AAFES serving troops in Iraq Published April 17, 2003 DALLAS (AFPN) -- The Army and Air Force Exchange Service's "Team Iraq" was on hand during the first days of Operation Iraqi Freedom in that country at logistic support areas in Adder and Tallil.In less than a day after arriving in Tallil Air Base on April 6, the AAFES team was able to begin serving the troops.Craig Sewell, who has responsibility for all operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom exchange services, and Dennis Hatcher, Kuwait area manager, loaded merchandise into an old Toyota Landcrusier with a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on top. They then set out to find their first customers. Along the way, the "combat retailers" managed to stop at five locations around Adder and Tallil."We took along the most requested merchandise -- cigarettes, snack items, chewing tobacco, baby wipes and Gatorade," said Hatcher.Sewell said some of the items were so popular that commanders got on their radios to notify vehicles on patrol that they were available and that the AAFES team would be heading their way. The merchandise items had all been carried into Iraq by the AAFES team in backpacks and footlockers via a C-130 Hercules flying at 300 feet off the ground -- low-level flying under combat conditions -- from Kuwait to Adder."Customers were in awe at the amount of merchandise we provided in such short notice," said Sewell. "It was not pretty, but pretty was not as important as providing the service. This is real combat shopping in Iraq."That same day, other members of the team went in search of a permanent "hard site" facility location. They found it in what Hatcher referred to as a "bombed out, trashed out, deplorable looking base." Nevertheless, 6 p.m. April 9 -- three days after arriving in country -- the AAFES team turned an old, 10,000-square-foot gymnasium into an exchange ready for business.