Courtesy Photo | Sgt. William Bungard, a disbursing non-commissioned officer and a Columbus, Ohio,...... read more read more
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Another day turned to dusk as the Bravo Detachment 101st Financial Management Co. out of Fort Campbell, Ky., eagerly awaits word of their replacements. The Soldiers diligently work to prepare continuity books and standard operational procedure manuals.
Sgt. 1st Class Sharon Gamble, the detachment sergeant, from Woodlawn, Tenn., and the detachment commander review the final exit plans for the transfer of authority while tediously working to maintain the detachment's morale. A few Soldiers maintain a countdown clock while others just simply let the last few days float off the calendar. Staff Sgt. Wilfredo Garcia, chief of military pay, from Carolina, Puerto Rico, looked to his Soldiers and said, "Fifty days and a wakeup guys! Our job is almost done here."
B Detachment, 101st Financial Management Co., currently assigned to 96th Special Troops Battalion, 96th Sustainment Brigade, arrived on ground, Jan. 13, replacing the 24th Finance Co. Their task was to maintain and improve financial operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to include commercial vendor services, military pay operations, disbursements, and paying agents operations.
The team of Capt. Camilla M. Swain, the detachment commander, from Lynchburg, Tenn., and Gamble hit the ground running. In their care were 2nd Lt. Katherine Palesky, the disbursing agent, from Plano, Texas, 10 non-commissioned officers, and nine lower enlisted Soldiers. Gamble stated that, "with diligence, the Soldiers disbursed over $162.2 million in operational funds to include casual payments."
"The commercial vendor services section received and reviewed over $50 million in vendor contacts; trained over 300 paying agents to be accountable for government funds; and maintained reports of all Soldiers within Camp Taji and the surrounding areas through the unit commander's financial reports program. The detachment also issued over 2000 Eagle Cash card in efforts to reduce U.S. dollars from the battle field operations," added Swain.
According to Gamble, the military pay section has maintained an accuracy average of 99% throughout the deployment, which is higher than Defense Finance and Accounting Services requirements of 98%.
As the days wind down, B Detachment, known as the Black Hawks, begins its redeployment to Ft. Campbell, Ky. Squad leaders begin checking Soldiers' packing lists and prepare their container for shipment. The commander and detachment sergeant met with the 113th Financial Management Detachment, a National Guard unit out of North Carolina who will replace the Black Hawks.
Soldiers bid farewell to old friends they met in theater who began their journey home before the Black Hawks. Many called home telling their families they will be home soon. Some gather at the gym to improve their physique before returning home and others find activities such as Poetry Night and other Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities to pass the last few weeks before returning home. "The Bravo Detachment 101st Financial Management Company's Mecca is almost at an end. To all of them one thing is certain, we are almost done. In the end, we can look back one day and tell our families we were there and when our children read the history books, they can smile in pride to see that their fathers and mothers where amongst the names of Soldiers who answered the call of their great nation," said Palesky .
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2009 04:03 |
| Story ID: | 41987 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 412 |
| Downloads: | 313 |
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