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ScottDLS wrote:Best thing about Navy Exchange for me was being able to buy beer, wine, and liquor on Sundays and get kegs cheap in Newport, RI... The Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia officer's club was a great place to meet ladies, who needed an unmarried officer to sign them in.... Even for Marines, and surface pukes like me.

That sounds awfully formal.

When I was at NAS North Island, it was Sunday nights at our Downwinds, an informal venue behind the much more formal O Club, and Wednesday night at NAS Miramar and Thursday night at MCRD O Clubs. Ladies could come on the base those nights, if they dared without any formalities, permissions, etc. and did they ever! The rest of the time you were on your own.

This was a long time ago, when the limits of tolerable behavior were much more confining and departures were dealt with much more severely.

JALLEN wrote:

ScottDLS wrote:Best thing about Navy Exchange for me was being able to buy beer, wine, and liquor on Sundays and get kegs cheap in Newport, RI... The Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia officer's club was a great place to meet ladies, who needed an unmarried officer to sign them in.... Even for Marines, and surface pukes like me.

That sounds awfully formal.

When I was at NAS North Island, it was Sunday nights at our Downwinds, an informal venue behind the much more formal O Club, and Wednesday night at NAS Miramar and Thursday night at MCRD O Clubs. Ladies could come on the base those nights, if they dared without any formalities, permissions, etc. and did they ever! The rest of the time you were on your own.

This was a long time ago, when the limits of tolerable behavior were much more confining and departures were dealt with much more severely.

Well NAS Oceana's mistake was letting Marines in. Last time I went there right before I got out of the Navy, my Marine buddy got physically ejected by the bouncers after some Navy pilot said something rude to a girl he was talking with. It ended with the 6'4" Marine rolling on the floor with the 5'8" Navy pilot. Later after a Navy O-6 threatening him with arrest/charges...we went back to his house in VA Beach...he was complaining that his (giant) hand was swelling...what about the Navy guy's face?

I don't remember any actual fights at any of the clubs. There was a good amount of unofficer like behavior at NASNI. At the Downwinds it was strictly civvies, some beer throwing. The Marines were sweethearts compared to the SEALS from the Amphib Base nearby.

One Sunday evening with festivities in full swing, the CDO was stupid enough to walk in in full regalia, which led to being drenched in beer, the Marines security called to close the place. I was Chairman of the O Club board when that happened but was in the hospital at the time, so was spared the hollering that the base CO inflicted on whoever got called.

There are a whole bunch of great stories arising out of the Downwinds operations, few of which would be entirely suitable for this dignified gathering, some of them actually true!

AAFES has the worse prices online. A $1500 TV being sold for almost $3000, no thanks!

bblhd672 wrote:

C-dub wrote:I've made three attempts since I first applied for my CHL back in 2002 to obtain another copy of my DD-214. Two were by methods advised here on this forum. So far, none have been successful. The application just seems to fade away into oblivion and no one knows anything about it and I'm told to do another one. I think the only thing I haven't tried yet is a paid service and it hasn't been that important yet to go that route.

Amazon might be tough to beat.

I got out of Navy in 1983. Last year I requested and received a copy of my DD-214 in less than two weeks using this website:
https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/milit ... ompfs.html

I think I did that once. I try it out and see what happens this time.

Back in the day, it was a tossup between the Yokosuka exchange or AAFES Yokota as to who had the better stereo gear. Many a fun road trip was had between the two destinations.

Remember browsing the shops in Akihabara, drooling, and then settling for what I could afford at the base exchange.

They had some great deals and serious gear that you'd be hard pressed to find stateside.

Life got a little cheaper when I figured out you could never stay ahead w/ high end gear like that...and maybe my $$ were best saved for other things.

It's been 26 years since I stepped foot into a BX and there was no such thing as "on-line shopping". I didn't like it then and I probably will never use it, but FWIW, anything that might help a vet out, I'm all for.

I found the commissary to be reliably cheaper than even Wal-mart while I was in, but the exchanges (MCX) were terrible. I only shopped there if I needed a service specific item or a quick snack because everything was overpriced to the level you would find at a gas station convenience store.

imkopaka wrote:I found the commissary to be reliably cheaper than even Wal-mart while I was in, but the exchanges (MCX) were terrible. I only shopped there if I needed a service specific item or a quick snack because everything was overpriced to the level you would find at a gas station convenience store.

He he I knew we had some Marines here...forget anything I said about Marines liking to get in fights. I was just kidding.

ScottDLS wrote:

imkopaka wrote:I found the commissary to be reliably cheaper than even Wal-mart while I was in, but the exchanges (MCX) were terrible. I only shopped there if I needed a service specific item or a quick snack because everything was overpriced to the level you would find at a gas station convenience store.

He he I knew we had some Marines here...forget anything I said about Marines liking to get in fights. I was just kidding.

Chicken.

Is this a shameless attempt by the Obama administration to buy the veteran vote?

The Annoyed Man wrote:Is this a shameless attempt by the Obama administration to buy the veteran vote?

Has it been played in a Hillary campaign ad yet?

The Annoyed Man wrote:Is this a shameless attempt by the Obama administration to buy the veteran vote?

Sure, he won't provide them any services, but he will allow them to spend their money.

TexasTornado wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:Is this a shameless attempt by the Obama administration to buy the veteran vote?

Has it been played in a Hillary campaign ad yet?

Not yet to my knowledge, but just as Al Gore took credit for the Internet, it wouldn't surprise me if it did!

It's actually a smart move by the Exchange folks. Between the push to merge all the service exchanges into one entity and dwindling budgets, they need some way of bringing in new revenue. Even if they only got a small percentage of the eligible veterans to shop w/ them online, their bottom line would look much healthier.