Diamondbacks

10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office
Courtesy Story

Date: 03.25.2009
Posted: 03.25.2009 04:02
News ID: 31570
Diamondbacks

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - "Who you gonna call?" If you have a problem with ghosts, we all know the answer to that question. If you are in need of financial assistance, however, it would be wise to switch that speed dial number from Ghostbusters, to the "Pay Masters" of the Customer Service section at the Camp Liberty Finance Office.

Delta Detachment, 101st Financial Management Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, out of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) of Fort Campbell, Ky., has led the way with regard to financial support in the Baghdad area. Delta Detachment runs two offices at two different sites; one is located on Forward Operating Base Victory and the other on FOB Liberty.

The customer service section's primary mission is to assist with all pay issues that are presented to them. Issues range from simple instruction on how to start an allotment, and span to more difficult and specific inquiries such as changing a Soldier's number of years in service. While some pay issues may seem impossible to the Soldier, the customer service Soldiers have the resources and knowledge to discover the solution.

The LFO consists of the customer service, processing, Eagle Cash Card and the disbursing sections. Each area of operation is independently run; however, they rely on the various capabilities and knowledge of one another to complete their mission successfully. The customer service section contains five experienced and determined individuals who give true meaning to the term "mission first." The processing section employs five Soldiers as well, who are all highly trained to execute all aspects regarding finance inputs and documentation they require. The disbursing section contains four Soldiers who are all trained in systems pertaining to cashiering and are trusted to deal with millions of dollars. Each Soldier performs their individual mission with the highest accuracy and professionalism.

The customer service section is responsible for conducting all re-deployment briefings for units on their way back home. These briefs are instrumental for ensuring the Soldiers returning home understand crucial information pertaining to their pay. During a three month time frame, the customer service section conducted four briefs a week and was still able to maintain mission operations at a high level with those personnel out of the office.

The 4th Infantry Division recognized the efforts and hard work demonstrated by the LFO personnel and awarded several of the Soldiers with an Army Achievement Medals for their efforts. Spc. Charles Richardson, a native of Montgomery, Ala., was singled out for going above and beyond the mission by creating a PowerPoint slide show. His presentation went into greater depth and had a step-by-step tutorial on how to correctly fill out the DD 1351-2 travel voucher form.

The LFO personnel have also trained and assisted other finance detachments that fall under the authority of the 208th Financial Management Company, 10th SBTB, 10th SBDE footprint to ensure the success of other sister units. FM Co. sites located in the International Zone, and at FOB Stryker have become more proficient in their daily duties and missions from the training supplied by LFO personnel.

Delta Det., 101st FM Co. has been deployed for eleven out of the fifteen-month tour. During that time they have achieved a military pay accuracy rating of 99.33 percent or better every month. This rating exceeds the Defense Finance and Accounting Service standard of 98 percent. The research and input of these documents is crucial to Soldiers' pay. This can be a tricky process, because specific rules apply for each transaction and there are unique differences with each Soldier's pay account.

The LFO has been able to execute updating Soldiers' pay with a high degree of accuracy. In the past three consecutive months, the LFO personnel have been recognized by the 208th FMCO, which oversees nine detachments in Iraq, for earning the highest accuracy. The customer service section played a key role in the outstanding achievement.

The customer service section has received hundreds of compliments for their ability to resolve difficult cases. Finance personnel use a program called the Case Management System to assist in their day to day operations for issues that require DFAS involvement. CMS is a necessary tool to fix Soldiers' pay issues that cannot be fixed fully by the LFO. All documentation is turned into their local finance; it is then reviewed and sent to DFAS along with an explanation of exactly what needs to be corrected.

Service members, some who have been searching for a resolution concerning their pay issues for months or years, have brought their problem to the customer service section at the LFO for help. Within weeks of receiving their issue, the LFO personnel have been able to find resolution; these issues often involve thousands of dollars owed to Soldiers. The most repeated compliment bestowed from service members to the customer service section is, "You guys are awesome!"

The LFO's customer service satisfaction and success is a direct result of all sections functioning at a high standard. The LFO treats every pay issue as if it were their own. Due to this philosophy, every issue is worked to highest standard. The Customer Service section along with the rest of the LFO works every situation they encounter to best of their abilities, which makes them the best at what they do. If you ever encounter a pay issue, "Who you gonna call?"