Message From the Honorary Colonel of The Finance Corps Regiment

By: Thomas C. Steffens, Honorary Colonel, Finance Corps Regiment

Financial Management Challenges and Opportunities

It was an honor to join over 300 Army Financial Management Soldiers, Civilians along with their friends and family members at the recent Regimental Ball on 2 May 2014 at Ft Jackson, SC and to be selected to serve along with Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Gary Penn as the Honorary Colonel and Command Sergeant Major of the Regiment. The Commandant, Colonel Jeffrey Powell, Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Green and the entire Financial Management School staff hosted a first class event. All in attendance were also deeply inspired by the remarks by Brigadier General David Coburn who currently leads our deployed Financial Management operations in the entire Central Command Area of Responsibility today.

The profound competence, professionalism, leadership and resilience of the young men and women serving in the Corps today continues to impress those of us who began our service in an earlier era. The challenges the Corps faces today are significant. In addition to the fiscal uncertainty faced by our Active and Reserve Component Soldiers and their families, new challenges such as increased Congressional and Federal pressure for Financial Management improvement and auditability confront us on a daily basis. Our Soldier and Civilian workforce is facing these challenges while a significant number of our men and women are still deployed in harm’s way.

The Corps stands ready to view challenges they face as opportunities taking advantage of the strength of their emergent and ever improving Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) such as the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS). The combination of the technological enhancements of these systems coupled with our partnership in particular with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the sheer determination of the members of our Corps will ensure success, and most importantly the most financially-ready Army, for years to come. This exhibited determination and drive for excellence makes all of us in the retired ranks extremely proud to have served in the Finance Corps.

TO SUPPORT AND SERVE