Army Reserve command retains 100 percent Internal Review score across Army Reserve commands

Photo By Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony L Taylor | The Army Reserve’s 85th Support Command received a 100 percent passing rate, for the second year in a row, for the command's IR Annual Statement of Assurance (ASOA) report submission. The ASOA is a mandatory reporting requirement observing and assisting in the efficiency and processes of a command's staff sections. The 85th Support Command was the only command to receive the 100 percent passing rate, for a consecutive second year, across all of the Army Reserve's major subordinate commands. (U.S. Army photo by Anthony L. Taylor/Released)  

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL, UNITED STATES

04.27.2015

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Anthony L Taylor 

85th Support Command

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Army’s Internal Review (IR) program is an independent, objective, assurance and consulting activity within the command designed to add value and improve the command’s operations according to Army Regulation 11-7, Army Internal Review Program.

Lt. Col. Janie Little, internal review chief, 85th Support Command, who joined the IR team last year from northwest Indiana, explained it similar to quality assurance monitoring spending, and ensuring efficiency and compliance of section programs and functions.

The Managers’ Internal Control Program: Annual Statement of Assurance (ASOA) is the annual requirement in place to review the Army Reserve’s major subordinate command’s efficiency in their programs and functions. The 85th Support Command’s recent IR ASOA report submission to the Army Reserve returned results for the command as the only command to receive a 100 percent passing rate across all of the Army Reserve’s commands.

“The Manager’s Internal Control Program scorecard evaluates the entire command from the commander to each [staff] section … governed by each section’s regulation,” Jiaru Bryar, senior auditor of Internal Review and Audit Compliance Office, 85th Support Command, explained. “In 1982 a law passed that each federal agency conduct internal controls and [ensure] that internal controls are implemented and running effectively, so this is from the top.”

This was the second consecutive year for Bryar to receive perfect results from the command’s report submission.

“When I saw [our score] I was like ‘wow’, we are there!” said Bryar.

According to Little, Bryar was hired with the 85th Support Command’s Internal Review five years ago, from Columbia, South Carolina, with no military or federal experience. She was selected based on her civilian education and previous employment experience. Once she began working with the command, she learned that there had not been a full time Internal Review staff member assigned, here, for the past two or three years. Her first task was to establish relationships with the staff sections and educate them on the roles and functions of Internal Review.

“Prior to Mrs. Bryar’s arrival in 2010, the 85th [Support Command] scored an 82 percent on the Army Reserve’s Quality Assurance inspection; three years later in 2013, the unit improved to 96 percent,” said Little. “For the ASOA, we have been the only [Army Reserve] command to receive a 100 percent [score] for the past two years.”

Bryar explained that internal controls exist in every detail of everyone’s job such as how one controls their inventory, processes pay actions, and manages different functions across every staff section.

“If each internal control program is running properly, then it helps the soldier, the unit and the Army Reserve,” said Bryar.

Bryar explained that this accomplishment was due to the assistance and support from every section and that it was important to her to maintain that standard.

“I took pride in last year’s [results] … so thank you to everyone and every section, said Bryar. “It requires a lot of attention to detail, invested time not cutting corners, and communicating with the [staff] sections to [ensure] procedures are met.”

• Date Taken: 04.27.2015
• Date Posted: 04.27.2015 21:13
• Story ID: 161465
• Location: ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL, US