The White Falcon


The White Falcon - 21.03.1964, Blaðsíða 3

The White Falcon - 21.03.1964, Blaðsíða 3
Saturday, March 21, 1964 WHITE FALCON 3 Wherever servicemen are located, some form of retail store is found with them. The United States Army has always had its post exchanges. Sailors on naval vessels always managed to pur- chase life’s essentials and a few luxuries, even though they often had to wait for a port of call. Supply channels were limited in the early days and the post proprietor was subject to headaches galore because of transportation problems. Even so, the omnipresent difficulties in keeping soldiers supplied with tobacco and writing paper didn’t become immediate until the Civil War. With full scale troop movements throughout the vast area between the Atlantic seaboard and the Mississippi it became necessary for the North to streamline its supply system. Following the close of hostilities the War Depart- ment adapted the system to a smaller, more wide- spread force. But the headaches continued. Supply was a haphazard thing. No separate department for meeting the personal needs of the serviceman existed. , j jli: LOOSE ORGANIZATION In the early days of our Navy the exchange system amounted to person-to-person bartering. A plug of tobacco might be worth a few sewing needles, or a wool cap would possibly bring its owner a razor. From the early years of the twentieth century, through the Second World War, Navy retail func- tions were handled by Ships Service, a sprawling, locally managed organization, which was financed from the taxpayers’ pockets. In 1945 Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal became mindful of the loose organization and appointed a commission of independent businessmen and Navy officers to review and streamline Navy resale activities. EXCHANGE ESTABLISHED In 1946 the Navy Exchange as we know it to- day was established, and its mission was defined — “To provide an attractive, convenient, well- managed facility where authorized persons can obtain quality merchandise and services at rea- sonable prices.” The management of the Navy Exchange system FOR ALL AGES — Far from catering to one age group the Exchange, through facilities such as Toyland, supplies the “necessities” of childhood as well as items for the older set. was delegated to the Navy Ships Store Office (NSSO), which in turn was made responsible to the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts (BuSandA). A permanent advisory board composed of business- men, financiers and consultants was established. The Chief of BuSandA and the Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel were given the chairmanship of the board. PROFITS DISPOSITION Although Navy Exchanges operate in much the same way as civilian retail establishments, their objectives are integral to the Naval Establishment. Between 80 and 95% of Navy Exchange profits are channeled into local recreation funds, provid- ing morale and welfare maintaining facilities such as gymnasiums, theaters, clubs, service depart- ments and hobby shops. Between 5 and 20% of Exchange profits go to the Bureau of Personnel’s Central Recreation Fund which provides fleetwide services. A major portion of this profit block fin- ances the purchase and disposition of free movies to Navy ships and installations. Expenses for these movies total approximately $2.5 million an- nually. The Navy Exchange is a self-sustaining facility. It operates on non-appropriated funds with a percentage of its gross profits meeting its over- head, e. g., payroll, stock, maintenance. Exchange sponsored clubs are financed unilaterally. Their profits are “cycled” from the clubs’ tills back in- to their facilities. EXCHANGE TOTALS There are 169 Navy Exchanges in existence, many in far flung locations such as Naval Station Adak, Alaska and Bangkok, Thailand. Every Ex- change falls into one of five groupings according to gross sales receipts. Because of its $250,000 monthly gross the Keflavik Exchange is classed in the top group, which is determined on a $150,000 basis. In Fiscal Year 1962, combined total sales of all Navy Exchanges and ships stores totaled $337,282,368. The Keflavik Exchange averages approximately $3 million in annual sales, and has an on-hand stock value of $500 thousand. PROVIDING GOODS In accordance with its primary function an Ex- change must provide essentials to its patrons. However, it also provides numbers of luxuries, ranging from engagement rings to stereo sets, to delicate china. Some Exchanges provide auto sales services. Trained buyers scout wholesale markets for the Navy Exchange. They compile a Price Agreement Bulletin to aid NavEx purchasers in finding the best items for the least cost. Lt. Hugh R. French Jr., the Naval Station Exchange Officer, summed up the Exchange’s price objectives with “We try to stay abreast of stateside markets through the very latest publications.” A problem inherent to all Exchanges is main- taining low products prices in the face of rising labor and material costs. A problem most peculiar to overseas Exchanges is the inconsistancy of transportation. In 1963, three monthly shipments failed to reach NavSta Exchange counters. LOCAL ACTIVITIES Our local Exchange employs some 200 Icelandic workers, 10 dependents and over 150 off-duty mili- tary personnel. Seventeen enlisted personnel and two officers are permanently attached to the work force. Its services range far beyond the Main Retail Store. Also falling into the realm of Exchange activities are: the Exchange Annex (T-27), Toy- VAST ARRAY — Your Exchange carries a di- versity of goods, ranging from soap to stereos and from dishes to diamonds. PERSON TO PERSON — Each patron of the Sta- tion Exchange is given the best possible service. land, the service station, three barber shops (Of- ficers’, Chiefs’ and Station), a beauty shoppe, photo shop, laundromat, tailor shop, dry cleaning plant, Terminal Restaurant, Viking Club, Snack Bar (T-100), Crows, Nest, Polar Club, Keflavik Club, Viking retail outlet, a radio-TV repair ser- vice and a number of services for site and off- base personnel. STOCK PROBLEMS Just as the early trading post had its problems the Naval Station Exchange has its share, too. An overwhelming majority of stock is received via cargo ship from Bayonne, New Jersey. These shipments are inconsistent, and at times fail to materialize because of obstacles such as longshore- men strikes. In short, your Navy Exchange is en- tirely dependent on ships in keeping the shelves stocked. To avert a serious lack of stock the Ex- change Office orders from between 1.7 to 4.8 times the amount of a particular item needed. In the event of an overabundance a sale is held. If a severe shortage in essentials materializes items may be flown in. Stock is shipped according to an exchange code number. Unfortunately, Keflavik’s code is similar to NAS Bermuda's and many products program- med for the Naval Station end up in Bermuda. Some stock ultimately winds up somewhere in Europe instead of locally. Because of rapid rotation of personnel, workers must be trained in a hurry, and training is a never-ending cycle. (Continued on Page 6.)

x

The White Falcon

Beinir tenglar

Ef þú vilt tengja á þennan titil, vinsamlegast notaðu þessa tengla:

Tengja á þennan titil: The White Falcon
https://timarit.is/publication/382

Tengja á þetta tölublað:

Tengja á þessa síðu:

Tengja á þessa grein:

Vinsamlegast ekki tengja beint á myndir eða PDF skjöl á Tímarit.is þar sem slíkar slóðir geta breyst án fyrirvara. Notið slóðirnar hér fyrir ofan til að tengja á vefinn.