Military considers letting more veterans shop online at a military store for the first time

The U.S. military is looking into allowing all of the nation's veterans who served honorably to shop online at exchanges that sell discounted, name-brand goods — a perk that is currently available only to a small minority.

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service director proposed the change as a way to show appreciation for veterans and to offset a loss of revenue as troops return from overseas where they had few alternatives but to shop at the military retail stores.

Veterans who served for 20 years or more earn shopping privileges. The exchange service says 20 million veterans would be affected if the Defense Department allows all veterans who served honorably to use its online shopping site, no matter how many years they served.