Hurlburt Airman: first service member to complete new DOD course

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kentavist P. Brackin
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Dr. Jamie Morin, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, presented the Air Force's first Department of Defense Financial Management Program-certified Airman with a certificate during his visit here Nov. 4 and 5.

"I didn't see it coming," said Senior Airman Alfredo Marquez, 1st Special Operations Comptroller Squadron budget analysis, after receiving his certificate from Morin. "It was pretty awesome for him to come down here and present this to me."

The certificate, part of the financial management program initiative, signaled program completion for Marquez.

"Alfredo is the one and only certified person in the Air Force at this time," said Maj. James Cunningham, 1st SOCPTS commander. "He's essentially two years ahead of the game."

The program covers a variety of areas ranging from budget analysis to audits. It has different levels of certification for DOD financial management personnel, which depend on their rank and position.

"We have Airmen here who are exquisitely trained to perform some really dangerous and critical missions for the nation," Morin said. "The last thing they need to worry about is whether their travel voucher is going to get paid on time or if their [basic allowance for housing] is getting updated properly when they PCS. Our finance career field need to stay really focused on taking care of our customers, and we see that really strongly here at the wing."

The financial management program, which is slated to be mandatory in the summer of 2014, is part of a DOD-wide initiative to make all services completely audit-ready. It will also increase credible financial statements by 2015, according to Cunningham.

"I am grateful for the [Air Force Special Operations Command] organization for leading the way in this and working out all the kinks for the rest of the Air Force," Morin said. "The Air Force has been leading the way on the DOD financial management certification effort. We have far and away the largest number of participants across the DOD right now."