Photo By Sarah Ridenour | U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s G8 (Resource Management) directorate operates within...... read more read more
By Sarah Ridenour
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – When it comes to accomplishing U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s mission of getting Soldiers what they need, when and where they need it, cash is king. ASC’s G8 (Resource Management) directorate’s job is to operate within the fiscal environment to adequately resource ASC’s missions.
Basically, G8 is responsible for managing all of ASC’s money. This includes managing and executing financial resources, overseeing and executing Army Field Support Brigade funding, assessing financial risk, monitoring and budgeting for manpower, payroll, distributing funding for operational missions, and much more.
Travis Haynes, G8’s deputy chief of staff, explained, “our job is to enable the command’s missions by ensuring resources are precisely applied against priorities, and when required, ensuring senior leaders have accurate financial information in order to assess risk and make operational decisions.”
G8 is divided into seven different divisions. Each division is functionally aligned to best support customers and the command.
Managerial Accounting Division (RMA)
RMA works to protect the financial integrity of ASC by managing and executing financial resources and conducting closeouts of a variety of open accounting balances, such as unliquidated obligations and unmatched transactions, over the past five fiscal years.
The Department of Defense’s fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 the following calendar year.
“Our division does a lot of hard work behind the scenes in the prior fiscal years reconciling multiple systems and financial accounts that puts ASC in a better financial position,” said Timothy Flemming, RMA chief. “When people think of G8, they think of money to operate in the current fiscal year budget not realizing that the current fiscal year funding (FY24) remains open for five more fiscal years for liquidation (FY25-FY29).”
Conducting a closeout of an open account balance involves line-by-line research of documentation, balancing multiple contract and disbursement systems, and coordinating with customers to adjust documents to create a detailed and accurate analysis.
“We have employees with varied backgrounds and years of experience, and I can honestly say I learn something new from them every day,” said financial management analyst Amber Overmire of her work with RMA. “The part I enjoy most is the analytical piece. We analyze open balances and determine if they are valid, and if not, how to resolve them or clear them. Once that is done and you see the balance being accurate and in turn going down to $0, it gives a sense of accomplishment.”
Brigade Execution Division (RMB)
RMB is the first line of defense when one of ASC’s AFSBs run into financial issues. Brandon Cooper, RMB chief, described his team as “the financial helpdesk for the brigade budget staff.”
AFSBs are strategically positioned to provide the warfighter with whatever they need at any time within the continental United States and outside of the continental U.S. ASC has a total of seven AFSBs, which acts as the command’s eyes and ears in the field.
Financial analysts on the RMB team regularly coordinate with the AFSBs to monitor cash availability while also analyzing financial execution reports to ensure ASC is spending their approximately $2 billion budget on the highest priority requirements.
The team will often receive urgent funding requests on short notice. “One example is the response to Russian aggression in Ukraine,” Cooper shared. “As Russia invaded, there were many requirements that we were asked to fund immediately, and we had to do the research to ensure we had the proper authority to issue appropriated funds in support of the mission.”
Each AFSB that RMB supports has their own unique mission. The RMB team is divided to have a one-for-one relationship between an AFSB and analyst to allow analysts to devote the majority of their time and knowledge to a single brigade.
Financial Risk Management Division (RMF)
RMF is responsible for business processes deemed as high-risk. This includes, but is not limited to, fund certification, fiscal policy, financial statement audit, government purchase card, temporary duty travel, and government travel charge card programs.
The RMF team reduces financial risk by conducting risk assessments, mapping business processes, providing fiscal guidance, and introducing process controls.
Manpower Management Division (RMM)
RMM oversees all Civilian and military manpower matters across the ASC enterprise, affecting the execution of a $650 million annual payroll budget and manning a diverse workforce of over 30,000 personnel.
“RMM is responsible for planning, programing, budgeting, and execution activities through financial, budget, and manpower processes and cycles to ensure ASC has the capacity, capability, and workforce mix capable to succeed in large-scale combat and multi-domain environments,” explained Erica Slattery, RMM chief.
The RMM team works closely with ASC G1 (Human Resources). RMM analyzes the operating force structures and mission requirements to determine manpower needs. G1 then facilitates necessary personnel changes. “Manpower and G1 are uniquely intertwined,” said management analyst Sarah Nadermann. “After RMM documents a position, G1 is responsible for classifying the positions and hiring. We work very closely and there isn’t a day in a manpower analysts’ job that doesn’t involve collaboration with the G1."
RMM has managed many manpower force structure changes in support of ASC missions. “In my tenure, the collective Manpower Team has led, codified, and/or resourced critical manpower force structure changes for peacetime and contingency operations in support of Shape the Fight, ASC Futures, LRC Optimization, Iranian Aggression, Operation Warp Speed, Poland expansion, Operation Atlantic Resolve, Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, Ukrainian operations, Indo-Pacific initiatives, and more than $900 million in change, transfer, and growth initiatives,” Slattery said.
Headquarters and Payroll Execution Division (RMP)
RMP is responsible for executing and distributing over $650 million to support ASC’s payroll and administrative costs for approximately 6,700 ASC HQ employees.
RMP and RMM regularly collaborate to determine how many people with the necessary skills are needed and the budget available to pay employees. While RMM determines how many people are needed and where, RMP manages the budget for each employee on the payroll to ensure that there is enough money budgeted to pay ASC’s workforce.
“The most challenging part of the job is turning payroll customer service representatives’ workload into a proactive effort rather than reactive,” explained RMP chief Carrie Lupton. “Today, people submit help/ask questions regarding pay and or leave and earnings statement and more times than not the problem is stemmed from a personnel action.”
Additionally, RMP assists in managing approximately $800 million of annual funding used to provide globally responsive strategic logistic capabilities through Logistics Civil Augmentation Program contracts. The team works to ensure that customer funds are transmitted through applicable systems.
According to Army Regulation 700–137, LOGCAP is a “Department of the Army Regulatory Program to augment the force by providing a service capability to meet externally driven operational requirements for rapid contingency augmentation support. The LOGCAP plans for and executes contracted support services… for deployed forces performing missions directed or supported by the Department of Defense during global contingency operations.”
This means that RMP assists in managing the contracts that provide Soldiers with everything they need, from hygiene products and beds, to food and water, during various operations around the globe.
Lupton said that members of her team are proud to be a part of RMP because their efforts lead to funding contracts so that LOGCAP can deliver capabilities to Soldiers in the field.
Resource Planning Division (RMR)
RMR oversees and distributes the necessary funding to execute ASC’s operational missions. They also review future budgets to identify future funding shortfalls and work corrective actions. The team uses a variety of reporting tools, such as the monthly Requirement and Execution Review reporting tool, to enable clear visibility of execution against approved requirements to maximize ASC’s buying power.
“Our future planning team works with the Support Operations Directorate to review next fiscal year funding gaps,” said Ashley Essex, RMR chief, of the team’s responsibilities. “Through a variety of reports, the reporting teams identify issues such as abnormal balances or deobligations, and team with our other G8 teams to work resolutions. We also manage unfunded requirements submitted to U.S. Army Materiel Command, including our decision timelines and other processes and tools used to advocate for additional resources to support critical missions.”
The RMR team has been called to provide financial guidance, capture costs, and balance limited resources during significant operational missions such as Operation Allies Welcome, which supported refugees quickly coming CONUS, as well as the European Preparedness Response and support to the Ukraine efforts.
“RMR touches all ASC missions and fiscal years. We are a touchpoint for all resources whether it be in collaboration with stakeholders from the operational to the strategic,” said Essex. “We have experienced personnel that are called to support Operation Planning Teams, answer AMC/U.S. Department of the Army requests, and develop resourcing requirements for new missions and humanitarian efforts throughout the world. We think outside the box to align resources at the right time and in the right amount to meet increasing operational demand. We are prepared to respond when the sense of urgency is heightened.”
Transportation Execution Division (RMS)
RMS provides centralized financial support and oversight, budget execution, accounting analysis, and process improvement initiatives of movements in support of Second Destination Transportation, Mobilization and Deployment missions, and the General Services Administration non-tactical fleet.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, “Second Destination Transportation finances the movement of equipment and materiel among and between depots, logistics centers, and field activities.”
The U.S. Army describes Mobilization and Deployment missions as sending Soldiers and supplies “to all parts of the world to carry out various missions. Types of deployments include natural disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, evacuation, peacekeeping, or combat operations.”
“This G8 is the most technically proficient group of professionals I’ve had the pleasure to work alongside,” Haynes said of the whole G8 team. “They combine that technical expertise with a big picture view of the problems we face, and quickly develop solutions that enable continuity of operations. This may entail leveraging automation or developing entirely new ways to tackle new issues. I am confident there is no obstacle this team can’t overcome.”
This story is part of a two-part series highlighting ASC’s G8 Resource Management Directorate. To read part one about how one RMM employee is leading the mission of optimizing ASC’s Logistics Readiness Centers, click here: https://www.army.mil/article/271906
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.04.2023 08:42 |
| Story ID: | 459023 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 133 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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