction Authorization Act

Commissaries received a significant boost from the Department of Defense, which authorized an increase in customer surcharge from 1 to 2% of sales. The additional revenue was designated for construction and renovation projects. In 1976, this effort was further advanced by the Military Construction Authorization Act, a law that permitted commissary store funds to be used for construction projects within the U.S. The first project completed as a result of these changes was a new 41,000 sq. ft. facility at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

GITMO Commissary

1977 - One-Stop Shop

The year 1977 marked a pivotal year for the NEX and the Sailors it served. The NEX became the official, one-stop shop for all Navy uniforms just as the fleet celebrated the authorized return of its iconic bell-bottom trousers. In a forward-thinking move, the NEX also looked to the future of the force, fast-tracking the procurement of maternity uniforms to ensure they were readily available by the start of 1978

News clippings highlighting USN uniform updates

1979 - Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility

The Navy Resale System Office was renamed the Navy Resale and Services Support Office in 1979 and the title of the Officer in Command was changed from Commanding Officer to Commander. These changes reflected the organization’s expanded scope and additional responsibilities that included the Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility in Natick, Massachusetts.

Military textile researcher with equipment, Natick, Mass.

Reasons to

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Meet up with friends, enjoy free Wi-Fi, or try the newest technology at your NEX. Plus, many stores have a dedicated area to hang out while charging electronics.

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We are constantly searching for the hottest trends from brands you love. We partner with the most iconic brands to bring our deserving military families tax-free exclusive savings that can’t be found at other retailers.

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We offer the best brand names in beauty, apparel, jewelry, footwear, home goods, appliances, furniture, and more! The NEX also provides services including haircuts, car care centers and gas stations, food outlets, and more.

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We deliver right to your door. Receive free standard shipping when you spend $49.95 or more, or when you use your MILITARY STAR card. In store returns are fast and easy and receive free returns with online orders.

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