100th CPTS supports Team Mildenhall Airmen

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Whether it's making sure people are getting paid correctly, or ensuring squadrons get the money they need for essential equipment and supplies, the members of the 100th Comptroller Squadron work together as the keepers of RAF Mildenhall's purse strings.

In charge of money coming in and out, the financial services, disbursing and budget offices are constantly busy taking care of their customers, both individual and squadrons.

Financial Services

Daily operations for the financial services office consist of helping Team Mildenhall's military members, Department of Defense civilians and retirees pay and travel queries. The financial services office handles services including paycheck issues, reenlistment bonuses and flight pay, along with housing and travel allowances, said Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Chabarria, 100th CPTS Financial Services Office NCO in charge.

"We are also RAF Mildenhall's lead defense travel administrators, and approve all deployment vouchers when members return," she said. "We make sure they get all their deployment entitlements, such as tax free pay for working in a tax-free zone and family separation pay."

The Emmetsburg, Iowa, native advised that customers check their leave and earnings statements to make sure they're accurate.

"A lot of times, people don't check it so they don't realize there's an error," said Chabarria, adding that they end up coming to (finance) with a debt they weren't aware of.

The FSO also deals with all in-processing for members here and in Souda Bay, Greece, as well as retirements and separations money matters, and handle U.S. civilian time cards.

The NCOIC said the responsibility for military pay operations came back to them in March. Before that, the role was centralized at the Air Force Financial Services Center, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., but the responsibility was given to local offices, said the Iowa native.

"Having it here means we can process members pay transactions locally, and don't have to wait to send them off," Chabarria said. "It gives us more flexibility to take care of last-minute updates. It's a lot more work for us, but being able to help a customer out and being able to make their life a bit easier is worth the extra work."

The NCOIC said to save customers time, they can send paperwork to finance electronically by e-mail to 100.cpts.fmfs@mildenhall.af.mil.

"Sending items electronically means our customers don't lose duty time by having to come and see us," Chabarria said.

Disbursing office

The disbursing office here deals with financial items such as payment processing and check-cashing deposit verifications, and provides assistance serving as support for disbursing agents in Stavanger, Norway, and Cyprus, Greece,

When Airmen and their families arrive here, they may opt to take an advancement in pay to cover housing deposits.

"When military members move out of their house before they (relocate to another base), they have to come and pay (the advancement) back," said Tech. Sgt. James Mills, 100th CPTS deputy disbursing officer.

Mills, from Spokane, Wash., said the disbursing office also processes all local national direct hire payrolls for all U.S. Air Force bases in the United Kingdom.

Financial Management and Analysis (Budget Office)

With a budget of $332 million annually for Team Mildenhall, the 100th CPTS Financial Management and Analysis branch maintains responsibility for the base's funding requirements.

To ensure the base remains operational during both the current and following fiscal year, FMA annually conducts three major budget drills: funds distribution, execution planning for next fiscal year and current fiscal year closeout.

According to Capt. Nesta Garner, 100th Air Refueling Wing chief of budget, the majority of the funding distributed each year is used for recurring bills which keep the base operational, such as civilian payroll and utilities.

"Our busiest time of the year starts in July, and runs until the end of September," the captain, from Hillsboro, Ore., said. "It's our job to be good stewards of tax dollars and ensure they are spent wisely. Due to fiscal laws that govern our funding, any funds we get allocated for a fiscal year have to be spent (within that specific timeframe)."

The chief of budget explained that as part of the end of fiscal year close out, they compile a list of unfunded requirements from all the units on base.

"Those requirements are then prioritized by the wing's financial management board (chaired by Col. Christopher Kulas, 100th ARW commander, with group commanders as the voting members)," Garner said, adding that items are then purchased as funding becomes available.