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380AEW Article

Finance, contracting close out fiscal 2012 for 380th AEW

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Savannah
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Typically, a wing's contracting squadron and finance office has members working until the final hours of Sept. 30 each year, waiting for any last-minute end-of-fiscal year money to potentially come from its major command.

Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's Comptroller Flight and 380th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron however, left more than three hours before the close of fiscal 2012.

"The closeout went well," said Tech. Sgt. Samuel Eller, finance accounting liaison. "We closed out pretty early because contracting had all their contracts to us pretty early."

Eller, a Conyers, Ga., native deployed from Misawa Air Base, Japan, said the quick work is also due to frequent "soft" closeouts performed during the year.

"Usually at the beginning of the year it's quarterly, and then towards the end of the year it's monthly, where we try to get all the contracts that we have ... obligated," Eller said.

According to Master Sgt. William McLaughlin, 380th ECONS superintendent, communication between the two offices was even weekly. E-mails between McLaughlin and Maj. Michelle Griffith, 380th AEW comptroller, included databases of open obligations the contracting squadron and finance office were tracking.

"We knew we were leaving early because we had postured ourselves for it," said McLaughlin, an Orlando, Fla., native permanently assigned here.

By the end of fiscal 2012, the 380th AEW spent $49.5 million. More than $44 million was on contracting actions.

Griffith said the successful closeout included "big things" coming for the base.

"There was a lot of quality of life," said Griffith, a Hillsboro, Wis., native deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. She said projects included the dining facilities, facility projects, pool improvements, community activity center upgrades, pavilion furniture and more.

"Funding (these) upgrades are for the betterment of everybody," Griffith said.

McLaughlin said other projects included an engineering and escort building for $700,000, a medical clinic expansion for $495,000, the new Exchange for $400,000, and security forces sun shades for more than $72,000.

"Overall the closeout went really smooth," Griffith said. "I've been doing closeout for 20 years and this is probably the easiest one I've ever had."

McLaughlin said the same of his 11 years in contracting and attributed most of the success to Griffith. She said it was about the teamwork.

"I think teamwork has a lot to do with it, and we were organized," Griffith said. "People were ready to execute. When you communicate and you have that teamwork and you're organized, I think it makes all the difference in the world."