Reserve’s financial affairs transform to align with new technology

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kristin Mack
  • 301st Fighter Wing
Fort Worth, TEXAS --  After April 17, the 301st Fighter Wing finance office, as we know it, will never be the same. As part of an Air Force wide change, travel and military pay documents processing will go to the Air Force Financial Services Center located at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. 

Leroy Babin, comptroller for the 301st FW, explained this is the biggest transformation to Air Force Financial Management in its 60-year history. It's part of an alignment with Air Forces goals ensuring its 700,000-plus men and women are provided with the latest 21st century technology. Changes will involve a two-year plan to transition the back-end operations of travel and military pay from 93 bases worldwide (both active duty and Reserve) into one central operation at AFFSC. 

"[The AFFSC] is a significant investment for the Air Force," said Mr. John G. Vonglis, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, financial management. "It will save the Air Force $210 million and return approximately 600 positions back to the warfighter." 

The doors of this new facility opened Sept. 14, 2007. The 72,600 square foot state-of-the-art layout will house over 500 technicians operating a 24/7 service center by October 2008. After October, Air Force members will contact them directly via e-mail, phone and Internet for answers to all of their military pay and travel questions. 

"The project will be seamless to our customers," said 301st Finance Management Chief Master Sergeant Amanda Combs. "Reservists will still bring their pay and travel vouchers to the Finance office as they normally do, but we are changing the way they are turned in. It'll be similar to customer service -- they will need to sign in and wait to see a finance technician to review their documents for errors and correct everything before it is turned in." 

After the finance office receives the member's travel and pay documents, technicians will transmit them the same day on a scanner routed to the AFFSC, where each document will be placed in a separate queue for processing. The expected turnaround time is five days. 

"Carswell will be monitored by a matrix for errors," said Staff Sgt. Sal Talama, 301st Fighter Wing finance technician. We'll thoroughly check each voucher for any mistakes before they are transmitted so there are no extra delays in processing." 

The Financial Services Transformation (FST) Cut-over Team is responsible for training each base. They visited the 301st in December to brief the comptroller and train our full-time FM staff. They will also take several Computer Based Training modules to prepare for this transition. 

"We have the technology, the wherewithal and the capability to do this," Mr. Vonglis said. "We're at the cusp where there will be some confusion and angst because we're removing a comfort zone and venturing into something new. But we'll get through it and move forward. 

"The confidence our Airmen have (in financial services) today should only get stronger," he said. "This is truly working smarter and making people more efficient. I'm confident folks will be extremely satisfied." 

"This centralized service may not be as quick during the initial conversion," said Mr. Babin, "but we will be very well prepared and evaluate everything so we'll have a very smooth transition."