Photo By Tech. Sgt. Ivan Cosme | Senior Airman Richard Allotey, 434th Air Refueling Wing Financial Management...... read more read more
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. — Air Force Reserve financial management specialists validated their combat readiness here July 12-25, 2026, while participating in Diamond Saber, the Department of War’s premier financial management exercise.
Established in 2004, Diamond Saber is a U.S. Army Reserve-led event that has grown into the largest military finance exercise of its kind. While it is rooted in preparing servicemembers for deployment readiness by evaluating warfighting functions such as funding the force, disbursing operations, and fiscal stewardship, the exercise relies heavily on joint-force integration.
"This is the only exercise – multi-component and joint – that offers financial management units the opportunity to really flex their inventory of skillsets,” said Col. Jason Wynnycky, senior trainer and Diamond Saber exercise director.
Capt. Matthew Terkay, the Air Force Reserve's Diamond Saber Exercise Director, noted training alongside sister services is a cornerstone of the exercise's value.
“Integrating with members from the Army and Marine Corps during Diamond Saber allowed Air Force Reserve FM members to operate in a joint-service environment directly enhancing their combat readiness,” Terkay said. “It also helped build critical relationships and shared operational trust, ensuring our FM warfighters can deliver seamless, unified combat funding in any multi-service theater.”
The stakes of the exercise were high, as financial management directly sustained the warfighter on the front lines. Without funding, the broader mission grinds to a halt. As such, there was a significant amount of pressure placed on the participants to get it right.
“This exercise serves as the ultimate arena where our Financial Management Airmen must perform perfectly alongside joint partners to prepare for the nation’s future battles,” Terkay said.
In its earliest iterations, Diamond Saber was a lower-stress event focused heavily on technical skills. Today, it has evolved to reflect the realities of near-peer competition and contested environments. Throughout the two-week exercise, FM professionals were pushed to their physical and mental limits. Participants were required to process complex budget and disbursing operations while enduring simulated combat attacks.
“By incorporating rigorous tasks like operating in full MOPP gear, clearing the gas chamber, carrying weapons, and wearing heavy body armor, the 2026 Diamond Saber agenda pushed Airmen far beyond standard financial operations,” Terkay explained.
Senior Airman Richard Allotey, an Air Force Reserve financial management specialist assigned to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grisson Air Reserve Base, In., echoed this, noting that the pace felt much closer to a real contingency operation.
"The actual intensity and scale of the exercise exceeded anything I experience during drill weekends or home-station training," he said.
In addition, the joint environment offered a unique perspective on the similarities and differences between the branches.
“Seeing how the Army and Marine Corps structure their operations reminded me not to take our privileges for granted,” Allotey observed. He noted the impressive synchronization of Army personnel during a patient-carry scenario, yet also recognized the advanced readiness curriculum the Air Force FM instructors contribute to the exercise's overall syllabus.
“One of the comments I heard [from the Army] was essentially, ‘If you want to learn how to do this training right, go to the Air Force.’ It reinforced that each branch brings different strengths to the table,” said Allotey.
Allotey also gained hands-on experience operating in an austere environment with a deliberate lack of network access, which ultimately strengthened unit cohesion.
“Without the ability to rely on our usual social media systems, we were unplugged from our normal lives,” Allotey explained. “Airmen had to engage more directly with one another, asking questions, sharing knowledge, and building rapport face-to-face. It strengthened our teamwork and made communication more intentional.”
This environment provided a number of organic leadership opportunities. During the exercise, Allotey guided younger Airmen through manual cash-handling tasks, combining technical FM training with operational readiness to become a more capable, multi-capable Airman.
Now that the Airmen have returned to their home units, they brought back more than just sharpened technical skills. They return with a profound understanding of what it takes to survive and operate in tomorrow’s fight, alongside a widened network of Guard, Reserve, and Active Duty peers.
"I now feel fully prepared to teach Airmen how to balance funds, execute cashier transactions, and handle money correctly so that we are better prepared at the unit level to answer the nation’s call," Allotey shared, highly recommending the exercise to others. "If you want to elevate your skillset and stand out in your career, Diamond Saber is worth it."
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2026 18:16 |
| Story ID: | 571562 |
| Location: | WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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