Shopping on the rock

Because of our remote location out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we don't have the luxury of getting in our cars and driving to the nearest shopping mall or eatery.('Cause we can't own cars on Kwaj, and they don't float!)

AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) is the primary retail establishment on the island. Before they came on island the retail stores were operated by the contractor (KRS). Because of the size of the population, there isn't much of a selection and it took AAFES a couple of years of growing pains to get into the swing of things. They're improving, but you'll always have a cynical vocal minority on the rock that bitch just to hear themselves bitch. A new general manager for the AAFES operation just took over a couple of months ago, and he's making great strides in listening to the customers and improving stock. Within the rank and file staff the 'ainokea' (Hawaiian pidgin for 'I don't care') attitude is a lot less pervasive but still needs some more work.

Recently, policies were changed to reduce the number of Marshallese shopping days and the total dollar amounts Marshallese workers on the island could purchase. When AAFES began operations here, Marshallese could shop every Saturday and could spend up to $250 to buy food and other items at the PX. PXtra and Shoppette. Naturally, it was the big moneymaker for AAFES. After complaints from the local merchants on Ebeye, who claimed that Marshallese workers were shopping on Kwaj instead of locally, which was hurting their business.  (And there's a thriving black market of illegally-resold exchange goods at some stores on Ebeye.) In July, new restrictions were imposed on the Marshallese workers for shopping days. Shopping is every other Saturday on payday week until December 31, then it reduces even further to only twice a year after that. (Under KRS retail, that same twice-a-year policy existed as well.) It does hurt the bottom line for AAFES, and I wouldn't be surprised if changes will be made to adjust to the reduced shopping income.

For the military, DoD civilians and contractors on island, online shopping at the restricted AAFES website is allowed, and our common access cards (CAC) allow unlimited exchange and commissary privileges at the brick and mortar stores overseas and on the mainland. I've never had a problem shopping AAFES online, nor have I had a purchase or admission to the store denied when shopping at the exchanges at Hickam or Nellis AFB while on leave.

Our commissary - supermarket for you silly-vilians - is known as Surfway. (Old-time Kwajies will remember that it was originally called Safeway but the big supermarket chain objected, forcing the name change. Before AAFES came to the island, the downtown stores were known as Macy's (shortened from 'Macy's of the Marshalls', dating back from post WWII days), Macy's West and Ten-Ten (after its original hours of operation: 10 am to 10 pm). Unlike the PX and Shoppette downtown, Marshallese workers are not allowed to shop at Surfway. Again, Surfway just hired on a new manager, and he's doing his best to improve the selection and quality of items sold there, considering the long and easily broken supply lines to the island.

And if you can't find it on island, your last and best option is to shop online. However, some online retailers will not ship to APOs, primarily because they use UPS or Fedex to ship their goods.(We don't get UPS nor Fedex out here on Kwaj.). For an extra fee, one can use an APO/FPO package forwarding service like ShipItAPO; they receive the package and reship it using the U.S. mail. Delivery times vary, since most mail that is handled through the APO/FPO military mail system is space available on military and civilian contract cargo aircraft. Packages mailed from Hawaii and the west coast of the mainland USA can get here in about a week or less, depending if the package makes it to the pallet at the military mail handling facility (San Francisco, Los Angeles or Honolulu, for us); other locations take as much as 2-3 weeks. Occasionally, packages get misrouted to another APO/FPO, so that sometimes adds to the delay as your package gets shuffled around the world.

The APO/FPO mail is not supposed to be used for personal gain; occasionally you get a private vendor who gets busted trying to skirt around the regulations. There have been occasions where an individual has had their mail privileges suspended or revoked for misusing the mailbox, and their packages returned to sender. Pour encourager les autres...

For heavier items and items that are for resale, some will elect to get them shipped using the barge. The package is delivered to the KRS offices in San Leandro, California or Honolulu, Hawaii (with prior permission) and loaded onto a container ship that stops in Honolulu, Guam and is then transferred to the barge M/V Islander for delivery to Kwaj. This journey takes approximately 60 days to complete.

The reduction of the Marshallese shopping days has already hit AAFES hard... by October the main PX moves into the PXtra, leaving the main building open as a concessionnaire's mall. Some of the island vendors have already moved from their old location in the Mic Shop. The quality of life on the island is eroding dail, and it's already showing on many long-time Kwaj residents.

The Labor Day weekend is upon us again and we're making preparations for the Mongolian BBQ at the Vets' Hall on Sunday. Since reintroducing it last year it's become a popular event and a great fundraiser for the post. Yours truly gets to start making the sauces Saturday night after work and early Sunday morning... and once it's done I'm making a beeline for the nearest bar!