ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The U.S. Army Sustainment Command's lead personnel for financial management traveled from around the world to attend an S-8 (Resource Management) conference at ASC headquarters in Building 390, here, Dec. 7-9.
The purpose of the event was to help synchronize financial management efforts across ASC's area of responsibility and to collaborate on solutions to current challenges, according to Cheryl Vincent, director, G-8 (Resource Management), ASC. This was the first S-8 conference held at ASC in four years.
"We want to be the best stewards of the command's resources as we can be," said Vincent.
As a general-level command, ASC headquarters has a G-8 that is in charge of financial oversight and management. As colonel-level commands, each of ASC's Army Field Support Brigades has a designated S-8. The G-8 provides funding to the S-8s who then work to 'obligate' (spend) it on services and material to troops.
The G-8 also provides guidance in coordination with the Support Operations staff on how the money should be spent and managed. The G-8 gives direction in accordance with the priorities of higher-level commands, which in turn ultimately receive their direction from the U.S. Congress.
Some of the highlights of the conference included discussions about budget execution, reimbursable agreements, financial accounting systems and audit readiness. Attendees met with others in the command that work closely with the G-8 and S-8s, including several representatives from the G-1 (Human Resources) and the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise business office. They also met with external agencies such as Army Contracting Command-Rock Island.
Debra Bradley, resource management officer, S-8, 404th AFSB, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, said the conference helped the S-8s see the bigger financial picture.
"We have real-world missions, and we have a lot of different kinds of tasks," she said. "We have to be that all-encompassing resource, whereas up here at headquarters, this is a different perspective for us -- it's more refined."
Others agreed with Bradley that the conference was useful.
"Our discussion at the conference codifies what we do as a team," said Rick Sanders, resource management officer, S-8, 406th AFSB, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. "We all have to follow the same regulations, and our teams have to be on the same sheet of music."
Sanders said the conference was a way to instill discipline and unity of effort into the financial system, which touches every aspect of what ASC does in the field.
"Sometimes my interpretation versus how the G-8 boss sees it needs to be tweaked, and then there are new regulations that come out," he said.
Aligned under the U.S. Army Materiel Command, ASC is at the forefront of material management and logistics services used by Soldiers deployed and at home. According to Maj. Gen. Edward Daly, ASC's commanding general, the command's mission is to "integrate and synchronize the delivery of AMC capabilities and enablers at the operational and tactical points of need."
The 406th is the largest of ASC's AFSBs, with an area of responsibility that encompasses 26 states. The 406th executes over 40 percent of ASC's $2.1 billion FY17 budget.
ASC's AFSBs manage funds for multiple ASC missions, including the Army's Logistics Readiness Centers. The LRCs operate central issue facilities, motor pools, airfields and dining facilities located on almost every major Army installation.
"[LRCs] play a huge role in getting Soldiers equipped, deployed and in getting them back," said Sanders. "We are a very intricate part in making it happen for the Army."
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