CA August 2007 for CD.pmd - 440th Airlift Wing

News440th Airlift Wing comptrolleroffice open for business at PopeWASHINGTON (AFPN) — After examininghow much time Airmen spend on annual ancillarytraining, Air Force leaders have decidedthat time should be allocated more efficiently.In effect as of Oct. 1, ancillary training requirementswill be reduced to 90 minutes, as opposedto almost nine hours per Airman spreadthroughout the year.“An Airman’s time is valuable, one of themost precious commodities we have,” said AirForce Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. “Iwant a lot of our ancillary training to be combinedso Airmen can spend more time concentratingon their jobs.”The goal is to cut the time spent on ancillarytraining to the “minimum level necessary,” GeneralMoseley says in his latest “Chief’s Scope.”The initiative is part of Air Force SmartOperations for the 21st Century, an Air ForcebyMaj. Rick Jellison440th Airlift Wing ComptrollerA new comptroller organization has arrivedat Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The office move isa result of the base realignment and closure actionsthat were passed in late 2005. The 440 thFinancial Management Office is part of the 440 thAirlift Wing, the unit that moved its flag to PopeAFB on June 10.The 440 th FM offices are co-located withthe 43 rd Comptroller Squadron in building 315 onPope AFB. The FM management team is in theprocess of hiring the full-time and Reserve staffthat will manage all financial management operationsfor the 440 th AW. Those operations includebudgeting, transaction management, military andcivilian pay, and travel.Co-locating with the 43 rd CPTS will allowboth Comptroller organizations to gain synergythrough team work aimed at supporting all “TeamPope” members.As the military comptroller and chief financialofficer of the wing, I have two primary responsibilities.First, and foremost, I have theresponsibility to maintain a “ready to deploy”staff of combat comptrollers who are capable ofmeeting the requirements expected of a combatready wing.This is the primary function of my traditionalreservist staff and their training focus duringreserve training weekends.My other, and equally important function,is maintaining the day-to-day financial operationsof the 440 th , servicing about 250 full-time civilianMaj. Rick Jellison, 440th Comptrollerand Air Reserve Technicians. My staff also managesthe Operations and Maintenance, and ReservePersonnel Appropriations that sustain thewing on a daily basis.Annual training requirements to be shortened to 90 minutesby Staff Sgt. J.G. BuzanowskiSecretary of the Air Force Public Affairswide program where organizations reexamine theirown procedures and processes to find ways tosave time and money.Under the new 90-minute “block instruction”plan, Airmen will save almost an entireworkday, or about 8.65 hours per person, accordingto Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, deputy chief ofstaff of Air Force manpower, personnel and services.General Brady’s team examined 16 differenttraining courses and redesigned how Airmenwill receive that information. In an hour and ahalf, Airmen will receive blocks of training organizedinto categories that will simplify the trainingprocess without greatly diminishing the valueof the training itself.“I will not let ancillary training overshadowour combat focus,” General Moseley said. “Theseconcrete steps will tip the scales to give Airmenmore time to focus on their primary mission.”For even greater convenience, units will haveseveral options for completing all three blocks.Commanders will have the choice of holding theentire 90 minutes at once in a mass briefing, orsplit up into three segments throughout the year.The blocks also will be available as both groupand individual computer presentations.While the 90 minutes of instruction will meetannual requirements for Total Force Airmen, therewill continue to be additional, specific trainingfor select Airmen. For example, new Airmen willstill need to attend initial security orientation attheir first duty station and Airmen changing dutystations to go overseas will require counterintelligencetraining. Although courses like these willstill be in addition to the annual required 90-minute training, there is a plan now that also willreduce the time it takes for these extra courses byup to 72 percent, General Brady said.“Our approach is aggressive and will forceeveryone to justify how the benefits of their proposedtraining outweigh the burden on our Airmen,”General Brady said.Page 8 The Combat Airlifter August 2007