Air Force budget officers collaborate, maximize installation support

  • Published
  • By Ed Shannon
  • AFIMSC Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO, Texas --  The day-to-day talent and hard work of hundreds of Air Force installation budget officers shined last September when the Air Force achieved a successful, historic fiscal year close out in the record $6.9 billion installation and mission support portfolio.

To build on their momentum and prepare for a successful fiscal 2019, AFIMSC’s Budget Office hosted more than 160 funds managers and analysts at the AFIMSC Budget Officers Summit in San Antonio, Feb. 26-28.

“The summit benefits everybody involved in managing funding at the installation,” said Col. Anthony Smith, AFIMSC budget director. “We want installation budget officers to grow their association with AFIMSC so they maximize the support they provide to their installation’s mission.”

The conference featured break-out sessions with the Financial Management directors and comptrollers from major commands who were in town for separate cross talk meetings with AFIMSC leaders. Presenters, including AFMC’s Chief Financial Officer, Brig. Gen. Jim Peccia, highlighted collaboration, networking, leadership and communication as important elements for success.

Capt. Alayna Holt, a budget officer at RAF Mildenhall, took the opportunity to ask about career progression advice from MAJCOM leadership.

“It’s a great experience to get the perspectives of the senior leaders in our career field on issues specifically related to our jobs and on professional development,” Holt said. “Besides networking with colleagues face-to-face, the summit has been a great learning opportunity for me because now I have a much better understanding of AFIMSC and civilian career development that I can take back home and share with our team.”

First Lt. Joe Watts from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, said having a direct link to senior leaders provides an avenue he doesn’t have on a normal basis.

“There are a lot of layers between us and them,” Watts said. “From knowing the strategic view a conference like this provides, we can provide better support to our commanders and to that strategy.”

Air Force Space Command’s Col. Darnell Salley encouraged attendees to make a difference right where they are.

“Bloom where you are planted, and create opportunities for yourselves and others,” he said. “Don’t let one bad moment ruin the rest of your day. Be positive. You are smart, and we’re going to make it happen together.”

Other break-out sessions brought together AFIMSC budget analysts and the budget officers from the installations they support and provided presentations about financial management military and civilian career programs. The summit also featured updates on Tyndall Air Force Base hurricane recovery and Combat Support Wing.

Across the Air Force I&MS portfolio, budget officers achieved important milestones in fiscal 2018. Collectively, they executed $939M more than any other year in AFIMSC history and surpassed Air Force and Air Force Materiel Command obligation requirements, achieving 85 percent by July 31.

“Last year, we had the second largest O&M (Operations and Maintenance) account in the Air Force,” said Col. Anthony Smith, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center budget director. “To have these individuals in the role they play at the installation together and hearing the same message and gaining insight in the processes we have established to support them is vital to managing the I&MS portfolio.”