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.

Join the Festivities

Check Out These Upcoming NEXCOM Events Celebrating Navy 250

Founded on Freedom Virtual 10K

July 4 - July 12, 2025

Celebrate America’s Birthday with Stars, Stripes, and Strides! Get ready for the Founded on Freedom 10K, where we’ll be crossing the finish line in celebration of America’s birthday!

Summer Fest Live Music

Saturday,August 16, 2025
5pm – 8:30pm PST

Join us for our annual Summer Fest Live Music on August 16 at NEX Whidbey Island. Enjoy live music from The Chattahoochees and The Olson Bros, plus food & beverages, family-friendly activities and so much more!

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NAS Oceana Air Show

September 20-September 21, 2025
Show Begins at 10AM EST

Bring the family for a fun-filled weekend at the NAS Oceana Air Show. Join us and feel the excitement, precision, and power, showcasing the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and other high-energy military & civilian aviation performers.

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Coming soon!

More NEXCOM events coming soon! Click below to see more Navy 250 related events.

NAVY 250 EVENTS

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

Reasons to

Shop Your Nex

Never Pay Sales Tax

You’ve earned this benefit—now maximize it! In store and online, shop tax-free every day.

Price Match Guarantee

Our price match policy means the NEX will match any retailer’s advertised price!

Relax & Recharge

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.

Save on Brands You Love

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.

Your One-Stop Shop

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.

Free Shipping, Free Returns

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.

DONT FORGET

To Show Your Navy Pride

Navy 250 Gear

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Navy Pride

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