JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday! Meet John Richbourg, funds management specialist with the Air Force Services Center’s Cash Reconciliation Shared Services Center.
He and his team are responsible for balancing accounts for an assigned group of major commands throughout the Department of the Air Force’s global network. They also isolate, research and collaborate with installations and other shared services departments to resolve discrepancies in each base’s financials.
We asked Richbourg, who was born and raised in San Antonio, to tell us more about himself and the work he does for the Department of the Air Force.
What do you love about your job?
Every day is a new puzzle. I enjoy trying to solve these situations and apply an appropriate level of critical thinking to my routine. It’s an interesting blend of customer service, analytical thinking and never a dull day in the slightest.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
A sense of pride in my work and upholding a professional standard for my team in terms of readiness and aptitude in our daily functions. I know that I am needed. Likewise, I need my team who work diligently to accomplish daily tasks. The overall resolve of my team members motivates me to work just as diligently with each of them.
Why are you and your team important to the Air Force and Space Force enterprise and your customers?
The role my team and I fill is that of a major point of contact; troubleshooting various offsets and seeking resolution in multiple instances of financial balancing. Without our department, the installations would likely have to devote more of their limited time and resources into resolving said issues on their own.
Having worked at base level, there may not always be an opportunity for an activity to reach resolution on financial matters. I feel that our role to the DAF is critical to problem resolution in a timely manner, ensuring that our bases can devote time and resources where they are more critically needed.
Describe a project or event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
It may sound cliché, but my team undergoes a group project for every end of month cycle. All month, we work as diligently as possibly, resolving any variance that impacts our records, balancing the books, updating our records and collaborating amongst ourselves, other departments and every base in our MAJCOMs to ensure the best support we’re able to provide. At end of month, we generate a series of closing reports for the bases and services departments to apply to the new month’s financials.
It’s a heavy workload as we research any remaining offsets and resolutions, save details for every general ledger account we oversee and compile a listed report for every base in our series of assigned MAJCOMs. Each member compiles the reports and details for his or her own bases and my job is to oversee and validate their work after completing my own listing. I have to admit, there is always a heavy sigh of relief once everyone has completed their part of closing the old month, had their work validated and begins working on the new month.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
Our work ensures oversight on the inflow and outflow of cash at installations to better support Airmen, Guardians, military families and the overall warfighter culture, and allow continuing function of the services that support our troops and citizens. The support we provide oversees the direct transfer of funding to installation activities. This can include, but is not limited to, the funding for seasonal functions, regular base operations, limited government deals, long-term payments of government contracts with interest and various vendor payments.
Is there anything else you’d like to add which might help people understand the importance of what you do for the Department of the Air Force?
Without all the fancy words, if I had wrap up my job description in 10 words or less, I’d say the same description that was told to me in my job interview. “I balance the Air Force’s checkbook. I’m good at it!