Finance battalion keeps Soldiers 'money savvy'

Photo By Capt. Monika Comeaux | Sgt. Mickel M. Morales, a finance specialist with Detachment C, 39th Finance Battalion/8th Finance Battalion briefs Soldiers about the assignment incentive pay on Feb. 16.  

03.10.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Soldiers from Detachment C, 39th Finance Battalion and the 8th Finance Battalion recently conducted a briefing about the Assignment Incentive Pay at the East Morale, Welfare, and Recreational facility.

"We just started this program. The first briefing was in January, and we talked about the Savings Deposit Program. This is our second brief. We do one every month. Next we will cover the Thrift Savings Plan, and we will go on from there," said Capt. Carmen J. Iglesias, detachment commander.

The audience was fairly mixed. Some just walked in from another section of the MWR facility and some were unit representatives who then brief their units on the information.

The briefing was broken down into two main parts, AIP for Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and AIP for active duty.

All Soldiers who meet AIP requirements are eligible for an additional $1,000 a month.

Sgt. Mickel M. Morales, a finance specialist and Reserve pay manager, held the briefing about how Reserve and National Guard Soldiers may be eligible for AIP if they voluntarily extend their tours in Iraq.

"Reserve and National Guard must complete 24 months, or a cumulative 730 days mobilized under United States Code Title 10, Section 12302, and they must meet the 12 months boots-on-the-ground policy," Morales said.

The Soldier must be mobilized under Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom after Sept. 11, 2001.

According to a memorandum, from the 266th Finance Command, National Guard Soldiers who volunteer to extend past 24 months must obtain the consent of their state governor. Army Reserve Soldiers must obtain the consent of the first colonel in their chain of command. Once approved, these Soldiers will be on orders under USC, Title 10, Section 12301d, Contingency Operation Temporary Tour of Active Duty (COTTAD).

Lt. Col. Mark N. Gaworski, chief of Army Reserve Affairs at Logistical Support Area Anaconda, also attended the brief. He finds it important to keep up with financial issues that may affect Reserve Soldiers deployed to theater.

"We have found that some of the mobilization stations back in the States were uninformed or misinformed about which code or which (statue) should be on the [Department of Defense form 214, Report of Separation]. When finance adds up the cumulative time, if your DD 214 does not state "USC Title 10, Section 12302," then that time does not count. What we have found, that Soldiers that were doing a mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and they are mobilized for 365 days, they were given the wrong code on their DD 214s," explained Gaworski.

There is a way to fix the problem, he added. Soldiers may submit a DD 215 which is a request to correct the DD 214. The DD 215 has to be accompanied by deployment orders and other documentation, which proves that the Soldier was deployed under USC Title 10, Section 12302, Gaworski explained.

Sgt. Jamie E. Riley, a finance specialist and active-duty pay manager, conducted the active-duty AIP briefing. He explained active-duty Soldiers may only receive AIP if their units have been identified by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan for 12 consecutive months, or for 12 months within a 15-month period. Staging time spent in Kuwait counts toward the 12 months, he added.
Some Soldiers found the briefing useful and informative.

"The briefing was quick, efficient and had a lot of good points and a lot of good information. Not many people would know some of the information that was put out," said Spc. Hector R. Colon, a human resources specialist with the 32nd Signal Battalion from Darmstadt, Germany. Colon said that he will go back to his unit and brief his section about what he learned so they can effectively advise Soldiers about AIP.

Iglesisas encourages Soldiers to go though their unit's personnel section with questions about the AIP or other finance issues, or contact finance at 829-1762. The eastside finance office is located in Bldg. 4139.

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• Date Taken: 03.10.2006
• Date Posted: 03.10.2006 06:05
• Story ID: 5648