Fort Irwin to unveil $15.7 million Army & Air Force Exchange Service Express Store

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
Updated ·2 min read

Army & Air Force Exchange Service officials are preparing to unveil its $15.7 million 24-hour Mojave Express Store at the Fort Irwin National Training Center.

Mojave Express will include a 10-pump gas station, convenience store, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Chopz quick-serve restaurant, and a food truck plaza with outdoor seating, Fort Irwin officials said.

The grand opening is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on May 29 atBuilding 973, Inner Loop Road at Fort Irwin, north of Barstow.

Army & Air Force Exchange Service officials are preparing to unveil its $15.7 million 24-hour Mojave Express Store at the Fort Irwin National Training Center.
Army & Air Force Exchange Service officials are preparing to unveil its $15.7 million 24-hour Mojave Express Store at the Fort Irwin National Training Center.

The location is across from Burger King and Popeyes, next to the Irwin Field House.

“The completion of the new Express represents a significant Quality-of-Life investment at the remote California post, providing Soldiers, their families and those who work on Fort Irwin the same services and tastes of home they would enjoy at much larger or less isolated installations,” said Fort Irwin officials in a written statement.

Military officials attending the event will include:

  • Major Gen. Curtis Taylor, Fort Irwin Commanding General

  • Exchange Chief Operating Officer Marla Randolph,

  • Exchange Western Region Senior Vice President Ronny Rexrode

  • Exchange West Coast Region Vice President Robert Rice

  • Fort Irwin Exchange General Manager Ladda Thomas

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is the Department of Defense’s largest military retailer, serving 31 million service members, disabled Veterans, military retirees, National Guard members, Reservists and military families at more than 5,000 facilities on U.S. military installations worldwide, military officials stated.

Army & Air Force Exchange Service officials are preparing to unveil its $15.7 million 24-hour Mojave Express Store at the Fort Irwin National Training Center north of Barstow.
Army & Air Force Exchange Service officials are preparing to unveil its $15.7 million 24-hour Mojave Express Store at the Fort Irwin National Training Center north of Barstow.

Fort Irwin

One of the Army’s most remote installations, Fort Irwin is in the Mojave Desert, nearly 40 miles from the closest major highway and roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The post serves about 9,400 shoppers.

Fort Irwin is one of the Army’s “Big Four” installations along with Fort Cavazos, Fort Johnson and Fort Wainwright, targeted for upgrades as posts that are either remote, austere, or facing quality-of-life challenges, officials said.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fort Irwin to unveil Army & Air Force Exchange Service Express Store