CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Anyone who has ever used cash to buy something at the exchange in Afghanistan is familiar with the pogs that serve as change for a purchase.
They can be found at the bottom of desk drawers, deep inside pockets at the laundry facility, or under the bed hidden behind a pair of combat boots.
Most Marines have heard about the Eagle Cash Card, but for those who do not know, the benefits go beyond preventing a useless stash of pogs.
“The Eagle Cash Card is an alternative way to spend money in Afghanistan,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Timothy Nixon, fiscal officer, disbursing, Headquarters Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward).
To apply for an Eagle Cash Card at the disbursing office at Camp Leatherneck, a short form is filled out with a name, social security number and address. A service member or DoD contractor chooses a pin and the card is activated immediately for use.
There are four kiosks located on Camp Leatherneck that serve as Eagle Cash Card automated teller machines. Up to $350 can be transferred per day from a user’s bank account to their card.
The card is accepted at all Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities on Camp Leatherneck, Camp Dwyer and most places at Camp Bastion including Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and the steak house.
“Additionally, we are expanding the use of Eagle Cash on Bastion,” said Nixon.
Though the card is optional for Marines, Nixon said there has been talk of getting rid of casual pay and reducing all U.S. currency on Leatherneck. In case cash is no longer available at the disbursing office, the Eagle Cash Card ensures service members and contractors have access to their funds.
“The card eliminates the need to carry cash or stand in a long line at our office,” said Nixon. “It can be replaced within 24 hours if it is lost and the full balance of funds can be restored. We have had a few issues with identity theft for Marines using credit and debit cards but with Eagle Cash, you can’t get fraudulent charges.”
The Eagle Cash Card provides a convenient, risk-free way to spend money in Afghanistan. For anyone interested in getting a card, visit the disbursing office located at 4th Street and Echo Avenue, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.
“Of course the best thing about the Eagle Cash Card is that you don’t get stuck with all those pogs from the exchange,” Nixon joked.