Photo By Staff Sgt. Edward Hermsen | Members of the 153rd Comptroller Flight pose for a group photo at the Wyoming Air...... read more read more
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — As the federal government moved into a shutdown earlier this year, the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Comptroller Flight found itself at the center of a challenge that affected every airman on base: uncertainty about pay, funding and how long the disruption would last.
For Staff Sgt. Rebecca Frederickson, financial technician; Master Sgt. Dillon Deshay, chief of financial services; and Senior Master Sgt. Carrie Galaz, senior enlisted leader, the shutdown triggered an immediate shift from routine operations to a crisis-level workload.
Finance personnel take precautions as the end of each fiscal year approaches.
“We see this possibility every year,” Galaz said. “But this one came at a time when we were preparing for major exercises.”
The first days were defined by ambiguity as guidance changed rapidly. Airmen across the base faced the possibility of missed paychecks, and the finance office had no clear timeline for resolution. Questions grew daily: Will I get paid? How do I cover bills? What happens next?
“It’s hard to listen to airmen worry about finances,” Galaz said. “We couldn’t give firm answers, and that weighs on you.”
Behind the scenes, the team accelerated every process they could influence. The flight normally sends payroll to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service twice a week. During the shutdown, they processed pay data every day, working late into the night to ensure DFAS would have the information ready the moment funds were released.
Frederickson and other technicians entered and verified pay data, while Galaz and Deshay completed final audits before releasing each batch. When national guidance directed technicians to submit their own timecards, the team chose not to push that burden onto members. Instead, they processed four full pay periods for the entire base themselves.
“We took it on because we didn’t want that weight on the members,” Galaz said. “We knew how overloaded the system already was.”
Some nights, team members worked until nearly midnight to overcome system slowdowns and data backlogs. Their goal remained constant: ensure every airman would be paid as soon as legally possible.
A turning point came when news outlets reported that the military would receive funding for the first affected pay period. Finance personnel learned of the decision at the same time as the public and continued submitting daily payroll data until DFAS confirmed processing.
Even after the shutdown ended, the resolution phase brought new challenges. The office must now reconcile retroactive leave, compensatory time and any transactions that posted incorrectly under compressed timelines. Travel operations resumed but under continued funding constraints, requiring coordination with commanders to prioritize missions until additional budget authority is released.
“We have the green light to function again, but it’s not an open faucet,” Galaz said. “We still only have money through January, so we have to be deliberate and careful.”
Despite long hours and emotional strain, the team shared that members of the 153rd remained patient and understanding throughout the shutdown.
“No one blamed us,” Frederickson said. “They were frustrated with the situation, not with finance.”
For the members of the 153rd Comptroller Flight, the priority never changed: keep airmen informed, protect their pay and absorb administrative burdens so the rest of the wing could stay focused on mission readiness.
“This is our job,” Galaz said. “It’s stressful, but our goal is always to take care of the members — technicians or military, it doesn’t matter. That’s what we’re here to do.”
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 551234 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 414 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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