COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 14th Comptroller Squadron Financial Services Flight is all about supporting the customer and is essential to ensuring members of the 14th Flying Training Wing are taken care of financially so they can focus on getting the mission done.
From assisting with both military and civilian pay, to ensuring travel pay and reimbursements are accurate, the financial services flight has a major role directly tied to ensuring the wing continues to Cultivate Airmen, Create Pilots and is able to Connect.
“Everything we do impacts the big picture mission because we’re impacting the Airmen that make up the mission,” said Master Sgt. Alicia Greene, 14th CPTS Financial Services Flight Chief. “Down here, it’s all about the person, so ensuring that we are properly executing dollars and providing that sound advice to leadership so they can properly execute at their levels is pertinent.”
Unlike the 14th CPTS Financial Analysis Flight, which focuses primarily on providing budgetary services to the 14th FTW overall, financial service Airmen are in charge of ensuring roughly 2,700 Airmen, general schedule (GS) employees, and even officer’s payroll is accurate, up-to-date and paid on time.
“We know finance is more of a support role, but we are still a vital role in making sure all of our Airmen are taken care of,” said 2nd Lt. Michael Delaney, 14th CPTS Financial Services Flight commander. “People have to pay for all of their expenses such as housing, children, schooling, and if we’re not doing our jobs correctly, they won’t be able to pay for those which can cause a lot of hardships on them,” Delaney said. “We try our best to mitigate that.”
A lot of pieces are involved with such a job covering so many Airmen across the base, however, Greene is confident her Airmen are still properly trained to perform their responsibilities to the best of their abilities based on their regulations.
“I enjoy helping people, so having that interaction with the customers, granted most of the time the answer isn’t what they want to hear, but providing them the most accurate and up-to-date information so they can walk away at least satisfied that we’re doing things correctly,” Greene said. “When our customers appreciate what we’re doing, that brightens my day.”
Apart from just assisting customers with services, the Financial Services Flight also provides a once-a-month educational meeting to help discuss financial information and answer questions members may have about their pay and entitlements.
Money-Talk Monday is an open-dialogue meeting available to members of Team Blaze to learn more about the major financial pieces of their pay and receive answers to financial concerns or questions.
“We have to make sure that our customers are educated on their finances, which makes our job easier,” Greene said. “Getting the feedback or the input from the different squadron levels asking to be signed up for a Monday because folks want to know more about their LESs or their pay would be great.”
To sign up for the meeting, please contact Greene or Michelle Bruce, 14th Force Support Squadron Personal Finance Counselor, who can help schedule the next meeting.