Message from the Honorary Colonel of The Finance Corps Regiment

Honorary Colonel, Finance Corps Regiment

By: Kevin G. TROLLER

Reshaping the Financial Management Environment in the 21^st Century

It was an honor to join 180 Army Financial Management Soldiers and Civilians at Columbia, South Carolina, from April 29 – May 1, for the annual Army Financial Management Workshop. The Commandant, COL Troy CLAY, and Command Sergeant Major Thomas BROWN conducted an aggressive and thought-provoking agenda that including the following presentations and panel discussions:

* Sustainment/Financial Operations

* Contracting Update

* Theater Finance Operations

* General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS)

* Developing a Cost Culture

* Developing the Financial Management Officer / NCO

* Financial Management Training Center

* E-Commerce Programs

* Military Pay Transition

* Theater Resource Management Operations

* Financial Management: 2015 and Beyond

Colonel CLAY in his opening remarks identified the theme for this year’s workshop as “Reshaping the Financial Management Environment in the 21^st Century.” Throughout the 2 ½ day workshop, there was a combination of keynote briefings by senior leaders, operational updates on theater operations, and panel discussions. Colonel Clay’s goal was to promote the free flow of ideas, identify and address Financial Management challenges and the way ahead, receive updates on deployed operations, and review lessons learned across the Army and joint operations. He and his staff did a masterful job of weaving all the topics to support the overarching theme, and allowing sufficient discussion and social time to promote the networking required to be successful.

This was the first year that the audience included the new branch code 36 for officers, which is the formal combination of Finance (44) and Resource Managers (45) into a fully integrated financial management officer. Many of the presentations and panel discussions highlighted the challenges in garrison and deployed environments for the financial management community. Several key concepts were brought up that many of our readers can relate to from their days in uniform. Key concepts such as:

* Money is like ammunition – a commodity – the XI class of supply

* Challenges with task organizing for success

* Challenges with leaving a solid rear detachment staff to support families

* Split unit deployments in different areas of operation (AORs)

* The roles and mission of Financial Managers in garrison operations

* The fiscal triad – combining finance, resource management, and contracting

* Challenges with Multi-Component units

* Disparity and challenges of 20+ financial management systems

Besides the combination of Finance and Resource Management into the new Financial Management branch code 36, one of the biggest topics discussed in numerous briefings was the planning challenges and implications of the delayed fielding of the Defense Integrated Military Human Resource System (DIMHRS). For more than 5 years the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has been in a “brown-out” condition where they have not invested in software upgrades to legacy financial management systems. DIMHRS is scheduled to be the single source input, fully-integrated personnel and pay system. However, development and testing challenges have slipped the timeline to 2010 or beyond. Organizational structures, roles, missions, and responsibilities have all changed to accommodate DIMHRS, and now the challenge is to work through structures of tomorrow, operational missions of today, with systems of yesterday. A daunting task.

Cost capturing was another key discussion area. The Army has moved from a Corps/Division centric organization to one that is modular and task organized at much smaller levels. It is still a CONUS-based, power projection platform that is deployed independently to isolated locations. While Iraq and Afghanistan receive most of the attention in the news, the Army is still deployed in 180 countries around the world, and future deployment considerations include Lebanon, Pakistan, and Africa. Army leaders have embraced less of a budgetary perspective and more of a cost culture to efficiently manage operations. The Army does not need 200+ main battle tanks sitting in Iraq, driving 3 miles a day, and rusting. Cost capturing and modeling are better indicators of what resources are needed, where, and how to best minimize our tactical footprint in the deployed environments.

Colonel CLAY recapped the Army Financial Management Workshop in his closing remarks. He was justifiable proud of the work of his staff for orchestrating the workshop and the Regimental Ball that culminated the week’s events. The workshop is a capstone event meant to inform the financial management community of current and future operations, to stimulate critical thinking, and to add to lessons learned for those that will deploy in the future. As Colonel Clay listened to the dialogue, his concluding remarks highlighted 5 themes that evolved:

Develop Multi-Functional Financial Management Leaders

Engage in, and be part of, the Army Cost Culture

Build Relationships (Tactical, Technical, Command and Control)

Design training for modular and embedded assets

Strengthen partnerships with external agencies (DFAS, Treasury, and Banking/Credit Union financial institutions)

One final thought to our retirees in RAFINO. We should all be proud of the Soldiers and Civilians that continue to work tirelessly, continue their selfless service through numerous deployments and too much time spent away from their families and loved ones, and continue to do it with a smile on their face and a commitment to excellence.

The leaders of today and tomorrow were shaped, molded, and mentored by the leaders of the past. What I witnessed and heard from this year’s Army Financial Management Workshop made me proud. We are in good hands, and your legacy continues in those that proudly wear the uniform today. I salute all of you.