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Effects of Finance on Camp Taji

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Brygette Harris, from East Orange, N.J., works in the CVS lounge at the Taji...... read more read more

TAJI, IRAQ

05.14.2009

Courtesy Story

3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - On April 18, three Commercial Vendor Services Soldiers of Bravo Detachment, 101st Finance Office, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, Camp Taji were recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Staff Sgt. LeRoy A. Hunter, a Columbus, Ohio native, Sgt. Felicia Burnett, from Yazoo City, Miss., and Spc. Brygette Harris from East Orange, N.J., exceeded the standard by spending countless hours to assist the 56th Stryker Brigade in auditing and accounting for more than $3 million in paid contracts for more than two years of past and present payments. The three Soldiers served as liaisons between Multi-National Division - Baghdad Human Resources, finance, and the 56th Stryker Brigade to ensure that they could clear accounts on their record book within their battle space.

These three finance Soldiers were asked to attend a coining ceremony by the 56th Brigade Commander for their hard work and dedication. Hunter addressed the 56th Stryker Brigade at the ceremony stating, "We are grateful for this opportunity. Our Soldiers are here to ensure that the financial aspect of the Battle is taken care of. We are here for you. Each day you go outside the gate to protect our nation and we should thank you for that."

In closing, Hunter also said, "My team thanks you for the recognition. If we can expedite any issues for the 56th Brigade, we are at your service. Thank you again."

During the month of March, the 56th SBCT came to the finance office with some concerns that some of their Soldiers' combat entitlements had not been started. After a meeting between the deputy commanding officer, the 56th's personnel officer, and the Senior Military Pay analyst, Staff Sgt. Wilfredo Garcia, a Carolina, Puerto Rico native, the finance's MILPAY section started working on the process of determining who still needed their entitlements started and any other finance issues they currently had.

"We reviewed nearly 4,000 accounts to determine who was getting the entitlements and who wasn't," said Garcia. "Almost the entire Brigade's combat entitlements had not been started or had some other pay issue they wanted us to look into".

Once a master list was compiled, Cpl. Lucrecia Ruffin, Military Pay section non-commissioned officer from Ocala, Fla., distributed the inputs between Spc. Jason Kucza, MILPAY clerk from Philadelphia, Spc. Maribel Guerrero, MILPAY clerk from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Spc. Christian Lemont, MILPAY clerk, from Swanton, Ohio. Between them, they coded more than 2,000 transactions, which were then audited by Ruffin and certified by Garcia. Thanks to their dedication and attention to detail the transactions were uploaded to DFAS in a timely manner, before the cut-off date, and the transactions processed with a 99.59 percent accuracy rate, paying the 56th SBCT Soldiers' and their families an average of $3 million in back pay.

Their dedication, sacrifice, and attention to detail made this a successful mission.