The deployed comptroller.

Dick Reed

Senior Budget Analyst

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy

(Financial Management and Comptroller)

Who Is He?

Is he different from the next soldier, civilian, contractor? Well, he's a patriot who believes in democracy and the American way. Like many, he's had a wonderful government career with opportunities to grow professionally and earn a few letters behind his name, such as CDFM (Certified Defense Financial Manager) and CGFM (Certified Government Financial Manager). He earned a BSEE (bachelor of science in electrical engineering), an MBA (master of business administration), and an MS (master of science).

His talents enabled him to participate in the Congressional Fellowship Program--American Political Science Association. He is a 1996 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management, and he's worked over 30 years for the Department of the Navy (10 years at the Naval Research Laboratory and 20 years within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller). Most importantly, he has a remarkable wife and two loving children.

Who is he? He's Mr. Dick Reed, senior budget analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller). The following is a report on the workshop he conducted at the ASMC Professional Development Institute in Salt Lake City, giving an account of his experiences as a deployed comptroller.

... And Then, the World Changed

All of his past life accomplishments pale compared to one day in history that will forever be carved into Dick Reed's heart: September 11, 2001. You see, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and went through his office. It blew out windows, torpedoed through walls, and collapsed the ceiling in his office. As did many others, he also lost friends and co-workers. He knows this was probably the luckiest day of his life--he survived. Yet, even after the attack, he and his co-workers continued to press on.

Mr. Reed experienced a heartfelt draw to volunteer for service in Afghanistan--so he did. However, his request was denied. Next, he tried for service in Iraq--same result. He desperately felt that he needed to deploy and serve; it was his duty. Then, at 11:20 p.m. on New Year's Eve, 2001, he received a telephone call: Did he still want to serve in Iraq? After discussing it thoroughly with his family, who didn't want him to leave but understood his passion to serve, he accepted the offer. The position was not for what he initially had volunteered, but it turned out to be one of the most fulfilling jobs of his career.

When deployed, one quickly adapts to the environment; there's no other choice. Adapt or crumble. Mr. Reed shared his living space with nearly 400 people. That was an enormous change from life back in America. At home, comptrollers deal with funds authorized and appropriated by the United States Congress; in Iraq, they handle dollars (which may or may not be appropriated) as well as local currency. While in America, staff officers and comptrollers have the opportunity to reflect and consider alternatives. While deployed, comptrollers make decisions and adjust as required. In the United States, the comptroller "final authority" usually resides elsewhere. In Iraq, the buck stopped with Mr. Reed; he was the final authority.

Bottom line: Life at the Pentagon--or at any U.S. garrison--is totally different from life in a deployed environment. Deployment causes people to truly appreciate the little things in life. It causes them to focus on what's really important, and they make special efforts to get those things right.

Some things are common to all deployed personnel, be they service members, Department of Defense civilian employees, or contractor personnel: Everyone cherishes life, everyone wants sandbags around spaces where they work and sleep, and everyone takes force protection very seriously--it's literally a matter of life and death. Therefore, people make special efforts to get along.

Why Comptrollers Are Needed in Deployments

Comptrollers are extremely valuable to the deployed commander. As comptrollers, whether they like it or not, they're the subject matter experts in all aspects of fiscal law and policy. Comptrollers manage funds (U.S. and Interim Iraqi Government), have a substantial role in paying vendors (in cash or by electronic funds transfers), and account for tons of cash.

Additionally, comptrollers manage the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP), whereby seized Iraqi funds are returned to the people of Iraq by paying for the construction of schools, playgrounds, and baseball fields, as well as funding other actions that directly impact the citizens of Iraq. In fact, none of the CERP dollars can be used to buy bullets or equipment for the U.S. Forces or to pay U.S. personnel.

Comptrollers coordinate and execute "money runs" and "jingle flights," where tons of money are both concealed and transported to designated spots for pick-up throughout the country, or where money is flown into the country, perhaps in the very early morning to help conceal the mission. U.S. comptrollers even had to secure and account for cash and jewels seized from Uday Hussein's treasures.

A wartime economy needs cash to operate, and the Iraqi economy is no different. The U.S. brought in cash--and lots of it! All told, we brought in more than $7 billion--none of it taxpayers' money. It was all Iraqi oil revenue, denominated in dollars, as the new Iraqi dinar had not yet been established. Each money run began with a jingle flight from Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, and ended at the Central Bank of Iraq in downtown Baghdad. The flights usually brought in $800 million or so, but the record haul (and the world's record as far as anyone knew) was a single money run of $2.4 billion.

Comptrollers Count

Generally, vendors and contractors preferred working with the deployed comptroller because the local Iraqi economy was in great disarray, and the banking industry was recovering very slowly and wanted to get paid promptly for the goods or services they provided. Since there was no central clearinghouse for checks, the comptroller carried cash, which people eagerly accepted. Moreover, comptrollers provided the only electronic funds transfer capability around.

Without the comptroller, CERP would not exist, vendors and contractors would see long delays in their payments, and flexibility would be hindered. "Hard-car" (bullet-proof vehicle) purchases would be significantly delayed, and reprogramming funds would become an extremely difficult process. Money would not move in or around Iraq to fund the restoration of the county and the eventual transfer of power back to the Iraqi government.

The comptroller is an essential part of the deployed team. He or she must be competent, driven, and creative and bound with integrity in order to succeed on today's battlefield.

Survival "Gear" for the Deployed Comptroller

Mr. Reed shared his methods for survival in a combat area deployment. Military gear is heavy, he noted. Get physically fit and maintain it; eat healthy and watch your diet. It is easy to gain several pounds when your time is primarily consumed by shift work, eating, and sleeping. Endurance and stamina are valuable assets, and taking care of your health helps you maintain top performance.

Although Mr. Reed agrees with the saying, "There are no atheists in a foxhole," he found that some blasts were non-events. Sporadic explosions were the result of random, even "lucky" attempts to inflict damage on allied forces. Friends taught him how to determine the type of explosion from the deliberate to the more dangerous mortar fire that is ranged in on targets. For the sporadic explosions, some people continued what they were doing, even if they were sleeping. They'd wake up, identify the type of explosion, and then either grab their Kevlar[R] helmets and continue what they were doing or take immediate cover.

The comptroller is essentially vital to the accomplishment of the deployed unit's mission. Comptrollers are combat multipliers and are needed to resolve all fiscal matters. A person deployed in this role should quickly integrate into the team, be decisive, and take initiative. Make decisions, yet have the courage to change plans, given better, or more timely, information because situations definitely will change.

Even though deployed, take time to enjoy the camaraderie and reflect on loved ones in the United States. Local friendships among deployed personnel grow quickly and deep. Cherish them! Remember why we do the things we do: so people in Iraq (or other countries like Afghanistan) may enjoy the freedoms that we cherish--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Acknowledgment

The author especially thanks Mr. Dick Reed for his contributions, discussions, material provided, and review of this article.

Reported by Major Stephen E. Kent

Major Stephen Kent currently works in the Army G-4 as a program analyst and was recently the Sustaining Program Evaluation Group's administrator, et Certified Defense Financial Manager, he is a member of ASMC's Washington Chapter.