Photo By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Swanson | Master Sgt. Shauna Rodriguez, entitlements lead for the 102nd Comptroller Fight...... read more read more
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OTIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. – From stateside bases to deployed locations around the world, not far from the frontline, there’s a group of men and women equally dedicated to national defense by striving to help members become financially worry-free.
Airmen serving as financial management and comptroller specialists at Otis Air National Guard Base are unsung heroes who contribute to mission success by providing financial decision support, services, and resources to all wing personnel.
“We manage the pay for military and civilian employees,” said Master Sgt. Shauna Rodriguez, the entitlements lead assigned to 102nd Intelligence Wing. “We also manage the budget and accounting programs that allow for funding towards construction projects like a new sidewalk or buildings.”
According to Rodriguez, her office alone handles millions of taxpayer dollars annually.
“We get questions from budgeting to military pay,” said Rodriguez. “Our finance troops go through a six-week program to become qualified for the job, and we have continual training that helps us maintain proficiency.”
However, Rodriguez mentioned, no finance specialists will be helpful without assistance from the customers themselves. She said it’s important for visitors to come prepared before meeting with the finance office.
“A lot of it has to do with people e-certifying their orders,” Rodriguez stated, “They also need to update their dependency status so we know what kind of entitlements they qualify for.”
At the finance office, customers are usually not invited the counter due to privacy concerns, so the work they do is mostly behind the scenes. Rodriguez gave a glimpse into the personalities behind the reception area.
“We have to be go-getters,” said Rodriguez, “The amount of work people put into finance is lesser known around the base. There’s often long hours and not a lot of down-time. It’s because we care about the product we put out, and we care about people getting paid on time. If people are not paid properly, then they won’t be able to perform for the mission to the best of their capabilities.”
“We always want to give the right answers,” commented Rodriguez on their office’s principle of customer service. “The biggest thing for us is that we want to do things in accordance to the regulations because it’s the best way to protect the members.”
The 102nd Comptroller Flight is a rather unique organization because it’s not only responsible for the 102nd Intelligence Wing’s finance, but has a greater country-wide role to play for the entire Air National Guard.
“The 253rd Cyber Engineering Installation Group purchased communications equipment for projects currently underway with the Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force,” said Master Sgt. Gracie Roan, lead accountant of 102nd CPTF. “There are only two units that are part of the project and the other unit is an active duty Air Force unit. We would make all the purchases and are responsible for the money piece of it for the ANG. Funds from all over the Air Force as well as different bases would often come to us for accounting and routing.”
The 102nd CPTF is not always in the spotlight because most of the work that they do is technical and riddled with numbers, as well as Air Force regulations. Sometimes they prefer to just keep a low-profile and focus on their work instead. Though they might fly under the radar, it does not take away from the fact that this is a group of professionals who care deeply for every customer that walk through their door, because for them, every penny counts.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2018 08:01 |
| Story ID: | 275876 |
| Location: | CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 392 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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