Our financial status as a country, Air Force and as a wing

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck
  • 509th Bomb Wing commander
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  I thought it would be beneficial to discuss with you some pressing topics regarding not only our great nation, but the Air Force and our wing as well.  Primarily, I want to talk with you about money:  Our financial status in my opinion as a country; as an Air Force; and as a Wing. 

Also, I want to help educate members of Team Whiteman on our wing budget.  It's important for everyone to understand where our funds come from, how the Financial Management Board (FMB) works, and how the Nonappropriated Funds (NAF) Council works.  We all need to understand these things so we know how to more effectively make our voices heard and so we can all participate in the process more effectively.

To begin with, our nation is in debt - serious debt.  As I write this our current national debt sits at $18.1 trillion and that figure is climbing higher each day.  I don't tell you this to make a political statement; I'm telling you because it is reality. 

The debt our beloved nation currently holds impacts our national security now and in the future.  It also directly impacts us as a military force and if nothing is done the current level of national debt will impact our ability to remain the superpower that we are today.  It is time that we all recognize this and begin to take steps to do our part to rectify the situation.  That said, we as a nation need to bring down our debt smartly. 

And while sequestration is the law, it is not the smart answer we are looking for.      
  
Sequestration is currently preventing our Air Force and our sister services from executing a defense strategy our leadership believes is in the best interests of the United States.  If sequestration continues in 2016 as current law requires, squadrons will be grounded, readiness rates will plummet, Red and Green Flag exercises will be cancelled, weapons school classes will be limited, and many of our frustration-levels will skyrocket all over again. 
The good news is that the President's budget proposal for next year includes for the USAF, an additional $21 billion over last year's request.  Almost all of that money is directed towards advanced capabilities and modernization.  Again, it is a proposed budget that Congress needs to approve; sequestration, as of now, still remains the law.
As a wing we have not been immune from the effects of budget cuts.  There are many things that you and I would like to improve here at Whiteman but we don't necessarily have the money to do so.  As such we have been prioritizing what we can do based upon what money is available and what that money can be used for legally.

There are two major types of funds that we receive.  First, there are Appropriated Funds (APF).  APF are funds (our tax dollars) given to the wing by Congress.  These funds must be utilized in accordance with law.  Typically these funds are given to us to be used for very specific programs - meaning there is no flexibility on what we can do with that money.  Our Comptroller Squadron manages the wing's APF in coordination with the Financial Management Board (FMB).  The FMB helps me determine program priorities.  The FMB in coordination with 509 CPTS also ensures the right money gets allocated to fund the proper programs and some specific unfunded requirements. 

Unlike APF, NAF provide greater flexibility for us to directly contribute to quality of life initiatives here.  NAF money, which is generated by Force Support programs on base, also is what we can use to enact morale, welfare and recreation programs for our Whiteman community.  FSS facilities, like our Royal Oaks golf course, the Stars & Strikes bowling alley, and Mission's End, generate their own income to cover their own operating expenses - meaning they sustain themselves.  The leftover profits are then reinvested into equipment and facility upgrades, as well as many of the renovation projects you see occurring throughout the base, such as the new bowling center.

The NAF Council, whose voting members are appointed by me and represent every group here, decides which programs to fund with the leftover profits from our FSS facilities.  So in order to have your voice heard, you should contact your group's NAF Council representative to ensure they know what your preferences are for how this money should be spent. 

Now, I realize I have just thrown a lot of information at you and it's not the easiest process to grasp.  I did so because I think it is information all of us need to have and to understand.  If you still have questions, that's okay - that's why we all have a supervisor to help us understand new concepts and to help us understand where we fit in the big scheme of things. 

As I mentioned earlier, money is tight for our country, for our service, and for our wing.  That said, I want you all to be able to provide feedback on the improvements you want to see here at Whiteman.  Hopefully, now you have a better understanding on how to do that and how our wing's budget works.

I appreciate your time and I appreciate all that you and your families do for our great nation.