Financial Management Transformation

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Howard S. Antoine
  • 18th Comptroller Squadron
KADENA AB, Japan --  A town hall meeting to discuss the biggest change to financial management in 60 years will be held Oct. 9 at the Keystone Theater here. 

Lt. Col. Steve Kennedy, 18th Comptroller Squadron commander, will host the meeting to inform community members about the upcoming changes that include centralizing finance functions at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. 

"The result of this effort will save the Air Force more than $200 million over the next 10 years when fully implemented Oct. 1, 2008," said John G. Vonglis, principal deputy assistant to the secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller. 

"The money saved will be available for other programs supporting the war-fighter."
The Air Force Financial Services Center will open next month at Ellsworth and will centralize and streamline most financial processes now being handled by individual bases. 

"The AFFSC will be established through two phases ultimately resulting in Airmen having the total force expertise of financial management matters available at one location," said Roger Brick, director, Air Force Financial Management Strategic Planning and Transformation Program Management Office. 

Phase I will begin with the opening of the Central Processing Center next month. The CPC will focus on consolidating base-level back shop operations generally not seen by the customer. 

Phase II operations will begin in October 2008 when a 24 hour full-service contact center is established. Knowledgeable staff in the contact center will provide top-quality pay and travel service to customers via telephone, Internet, and fax. 

"From this point onwards, Airmen will only need one telephone number to find solutions to their financial issues," said Lt. Col. Howard Osborne, Financial Services Transformation director. "Having a single contact center will eliminate the inconveniences that customers experience in having to fix financial issues during the regular duty day." 

"We and all the AFFM are transforming the way we conduct business to better provide expert decision support and analysis to commanders while continuing to provide high quality financial services to all Airmen," said Colonel Kennedy. 

Transformation project representatives teams are traveling to bases around the world in order to provide information and gather feedback from Airmen, base leadership and comptroller squadrons. Wing members are encouraged to come out to learn more about the project and to provide their feedback.