Photo By Mark Orders-Woempner | Col. Michelle M. Williams, U.S. Army Financial Management Command commander, presents...... read more read more
With nearly a combined six decades serving Soldiers, Army civilians and their families with exemplary finance and comptroller expertise, two USAFMCOM leaders were recently awarded one of the Army Finance Corps’ major awards.
Col. Kevin D. Pierce, U.S. Army Financial Management Command chief of staff, and retired 1st Sgt. Waylon Vinson, USAFMCOM human resources specialist, were awarded the 893rd and 896th awards of the Maj. Gen. Nathan Towson Regimental Medallion during a USAFMCOM town hall at the Maj. Gen. Emmett J. Bean Federal Center in Indianapolis Sept. 4.
“If you think about it in context, not many Towson awards have been given out in the last 31 years,” said Col. Michelle M. Williams, USAFMCOM commander, who presented the medallions. “This speaks to the incredible accomplishments of these two professionals, both in and out of uniform, in supporting our Army and our beloved Finance Corps.”
The Towson was established by the U.S. Army Finance Corps Association on May 7, 1993, to recognize exceptional achievement or exemplary service by currently serving U.S. Army finance and comptroller commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, enlisted Soldiers and civilians demonstrating exceptional leadership and whose accomplishments clearly distinguish them from their peers.
The Towson Medallion was first awarded to then Sgt. 1st Class Scott Brady in 1993 and is given in honor of Towson, a career Soldier who fought in the war of 1812 as an artillery officer and served twice as the Army’s paymaster general from 1819 to 1854.
It was Towson who shaped the Army’s Financial Department by having paymaster assume responsibility for U.S. troops on an area basis, which met the Army’s needs throughout the 20th Century. His new systems and strict standards of accountability brought costs down and reduced losses to one-fifth of one percent.
It’s in the light of that legacy of excellence and innovation that Pierce and Vinson were awarded.
“Colonel Pierce stands as one of the most technically and tactically proficient financial managers in our Army, exhibiting exceptional leadership, coaching and mentoring skills that have significantly contributed to the development of financial managers within our ranks,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Stephanie L. Ellis, 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command senior enlisted advisor, who nominated the colonel.
For Ellis, she got to see that leadership in action while serving with Pierce at the 18th Finance Support Center in Kuwait.
“Under his leadership, the 18th [FISC] achieved a historic milestone by executing the first-ever U.S. currency withdrawal from the National Bank of Kuwait,” she elaborated. “[He] enhanced operational effectiveness across the theater, notably through the development of comprehensive pay and entitlements benefits-by-country products and the implementation of the U.S. Debit Card Program [that] not only improved financial security but also directly contributed to mission success and risk reduction.”
Like Pierce, Vinson was awarded for a career of living out the Finance Corps’ motto, “to support and serve.”
“Mr. Vinson strengthened the Profession of Arms and the Finance Corps by managing and coordinating unmatched training, teaching and mentoring for thousands of financial managers of all ranks and from all components,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Genarro A. Penn, USAFMCOM Military Pay Operations branch manager and FCA president who nominated Vinson for both his time as an enlisted finance Soldier and as a USAFMCOM Operational Support Team deputy director.
“His ability to blend his knowledge of regulatory guidance and doctrine with his highly successful operational experience to improve the performance of the finance and comptroller Soldiers is truly second to none,” elaborated Penn. “Mr. Vinson was responsible for the training and assessment of more than 2,000 finance and comptroller Soldiers and leaders from more than 70 units during his time with the OST.”
Those efforts went far beyond just the training, rippling across the Army with operational impacts around the globe.
“He directly contributed to successful mission accomplishment for nearly every finance unit in the Army inventory that was deployed in support of combat and contingency operations around the world,” explained Penn. “His ability to think on a strategic level while remaining focused on the operational impact served the Finance Corps exceptionally well.”
While proud of their accomplishments and most recent award, both Pierce and Vinson remained humble in their remarks.
Receiving the Towson Medallion is definitely one of the most gratifying and humbling honors of my career,” said Vinson. “Honors such as the Towson are never earned alone, and I had a lot of support over my active-duty career as well as now, during my Army civilian career, and I want to thank everyone who supported me along the way.”
“I couldn’t agree more, and I’ve been so honored and privileged to serve with so many incredible finance and comptroller professionals throughout my career,” said Pierce. “The finance community – enlisted, officer and civilian – continues to live up to the legacy represented by the Towson Medallion.”
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USAFMCOM delivers precision enterprise-wide financial operations to integrate, synchronize and sustain the battlefield through the Joint Strategic Support Area. The two-star command also directly supports the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller in their role as the principal advisor on all matters related to financial management and comptrollership.
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.10.2024 17:14 |
| Story ID: | 480537 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
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