The Unified Exchange Task Force, headed by retired Air Force Maj. Gen. C.J. Wax, was originally
tasked to consider consolidating the three exchange systems. Problems surfaced which caused the
UETF to refocus only on consolidation of the organizations’ finance and accounting, human
resources, information technology, logistics and nonretail procurement systems. New factors,
however, have surfaced, said General Wax. Examples: Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is
talking about bringing home 70,000 troops from Europe; 3,700 troops and 10,000 family members are
returning from South Korea to the United States; and 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission
decisions could cause some profitable stores to be closed along with under performing stores.
Also, because 63 percent of U.S.-based service members and their families today do not reside on
a military installation, they will end up living closer to commercial retail entities than they
do to their (on-base) exchanges, Wax said.
