Recession Proof: Servicemembers are buying and charging more – defying the U.S. economy

[unhappycamper]

Sgt. Michael Timms, of Battery C, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery, shops for television at the PXtra in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Sales at AAFES and NEX stores have increased in recent months, bucking U.S. sales trends.


Recession Proof: Servicemembers are buying and charging more – defying the U.S. economy
By Matt Millham, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, October 30, 2008

As long as Americans like hot showers and flush toilets, Joe the Plumber will have a job.

It’s probably safe to say that no matter who wins the White House next week, Joe won’t have to worry about putting food on the table anytime soon.

Plumbers, as well as teachers, police officers and cable guys, offer Americans something they have decided they just can’t live without — things like education, public safety, and American Idol.

That dependence makes these jobs, in a sense, "recession-proof."

~snip~

A slew of hard data and anecdotal evidence shows the military economy continues to hum along, even as the U.S. economy idles. While millions of Americans fret about losing their jobs, homes and retirement savings, military members have the luxury of fussing over less consequential matters, such as which game system to buy: Nintendo Wii or Playstation 3.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58487