DoD awards Stewart Resource Management Office

By Jennifer Scales, Fort Stewart Public AffairsJune 16, 2011

There is a phrase adage that says ‘there is no I in TEAM.’

This has been duly noted by the Department of Defense to a garrison organization, as it has bestowed upon the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Garrison Resource Management Office the Department of Defense Calendar Year 2010 Team Award for Improvements to Budget Execution.

William Jeffers, garrison resource management office director, and Sharon Watson, RMO budget analyst, both reflect sentiments of honor for the award.

“DoD recognized us because we taught 15 other Army installations how to use the new General Fund Enterprise Business System,” Jeffers said. Though this new financial system came out in 2009, Fort Stewart was one of the first to adopt it. Once we felt comfortable with it, we extended an invitation to other installations to come here to learn about it; to see it live, instead of in a classroom setting.”

For most of 2010, financial organizations from such places as Fort Wainwright, AK; Fort Carson, CO; Fort Huachuca, AZ; Weisbaden, Germany; and other areas from the continental United States, Pacific, and Europe, visited Fort Stewart to actually sit at the terminals with RMO staff to get hands on learning experience.

In addition to the training they offered, the Stewart RMO continued with their normal financial management duties of programming and executing a $253 million budget and closing out Fiscal Year 2010 with a zero balance.

From the beginning, the Stewart-Hunter RMO did not have any learner’s manual of instruction. It was by trial and error that they learned the new GFEBS. With about 10 pages of lessons learned, they then set about to share their knowledge with others.

Through the Web site garrisoncommand.com, Jeffers extended the invitation to see GFEBS live and in action. “Those who came were able to actually see commitments, obligations, and other actions,” he said. “Classroom training is one thing, but hands on behind the wheel is better.”

Through this mode of training, Jeffers estimated that other garrisons saved about 8100 hours of frustration and about $367,000 dollars. “Now they are months ahead in GFEBS knowledge.”

Jeffers continued, “This was our duty to the Army, Department of Defense, and the country since we were the first to learn GFEBS. We strive to share our expertise with everyone in the Army that can benefit from our lessons learned and smooth the path for all others to follow.”

Watson was on leave when she learned of the award, but was really excited about the recognition for the RMO team effort.

“We had a steep learning curve changing from the basic financial processes we already had in place,” Watson said. She noted that many of the staff who work in RMO came there with their budget and financial expertise they garnered from their prior jobs as budget analysts, financial analysts, and payroll technicians from other directorates.

On behalf of the directorate, Watson attended the Professional Development Institute Conference in Minnesota, which was hosted by the American Society of Military Comptrollers, where the award was presented by Robert F. Hale, Under-Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and chief financial officer.

Yaritza Gonzalez, who is a Family Member and an RMO budget analyst on the 20-person team, totally agreed with Jeffers and Watson. “It is exciting to be recognized by the Department of the Defense. Though tough at times, it was very rewarding,” Gonzalez said.

Colonel Kevin Milton, Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Garrison Commander, and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. James Ervin, congratulated the team for the unprecedented award.

“You all did it,” Col. Milton said. “You have been a big part of making the Army auditable in the near future.”

Command Sergeant Major Ervin also commented on the RMO organization. “Great organizations make sure the people carrying the torch are awarded appropriately. Everyone here [RMO] is pulling in the same direction; many organizations don’t achieve that. As long as you have that ‘team first’ concept, you will achieve great things.”

Watson reiterated that it was a total team effort, but each individual person should be thanked. “These are hard working, intelligent people who put forth a lot of effort on a day-to-day basis.

Plus, Bill Jeffers is a great leader and allows us the opportunity to do our jobs, which enhances the end process.”