Dollars and Days Before Bullets and Bombs

Photo By Staff Sgt. David Sherman | Light-hearted decorations set the mood in the 122nd Comptroller Flight's customer service and waiting area at the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne, Indiana, April 5, 2023. The tongue-in-cheek ornamentation captures the understanding that pay issues can be frustrating and time-consuming for all Airmen, but the finance team stands ready to make it right. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Sherman)  

FORT WAYNE, IN, UNITED STATES

04.06.2023

Story by Staff Sgt. David Sherman 

122nd Fighter Wing

FORT WAYNE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind - In the dimly lit hallways at 122nd Fighter Wing headquarters, a rich warm glow beckons from one office that all Airmen know well. Inside, an entire wall of windows illuminates the customer service counter and its light-hearted decorations. Beyond is a set of workstations manned by the cheery experts of the 122nd Comptroller Flight.

The comptroller team is responsible for several different finance disciplines, including civilian pay, travel, quality assurance, and of course, military pay. Each of these areas has an expert assigned to make sure money goes to the right places. The flight’s resident military pay manager is Tech. Sgt. Stacey Harris who makes it her personal mission to solve money problems.

“I take it personally when members have pay issues,” said Harris. “I treat their money like it’s my money. My job is to fix it and make sure they get paid correctly.”

The 122nd Comptroller Flight is responsible for making sure the base has the resources it needs to compensate the force and execute the mission. But there’s no silver bullet to financial success. It requires solid planning, extensive knowledge of and adherence to regulations, and the ability to adjust plans decisively when funding falls through.

Each specialty under the finance umbrella has its own set of complex and situational regulations and processes that require coordination at multiple levels. This is, of course, how every shop in the force operates. But finance is unique because even the simplest fix to a pay issue requires vetting at higher levels to make sure it is legal and in compliance with regulations. Harris says this rigorous philosophy is critical “to avoid creating [more] hardships down the line.”

When discrepancies in military pay do occur, the customer service team often receives much of the blame. Most Airmen do not realize, however, that even finance managers experience problems with their pay. Harris expresses genuine concern for member’s pay issues, and insists the frustration is both shared and understood.

“The number one priority is making sure financial problems are the last thing on their mind,” said Harris. To that end, she encourages any Airman with a concern about their pay or benefits to stop by the office or call as many times as necessary for clarifications, updates, or explanations about the process involved to resolving their complaint.

“I want members to feel comfortable and have confidence in us, because it’s their money,” said Harris.

• Date Taken: 04.06.2023
• Date Posted: 04.06.2023 11:58
• Story ID: 442145
• Location: FORT WAYNE, IN, US
• Hometown: FORT WAYNE, IN, US