Finance Soldiers Help Finance Soldiers

Courtesy Photo | Pfc. Jared Ouimette, a Highland, Mich. native, is an augmentee from the Alpha Detachment, 125th Financial Management Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

04.13.2009

Courtesy Story

10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - The 208th Financial Management Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade arrived in Camp Liberty this past January to assume the reigns of the largest disbursing operation across the Army.

An enormous undertaking by any assessment, it was clear to see the 208th was simply understaffed to perform such a large mission.

Luckily the pre-deployment command site visit and a jointly-prepared mission assessment by the incoming and outgoing command teams had already laid the groundwork for a transfer of authority that would allow no degradation of finance support throughout the theater.

As the Soldiers of the 24th Financial Management Company prepared for their return to Fort Stewart, Ga., and the 208th Financial Management Company out of Mannheim, Germany were just getting their feet wet for their mission at hand, an intricately planned and orchestrated manpower adjustment was well under way.

Enter the Soldiers of A/125th, A/9th, and D/101st Financial Management — detachments who eagerly volunteered to leave their home station units and join the headquarters detachment augmenting the mission of battlefield finance support.

First to step to the plate was Sgt. Lester Standifer of Alpha Detachment 125th FM Co., hailing from Orlando, Fla. He saw this opportunity with the detachment as a chance to showcase his military pay expertise. Assigned as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Military Pay Review Section, Standifer routinely advises unit commanders and detachment level military pay managers on policy, procedures and technical issues affecting the pay of Soldiers. Since joining the operations of military pay management, he has overseen vast improvements in the levels of support and has been praised continually for his uncanny ability to solve problems.

Undoubtedly the largest role of support came from Alpha Detachment, 9th FM Co., which contributed nine Soldiers to the Headquarters mission. Augmenting the Disbursing and Operations Sections, these Soldiers filled critical voids essential to the safeguarding of public funds and movement of finance resources on the battlefield. "I was working 128 hours per week before Alpha 9th got here, now I can finally get a little rest," said Sgt. Robert Rhudy of Charleston, W.Va., who was especially ecstatic to see such motivated volunteers brought into the headquarters mix. Perhaps the most motivated Alpha Knight is Spc. Kealohalani Hanato of Hilo, Hawaii, who has been assigned to the Disbursing Section under the expert tutelage of 1st Lt. Keyia Carlton of Boston. "I'll always be an Alpha Knight but I'm very excited and pleased to be here" said Spc. Hanato. She leads a crew of five highly motivated Knights into the largest disbursing operation in the U.S. Army.

Other additions to the headquarters crew are Pfc. Jared Ouimette of Highland, Mich., who works in the company's Operations Section. "I book and track flights all day long. He joked, "Who knew the Army had positions for travel agents?" Ouimette brings humor and wit to the section, never missing the opportunity to lighten the mood and boost morale.

A holdover from the 24th FM Co. days is Spc. John Taylor of Brooklyn, N.Y., who has been assigned to the headquarters since long before the 208th's arrival, rounding out a 15-month tour with Delta Detachment, 101st FM Co. and held over on stop-loss, he is highly anticipative of his detachments redeployment.

"The willingness to cooperate and assist from our Finance Detachments has been remarkable; without their help the mission would have failed," stated Staff Sgt. Paola Tenorio a Puerto Tejada, Colombia native.

These Soldiers have demonstrated the ultimate illustration of teamwork, loyalty and selfless service — willing to leave their detachments and join another while deployed is a difficult transition for any Soldier but one that these remarkable Soldiers happily undertake. Their devotion to duty is reminiscent of their devotion to the Finance Corps and their willingness to sacrifice for the mission. These Soldiers truly are "Army Strong."

• Date Taken: 04.13.2009
• Date Posted: 04.13.2009 03:33
• Story ID: 32313
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ