Troy Booker--one of the good ones

[wwalker]

Currently deployed to OIF for the 3rd time.  Stopped by the huge PX at Camp Liberty.  Wow.  Starting talking to a civilian at the DFAC.  Turns out he is a buyer for AAFES deployed to Camp Liberty.  This is his second tour to OIF, so I started to pick his brain about all my issues with AAFES.  Could not answer all of them, but he took the time to listen and answer what he could.  Gave him my e-mail address, and he has already addressed a couple of my other questions in less than 48 hours.

Never understood why AAFES ships bottles of liquid Gatorade all the way to Iraq instead of just sending the powered Gatorade.  It would be more efficient and easier to convoy from Kuwait.  He agrees, but the customers like the convenience of the liquid which makes no sense because we have pallets of bottled water to mix with the powder.

The buyer's name is Troy Booker.  I was really impressed.  Oh, I was really impressed by the cases of compressed air that AAFES is selling at every PX I have visited.  We use them everyday to clean our electronic gear.  Outstanding.  These were mission impossible to get back in 2003.

[K2]

Hey hey! We like progress and answers!

Get Troy on the site. I think he could be a great help to our members and readers! I will even give him special privileges.... a few anyways. How about a free email address?

Thanks, Walker!

[aw]

I think I know that guy from Kuwait.  If he is on the heavy side, white hair, and a Midwestern accent, I bet it is him.  He lived in the trailer next to mine.  He was a senior buyer in Dallas at the AAFES HQ.  I think he is the camera buyer.  The camera selection in Kuwait and Iraq was outstanding.  Really remote sites had more cameras than my duty station in CONUS.  Think of the thousands of photos taken in OIF because of those cameras.

Agree that he was pretty helpful.  I use to ask why AAFES shipped Coke, Pepsi, and other soft drinks all the way from CONUS to Kuwait.  Kuwait has a Coke and Pepsi factory, so I would think it would be better for all involved to just buy it locally.  Cans of soda are not really built to travel from CONUS all the way to the Middle East.  The cans literally explode from the heat, and they shift during the 5,000 mile trip.  Quite a mess, if you have ever seen it up close.  He said Dallas HQ wanted to buy from Coke USA, Pepsi USA, etc instead of from an overseas office.

Logic does not make sense because the soda served in the DFACs by KBR is from the overseas factories.  I bet KBR does not have to write off as much product because of damage and expiration.

The same holds true for a lot of other items that could be purchased locally.  All that extra space on the convoys could be used to transport things not available locally.  It would cut down on the number of containers moving from point A to point B.  Think of all the escorts that are being put at risk to move all that liquid Gatorade.

[Stop_Your_Crying]

You be surprise what a solider would put up with, to get a little piece of home. The convoy mention is not just for AAFES. We just tag along during planned moves or special request from the military. I been there, done that and been shot at, am very proud to serve 20 years and to still help our military to this day.
Your right about buying from US makers, however, the formula is different what is made in Kuwait, same goes from the coke produced in Germany for example. KBR gets what it can from many local sources.
Man of man, do I remember opening containers with exploding Coke, yuck man. However, KBR had the same issue. If its a 130 degree out, did not matter who coke you had...BOOOOOOM.   

LOL

[wwalker]

Yes.  I think we are talking about the same Troy Booker.  Small world.

Formula for Coke and Pepsi might be different in Kuwait and Germany, but in my opinion, it still tastes better than US Coke and Pepsi that has been traveling / stored at desert extremes for 3+ months.  Am sure KBR could buy soda in US and ship it to the DFACs, but they would not because it is not an efficient use of their limited resources.

I think my soldiers would be willing to put up with "different formulas" for Coke and Pepsi if the incoming shipping containers from CONUS contained the merchandise not available in the Middle East--video game consoles, video games, laptops, DVDs, magazines, books, etc.

[AAFES HQ Girl]

I know Troy. He is a great guy. He like a lot of us at HQ (believe it or not) LOVE our jobs. We like helping out the customers where we can! We DO care about you guys!!!!!!!!

[TheFreud]

We like helping out the customers where we can!

Where you can, unfortunately isn't much... as I have been told alot that "There is nothing I can do", or "I don't know anything about that."