I__. - International Military Testing Association

EVALUATION OF THE ARMY’S FINANCE SUPPORT COhlMANlI
ORGANIZATIONAL CONCEPT
Raymond 0. Waldkoetter, William R. White, Sr.! tend
Phillip L. Vandivier
U.S. Army Soldier Support Center
Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN 46216-5700
A new-modular concept of organization was developed for the Finance Support
Command (FSC) missions/functions to provide direct financial support to commanders.
units, and activities on an area basis. An Army restructuring initiative resulted in the reorganization
of the Finance Corps’ force structure with the planned FSC being a modular
TOE, that is sized depending on the population supported with two to six assigned finance
detachments. Before implementing the new organizational concept, a decision was later
made at Headquarters, Department of the Army to conduct an evaluation to determine if
the modular concept FSC would have the capability to perform the minimum essential
wartime tasks. Those wartime tasks place the FSC as a focal point for providing commerci:tl
vendor and contractual payments, various pay and disbursing services, and limited accounting
on an area basis. Finance units must also be prepared to protect and defend themsrlvcs
to continue sustainment of the force and maintain battle freedom for combat units to engage
the enemy.
A study team identified mission and functions to be performed by the FSCs in w:lrtime.
The relationships of the FSC with organizations above, below, and parallel were
outlined along with the interactions between these organizations. The study team estahlished
criteria to be met with current doctrine and “principles of support” and “standards of
service” as the foundation for battlefield finance support functions. A notional concept NX
developed, staffed and evaluated to determine the preferred FSC unit force structure. With
the assistance of subject-matter experts (SMEs) the capability of the preferred FSC design
and related functions was analyzed, to address military finance support requirements for
various theater scenarios, across the spectrum of contlict and in different geographical
locations. Then, major Army commands (MACOMsj concurred with the recommeIld~ttior1
to adopt the modular concept FSC organization with the proviso that the concept he dul)
evaluated prior to implementing actions.
The Soldier Support Center (SSC) hosted a MACOM level Finance Study Advi?;orF
Group (SAG), 30 June - 1 July 1988, to further assess the proposed modular organizational
design. The SAG recommended fielding the modular design and conducting an on-site fiel:i
evaluation of the design prior to world-wide implementation. The Department of the Arill>..
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (DCSOPs) concurred with bc.)th recommend~ltii-;ns.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not nzcessitrily reflect tilt
view of the Soldier Support Center or the Department of the Army.