Photo By Spc. Claudia Rocha | First Lt. Benjamin Young, detachment commander of the 395th Financial Management...... read more read more
FORT MCCOY, Wis. - The air is hot and stagnant as Soldiers of the 395th Financial Management Support Unit, Salt Lake City, concentrate on completing financial operations without error. Conditions are less than ideal for the Soldiers of the 395th as they participate in Diamond Saber at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
Diamond Saber is a training event held as part of the Army Reserve’s Combat Support Training Exercise 86-15-03, which immerses units into a austere environment, allowing them to improve their skills and increase their readiness in a controlled setting.
For 1st Lt. Benjamin Young, the deputy disbursing officer for the exercise, vigilance is key in order to oversee all financial activity of the financial management support unit while also keeping all Soldiers from his unit safe from any potential danger a deployed atmosphere presents.
“In a simulated [deployed] environment, we’re accountable for all funds in our area of operation,” said Young, the detachment commander for the 395th. “That includes getting contractors paid, resolving Soldier pay issues, handling exchange transitions and check processing, amongst other things.”
While all the tasks required of a finance branch officer may seem overwhelming to many, Young said he has had plenty of experience managing finance as his civilian career plays hand-in-hand with his work as an Army Reserve Soldier.
Since 2011, Young has worked with Stayner, Bates, & Jensen, a company that provides a variety of accounting-related services, as an audit senior. Young attributes his success with the company to his prior work as a Reserve Soldier.
“I had finance experience, and being an officer, I have leadership experience in the finance world,” said Young. “It was hugely beneficial.”
After associating his civilian and military careers, Young soon realized that the correlation was helping him to be both a better employee and service member.
“On the civilian side, the technical skills I learn for my job translates back [to my military career] and vice versa,” said Young.
Because Young has proven to be a valuable asset with Stayner, Bates, & Jensen, the company has always been cooperate with his schedule as a Reserve Soldier. “They’re very understanding of the fact that it can get hectic,” said Young.
The cooperative relationship between civilian employers and the Army Reserve is mutually beneficial. Companies are able to hire employees with a competitive edge and the Army Reserve’s readiness is elevated by Soldiers who are keeping their military occupancy skills sharp because they are incorporated into their everyday life. All the while, the Soldier is able to gain in-depth experience from this advantageous collaboration.
“Since I am in finance in the military, I am a certified defense financial manager, which helps on the civilian side because I do many audits of not-for-profits,” said Young. “One of our not-for-profits gets a lot Department of Defense funding for research, so having an understanding of the complexities of government funding gives me a perspective on both sides.”
For Young, this unique perspective has been a helpful tool to ensure his mission success as he participates in Diamond Saber.
“We have to make sure we do things like handle weapons payments and keep the battalions in their budgets, just like we would if we were deployed,” said Young. “[The mission] doesn't run if there is no money to pay for it.”
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2015 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 173776 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Cashing in on a constructive cooperation, by SPC Claudia Rocha, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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