Photo By Mark Orders-Woempner | Susan Gillison, U.S. Army Financial Management Command Military Pay Operations...... read more read more
More than four decades ago, a newly graduated English major from a small Pennsylvania of less than 3,000 people never dreamed of shaping the future of military pay.
Now, in retrospective, Susan Gillison can see she did just that and more before retiring after 41 years of combined military and civilians service as the U.S. Army Financial Management Command’s Military Pay Operations director during a special ceremony at the Maj. Gen. Emmett J. Bean Federal Center in Indianapolis Oct. 28.
Gillison’s journey, beginning with a wrench in hand as a young Army vehicle mechanic and culminating in a pivotal leadership role guiding the largest transformation of Army military pay in a generation, was celebrated by USAFMCOM teammates, friends and family during her ceremony.
“She’s a stalwart of Army Financial Management; she’s a master technician and strategist; she’s a fighter, and no one can match her work ethic,” said Col. Michelle M. Williams, USAFMCOM commander, during the ceremony. “Susan, your contributions go beyond numbers, procedures, and policies. You have always prioritized people – the Soldiers, civilians and families who rely on accurate and timely financial support.”
Gillison’s path was anything but conventional. A Mercer, Pennsylvania, native and self-proclaimed book lover, she briefly taught high school after graduating college, but when job opportunities dried up, she pivoted and the Army in 1982 as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic.
“She didn’t commission and take a desk job,” said Williams. “She enlisted, so not only can she fix your pay, she can fix your alternator.”
Gillison later transitioned into administrative work and then commissioned in 1991 as a finance officer, beginning her lifelong contribution to Army financial operations.
From Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, to Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq, Gillison served in leadership positions around the globe. Her impact was especially profound during deployments, where her expertise ensured pay accuracy for hundreds of thousands of troops across multiple currencies and operational complexities, recalled Williams. She received the Bronze Star for her leadership during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
After retiring from active duty in 2006, Gillison continued her service as a civilian. She worked in a variety of roles at Defense Finance and Accounting Service and was later selected to lead DFAS’ Defense Military Pay Offices. In 2020, she joined USAFMCOM to oversee the newly re-established Army Military Pay Offices and guide them through a sweeping Army pay modernization effort.
“Susan didn’t sit back in a ‘retirement job,’” said Williams. “She rolled up her sleeves, got messy, and got the job done.”
Under her leadership, Gillison advocated for and secured civilian pay upgrades for 91 percent of AMPO employees, improved retention, launched a military spouse employment program, and helped lead the implementation of the Army’s new pay system, the Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army.
“She led our Army’s military pay efforts during the largest transformation the Army has undergone since the end of the Cold War,” Williams added.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, the ceremony celebrated Gillison’s personal legacy, including her deep commitment to her family, which includes her husband, retired Army Col. Aaron Gillison, and her four stepsons.
Williams highlighted the family’s close-knit bond, describing Gillison’s relationship with her stepsons and their mother, Deborah Wilson, as a “testament… to a family to model around a perfect love that binds so perfectly.”
Gillison, who said she now calls Indiana home, isn’t stepping away from service entirely. She plans to work as an election volunteer, contribute to the charitable group in Indianapolis, and remain engaged with the Finance Corps Association as an editor.
“She intends to remain being a superhero to her family and neighbors,” said Williams. “Her legacy will live on in every Soldier and civilian she mentored, every system she improved, and every problem she solved.”
As her career closes, one quote continues to guide her, one she attributes to her husband’s grandfather, Richard: “Act well your part, regardless of all others, for therein all honor lies.”
For Susan Gillison, it seems, that part was acted upon exceedingly well.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2025 10:07 |
| Story ID: | 544890 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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