CAMP TAJI, Iraq — The "Blackhawks" of Bravo Detachment, 101st Financial Management Company out of Fort Campbell, Ky., work hard to spread their wealth beyond the walls of Camp Taji.
Since arriving here in January 2009, the Financial Management Support Teams of Bravo Detachment have traveled to outlying Joint Service Stations on missions to provide financial support to areas without access to a finance office.
Each FMST is comprised of a cashier and a certifier. The team's goal is to afford Service Members in austere environments an opportunity to receive a casual pay, load money onto their Eagle Cash Card, deposit money into the Savings Deposit Program, cash a check, or submit pay inquiries. Bravo Detachment's FMSTs have serviced JSS Istiqlaal, Old Mod, Ur, Apache, Shield, and Sadr City. For many service members in these locations, the FMST's missions are their only opportunity to receive cash and have their personal pay questions answered.
While reflecting on his role as a cashier for the FMST, Spc. Josh Lee of Memphis, Tenn., states, "It's an honor and a sense of pride that I get when Soldiers I service smile with overwhelming appreciation for finance. I noticed when servicing small areas of operations, that the Soldiers were more respectful and thankful in spite of their living conditions. Just having cash in their pockets lifted their morale. I'm really grateful for having a hand in that."
Along with raising Soldier's spirits, finance missions to these outlying areas help service members with their basic needs. Spc. Xinyu Bi, of Reading, Pa., also a cashier for the FMST, points out that a casual pay enables these Soldiers to purchase "some necessary supplies for daily use," a luxury that can be taken for granted. Cpl. Daniel Valoaga of Fort Riley, Kan., who has led many of the FMST missions, emphasized that answering an individual's question about their Leave and Earnings Statement helps ease a service member's state of mind, allowing them to focus on the mission at hand.
The members of the FMST are proud to do their part to support our fellow Soldiers by providing cash and resolving pay inquiries. The FMST mission is a way in which the Finance Branch contributes to the battlefield. Spc. Lee states that he "feels proud to be [known as] the 'money Soldier.' Overall, these missions have kept me on my toes and made me realize that life has so much more to offer, especially if you do your part."