Armed Forces Bank, a full-service military bank headquartered in Leavenworth committed to serving those who serve since 1907, was recently honored by the U.S. Departments of the Navy and the Air Force for their contributions to the financial well-being of military families and veterans.

The Department of the Air Force recognized Armed Forces Bank at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and the Department of the Navy selected Armed Forces Bank at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois as “Distinguished Bank of the Year.”

Only three on-base financial institutions earn this distinction annually — Armed Forces Bank won two of the three awards at the 2024 Association of Military Banks of America Annual Workshop, which took place Aug. 25-28 in Seattle.

Distinguished Bank of the Year

Every year, the Departments of the Air Force, Navy and Army each nominate a military bank for the Distinguished Bank of the Year honor. The awards recognize the banks’ “extraordinary contributions” the previous year toward “enhancing the financial well-being and resilience of the military and veteran population” and their “indispensable role in supporting the financial stability of military personnel and their families.”

Armed Forces Bank has earned Distinguished Bank recognition 13 of the last 14 years, underscoring its ongoing commitment to providing the financial services, products, and education that most benefit service members and their families.

All told, Armed Forces Bank received a total of 29 Distinguished Bank of the Year awards between 1997 and 2023 – 14 from the Navy, nine from the Army and six from the Air Force.

“The consistent recognition over the last 30 years validates our efforts to help our military customers achieve financial success,” said Paul Holewinski, CEO of Armed Forces Bank and Dickinson Financial Corporation. “We wake up every day trying to better discern exactly what they need from a bank and then work to meet those unique needs. It is extremely gratifying to be named Distinguished Bank of the Year because it reinforces that we are making a positive impact on the lives of service members who sacrifice so much for us.”

Award Recipients – Armed Forces Bank at Naval Station Great Lakes and Luke Air Force Base

Both Armed Forces Bank branches to win this year’s Distinguished Bank of the Year recognition, the Naval Station Great Lakes and the Luke Air Force Base locations, are part of the organization’s footprint of 14 branches on 12 military installations in 10 states.

Armed Forces Bank at Naval Station Great Lakes has been recognized as Distinguished Bank of the Year six years in a row and has earned the honor four other times as well, for a total of 10 since it opened in March 1997. It serves approximately 150,000 active duty, retired military, government personnel and their families at Naval Station Great Lakes and in surrounding communities.

Armed Forces Bank at Luke Air Force Base has been an integral part of the installation, fulfilling the financial needs of about 14,000 individuals on base and more than 80,000 retired military in the area.