1st TSC finance officer shares Green to Gold journey

FORT KNOX, Ky. – A 1st Theater Sustainment Command finance officer began his Army journey as an enlisted mechanic then commissioned using the Army’s Green to Gold Program.

Now 1st Lt. Juan Santiago handles the fiscal responsibilities of the Fort Knox, Kentucky, command and all units deployed overseas, including contracts and Basic Life Support in theater.

Long before performing financial duties at a two-star Army command, Santiago studied electronics repair in his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. After graduating high school, he worked as a security guard, initially dismissing his friends’ aims to join the military.

Santiago selected his initial military occupation to gain experience as a mechanic intending to serve only one contract. However, he grew to greatly value working with and leading Soldiers.

NCO Santiago earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting through online coursework with National University in Puerto Rico, but that knowledge didn’t align with his job duties at the time.

“When I was an NCO, I enjoyed leading Soldiers, but I didn’t enjoy administrative tasks,” said Santiago. “Once promoted, I had similar responsibilities as an officer. I thought, I’m doing all this work, almost like an officer, I might as well get paid for it.”

Santiago saw the Army as an investment, not in money, but time. His goal was to get the most out of it, and his mentor encouraged him to apply for the Green to Gold program.

Santiago decided to apply to Green to Gold when his family grew, and he and his wife welcomed a baby. “I was already thinking about the program, and she also encouraged me to do it. I decided to go because of the opportunity to improve my career and better support my family.”

For the two years Santiago was in Green to Gold, he served in leadership roles as a cadet and earned a master’s degree in business administration, with a specialization in finance. He held the position of cadet lieutenant and cadet battalion commander, at Ana de Mendez University, also in Puerto Rico, which he attended in person after moving back for the duration of the program, and at the nearby Camp Santiago.

“I went from logistics, as a mechanic, to finance, because my bachelor’s degree was in accounting. That’s another reason I decided to become an officer, and change my job, so it was aligned with my studies. And once I retire from the Army, I could pursue work in that area,” said Santiago.

Now he is a member of the G8 section, performing financial duties in a sustainment command. “Everything in the Army, and outside of the Army costs money,” said Santiago. “We manage those funds for all the units: down range, and here at Fort Knox. We support them with any financial requirements they have. We review our budget and decide to fund those requirements.”

The 1st TSC is one of the commands awarded two Division Commander’s Hip Pocket scholarships, in which the command nominates Soldiers who demonstrate the core tenants of the program: Scholar, Athlete, and Leader. The scholarship has slightly different criteria than the Active-Duty option Santiago took, although he applied to and was accepted to both.

“For anyone interested in commissioning, my advice is to do it as soon as possible” said Santiago. “My biggest challenge was transitioning from being an NCO to an officer. Even though both are leaders, their specific roles are very different.”

Throughout his twelve years of concurrent Army service, Santiago served seven as enlisted, two as a cadet while in the Green to Gold program, and three, so far, as an officer.

“If you’re thinking about commissioning, don’t waste your time, just do it as soon as possible. Because it will be beneficial: you’re going to learn faster and you’re going to be in those positions where you can see the bigger picture. It’s a great opportunity for you to improve, even if you only plan to serve the Army for a certain amount of time,” he said.

“When it’s your time to get out, you’ll already have your bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you’ll have the experience in a higher position, which can help you get a better job. I think Green to Gold is one of the best programs in the Army.”

The process for applying and starting the program takes at least a year, so enlisted Soldiers who are interested are encouraged to reach out to their command representative or contact Cadet Command for more information.

The Green to Gold program typically opens for applications from June to November.

The 1st Theater Sustainment Command provides centralized sustainment Command and Control and executes predictive and precise operational-level sustainment to the Army, Joint Force, and Unified Action Partners to enable multi-domain operations in support of the Combatant Command (USCENTCOM) and the Theater Army/Combined Forces Land Component Command.