Photo By Staff Sgt. Megan Shepherd | The Budget and Accounting Office at the 179th Airlift Wing earned the Financial...... read more read more
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In an organization where the focus is on the mission of getting aircraft full of people and assets all over the world, one of the least thought about career fields is finance. Finance is a career field that no one thinks about as long as funding is available to accomplish the mission; however, without the astute knowledge and expertise in executing a budget, it would be difficult to accomplish the mission.
Captain Walter Borowicz, the Budget Officer for the 179th AW, Tech. Sgt. James Hempfield, the Accounting Liaison Officer for the 179th AW; Master Sgt. Wheeler, the Budget Analyst prior to accepting a new job in maintenance; and Master Sgt. Nemitz, the Accounting Liaison prior to Hempfield, managed a budget of $34.8 million that lead to the successful execution of the wing’s maintenance, operations, construction, and deployment operations.
“It really comes down to effective communication and accountability on our part,” Borowicz said. “We have to communicate with resource advisors to know the needs of the organization. We can then plan and have budgets ready to execute when Congress passes its budget”.
With a continuing resolution hanging over the heads of all government agencies, the team in the Budget and Accounting office has faced real challenges in being effective and efficient in their duties. Figuring out how to budget a wing’s expenses when you do not know what the budget is presents some real obstacles.
This puts real constraints on the mission and makes the demand for a highly trained budget office that much more important. The team took the current fiscal environment in stride and with proper planning and communicating well with their customers, they were able to poise their office to execute funds to keep the mission going and improve the process along the way.
The team was able to get the resources for the new hangar doors and ramp projects here. The previous hangar doors were old and on a roller-track system that was becoming more susceptible to derailing and therefore collapsing. The new doors provide better lighting, are more energy efficient and are safer to operate, said Col. Kenneth Kmetz, the 179th Maintenance Group Commander.
The aircraft ramp project supports where the maintenance group parks and works on the aircraft. This area has deteriorated over time due to weather conditions and the weight of the aircraft traveling over it. That deterioration has caused the concrete to crack and chip which produces Foreign Object Debris, which can cause catastrophic damage or injury if it is sucked up by an aircraft engine.
One of the other major constraints the finance team faced is the transition in accounting systems. They are approximately two years into a six year transition and changed the base over to the new system mid-year with minimal discrepancies.
Hempfield said, “The process can be very difficult at times since we are essentially compiling data from two systems and presenting it as one final product.”
In addition to dealing with two different accounting systems the team has spearheaded a new database to track Facility Operation and Maintenance and Miscellaneous Obligation Reimbursement Documents. This database allows them to identify any unused funding that was previously obligated for another use.
“Being able to identify monies that have not been used allows us to pull it back before deadlines and reallocate it to other mission essential needs,” said Borowicz.
At the end of the day, the finance team prides themselves on customer service and strives to communicate effectively and meet the needs of the organization. Their efforts contributed directly to the success of the 179th Airlift Wing and is proof that everyone is important in accomplishing the mission.
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2017 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 238427 |
| Location: | MANSFIELD, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 300 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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