Base works hard to close out fiscal year 2010

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alesia D. Goosic
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Most people only dream of having the opportunity to spend millions of dollars, but as the end of the fiscal year approaches that dream has become a reality - and a lot of hard work - for members of the 18th Comptroller and Contracting Squadrons.

Members of the comptroller and contracting squadrons, along with resource advisors across the base, are working to procure last minute purchases before fiscal year 2010 comes to an end.

"We plan for the fiscal year end all year long," said Lt. Col. Phillip Hendrix, 18th Contracting Squadron commander, "but it's this final month of September where we are all feeling the crunch, since we must ensure all funded requests are awarded by midnight on Sept. 30."

The Sept. 30 deadline is a crucial part of the end of fiscal year process.

"During this time of year there's a heightened sense of emphasis and urgency because the clock stops midnight Sept. 30," said Lt. Col. Seung Paik, 18th Comptroller Squadron commander. "Come midnight Sept. 30, if it hasn't been bought, if it hasn't been swiped with that card, or if a contract document has not been conducted by contracting then that money is no longer usable."

In addition to the Sept. 30 closeout date, there is also a "soft closeout" mandated by Pacific Air Forces that will take place on Sept. 23.

"This is a kind of "dress rehearsal" for the actual end of year," said Capt. Scott Guptill, 18th CPTS budget officer. "We will treat Sept. 23 as if it is actually the end of the fiscal year and will do all that we can to execute all of the funding that we currently have available and that may come down from PACAF. The soft closeout should help us to have a less stressful and hectic fiscal year end, because we will take a phased approach to closing out the year."

Lt. Col. Paik explained that Kadena's $200 million annual operational budget is piecemealed throughout the year with a large chunk of the money not becoming available until the last 60 to 90 days of the fiscal year. To prepare to expend this increased funding during the last quarter of the fiscal year, the base refers to the unfunded requirements list, which is comprised throughout the year.

The unfunded requirements list is a "wish list" of sorts that all the different units put together of the items that are mission essential or that they would like to have, but that they didn't have enough funding to cover throughout the year, Captain Guptill said.

"All of these requirements are gathered together, then ranked by the group commanders and then approved by Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach," he said. "Then, as funding becomes available at the end of the year, we go down the unfunded list and provide funding to as many requirements as we can."

Resource advisors are essential in creating the unfunded requirements lists and in the entire end of year process. They identify all of the needs, requirements and wants of the different units and help provide the justification for why those items are crucial.

"The resource advisors are really our front line troops during the end of the year process," Captain Guptill said.

Although the end of the fiscal year brings a huge focus on money, financial managers are not the only ones involved in the end of year process.

"Even though people see a lot of dollar signs, it doesn't begin and end with us," Lt. Col. Paik said. "A lot of hands play in the success of fiscal year end. At the end of the day, if the contracting squadron can't buy it, then the money we provide does no good."

The FMs make sure the money is coming down and going to the right places, notify the people and prioritize the requirement, then contracting has to find vendors who can provide the goods or services, receive their quotes, analyze the information to determine the best value to the government, and then they can finally award the contract.

"Every person in 18 CONS plays a part in fiscal year end closeout," Lt. Col. Hendrix said. "The warranted contracting officers in 18 CONS are very busy at end of year reviewing and awarding contracts, while our contract administrators are also very busy researching and writing those contracts. We also have personnel who make sure funding documents are processed, tracked and loaded into our systems."

The teamwork among 18 CONS, 18 CPTS and the resource advisors across the base is crucial in ensuring the success of fiscal year's end.

"If you have a requirement that gets funded and purchased in September," Lt. Col. Hendrix said, "consider patting your squadron RA on the back, as well as the CPTS and CONS personnel who were involved. These team members worked tirelessly together to see it thru to completion."

Lt. Col. Paik emphasized that the fiscal year end process is truly a base-wide effort necessary to keep Kadena mission ready and improve quality of life for its Airmen.

"Kadena is an extremely busy place requiring a continuous flow of resources to operate and sustain our unmatched combat power," Lt. Col. Paik said. "We rely on every member throughout the year to highlight requirements and to push forward good ideas that will enhance the wing's mission and improve our quality of life. And as this effort occurs year after year, the Comptroller and Contracting personnel are ready and dedicated to making sure the resource flow never stops."