Army Service Day.

Lieutenant General Jerry Sinn

Military Deputy for Budget

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army

(Financial Management & Comptroller)

Major General Lynn Hartsell

Director for Army Budget

Brigadier General Bob Durbin

Deputy Director

Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate

Headquarters, Department of the Army

Colonel Joseph Anderson

Commander of the 2nd Brigade

101st Air Assault Division

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller) (OASA(FM&C)) hosted on June 2, 2004, its annual Army Service Day in conjunction with the American Society of Military Comptrollers National Professional Development Institute (PDI). This year's theme was "Managing Resources During Wartime."

Through Service Day presentations and PDI-sponsored workshops, members of the Army financial management community had many opportunities to come together and discuss current topics, exchange best practices, and meet their counterparts.

The Army Day keynote speaker was Lieutenant General Jerry Sinn, the Military Deputy for Budget, OASA(FM&C). LTG Sinn is the senior military resource manager in the Army and advises the political and senior military leadership on all Army fiscal matters. LTG Sinn began his remarks by welcoming the almost 800 Army resource management professionals who participated in the event. He also formally recognized eighteen individuals and four separate teams as recipients of this year's Resource Management Awards.

LTG Sinn discussed how the Army has successfully transitioned to a campaign-quality force that is both relevant and ready to prevail in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Acknowledging that demands on the Army have produced tremendous challenges for the Army resource management community, he nonetheless challenged the Army's comptrollers to continue managing the Army's day-to-day wartime fiscal requirements, to ensure that the congressionally directed force structure increase is properly and seamlessly funded, and to look toward the future to guarantee that there is funding for transformation. LTG Sinn also shared some comments about the state of our resource management community, which he sees as very positive.

Finally, he both informed and entertained the audience by administering a short quiz with questions about the fiscal year (FY) 2005 budget, including the following:

Q: The 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) will receive how many Stryker vehicles from the FY 2004 buy?

(A) 259

(B) 301

(C) 348

Q: How much was the FY 2005 President's Budget submitted to Congress in February 2004?

(A) $93.8B

(B) $95.8B

(C) $98.5B

Q: Congress is expected to appropriate what amount of bridge supplemental at the beginning of FY 2005 for emergency funding?

(A) $15B

(B) $25B

(C) $45B

(See answers at end.)

LTG Sinn's plenary remarks were followed by three thought-provoking breakout sessions. First, Major General Lynn Hartsell, the Director for Army Budget, presented the Army Day FY 2004 and FY 2005 Budget Session.

MG Hartsell touched on the complexities of the FY 2004 mid-year review, expectations for closing out FY 2004, the FY 2005 President's budget now being debated in Congress, and the FY 2005 GWOT Supplemental.

MG Hartsell noted that FY 2005 supplemental funding will be critical to support FY 2005 challenges. He also commented that the Army must receive at least a portion of the required supplemental funding early in the fiscal year so that work deferred in FY 2004 due to shortfalls can be accomplished without impacting readiness.

Next, Brigadier General Bob Durbin, Deputy Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate, Headquarters, Department of the Army, conducted the second breakout session. BG Durbin presented a discussion of the Army Focus Areas and progress to date as well as the Army Campaign Plan. For the Army to remain relevant and ready, BG Durbin argued that it must balance its core competencies and land power capabilities. To achieve its goals, the Army is concentrating on 17 immediate focus areas. BG Durbin described how the focus areas and overarching plan allow the Army to develop its resourcing strategy decisions.

To close the breakout sessions, Colonel Joseph Anderson, Commander of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Air Assault Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, gave a fast-paced, multimedia presentation on his unit's past operations in Mosul, Iraq. Colonel Anderson's "Strike" Brigade Combat Team (BCT) deployed to Northern Iraq from April 2003 through February 2004. Recently back from this deployment, his perspective was an enlightening look into operations in a war zone and all the challenges that go along with it.

One of the main financial management resource tools at Colonel Anderson's disposal was the Commanders Emergency Response Program fund. This fund facilitated the rebuilding of Mosul's infrastructure, a critical mission for the 2d BCT. Colonel Anderson covered many topics and fielded a broad range of questions. His remarks brought the boots-on-the-ground perspective to life for the Army financial management community.

The Army Service Day events were a terrific opening to the ASMC National PDI. The many members of our financial management community who participated gained valuable knowledge covering a broad range of issues that the Army is currently facing.

For additional information about Army Service Day, please contact the Army Comptroller Proponency Office at [phone].

(Answers to the quiz: B, C, and B, respectively.)