FORT BRAGG — Staff Sgt. Jamison Jackson walked into the Post Exchange after a few weeks away at Advanced Leaders’ Course and was shocked at several new outlets he found inside.

“Since when does AAFES operate those shady ‘We Buy Gold!’ places?” Jackson said, still confused. “I thought AAFES was supposed to promote, like, a wholesome lifestyle or something. But now there’s the gold-buying place, and — just look at that! Is that a tattoo parlor next to the food court? It is! Look, that chick's getting a Mighty Mouse tattooed right above her ... oh my.”

Staff Sgt Jackson’s consternation is the result of a new policy from Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) to abandon its practice of avoiding stores of a questionable moral nature.

“It’s only logical,” said Maj. Gen. Marsha Blevins. “What with the bad economy and defense department budget cuts, we could no longer afford to restrict ourselves to certain franchises within exchange facilities. So some servicemembers and their families will be seeing a few new stores at their exchanges. Many of these customers will be happy to be able to shop for these items and services right on their installations.”