U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY --
When finance Airmen deploy, their responsibilities shift from primarily administrative tasks at home station to managing cash transactions, funding mission-essential needs, and ensuring financial accountability in a contingency environment.
In the deployed environment, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing financial management flight is a 5-person team that assumes a more hands-on role to ensure financial operations run smoothly within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
Senior Airman William Parker, a 386th AEW FM cashier and customer service technician, describes deployed finance as "combat finance," highlighting its direct impact on sustaining operations. Finance Airmen provide a range of financial services at the Rock, including creating and managing the base's annual budget, financial analysis, military pay, entitlements, travel vouchers, and Savings Deposit Program assistance.
One unique aspect of deployed finance is the “cashier’s cage.” Unlike finance operations at bases in the U.S. where digital transactions are normal, contingency operations require meticulous handling of physical currency. Airmen must count and exchange currencies with absolute precision, as even minor errors can have significant consequences to the mission.
Beyond currency management, these finance Airmen actively support other mission-essential needs.
"From funding security forces' equipment to processing financial requests for base operations, we ensure resources are available where and when they are needed,” Parker said. "We’re keeping the mission going."
This role demands adaptability and quick decision-making, as financial operations must accommodate service members from various home stations, each with unique financial requirements.
Tech. Sgt. Tyler Easterly, 386th AEW FM customer service noncommissioned officer in-charge, underscores the high stakes of financial management in a deployed setting.
"Integrity is a core part of this job, and staying true to it is important,” Easterly said. “It’s not just about your career—it can also have financial consequences.”
His primary responsibility involves overseeing the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement program, which manages reimbursements from coalition partners for services such as fuel and entertainment.
Easterly’s team tracks incoming and outgoing funds, often handling anywhere from $3,000 to $200,000 per month.
With limited resources, challenges, and cash-based transactions as the standard, finance Airmen must be innovative in their problem-solving.
Easterly and his team have tackled complex issues, including resolving a four-year-old $1.4 million discrepancy and processing $50,000 cash payments for contractors when electronic systems failed.
"Deployed finance is often overlooked, but the importance of our role cannot be overstated” Easterly added.
From managing significant cash transactions to resolving international financial discrepancies, the finance team’s adaptability and dedication make them indispensable and highlights the vital part they play in mission success.