FSS Resource Management; allocates millions

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Magen M. Reeves
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Tyndall Air Force Base is rebuilding at an accelerated rate and with that comes the execution of $3.9 billion in funds authorized and allocated for so many mission needs.

For the 325th Force Support Squadron resource management flight, this means increased responsibilities on top of an already extensive mission set: allocating, spending and making money to power the squadron through the use of appropriated (APF) and non-appropriated (NAF) funds.

“We are the only [installation] who received ownership of $21 million to help sustain and support our portion of the rebuild,” said Deb Faircloth, 325th FSS resources management flight chief. “They entrusted us to give APF down to the NAF level for us to be able to support our activities and entities. That’s something normally they do at a headquarters level, but they entrusted it down the base level for us to do it locally so it was a big deal.”

Some of the big projects being executed within this scope of responsibility include the new Child Development Center on base and a future community commons facility executed as part of the larger rebuild.

“Our overall mission is to provide timely and accurate financial support for APF and NAF as well as operating the central cashier cage, logistical support, NAF contracting, information technology, private organization coordinator for the base, NAF installation purchase card coordinator, and vehicle management support,” said Cindy Hobbs, 325th FSS resource management flight lead accountant. 

Appropriated funding is authorized by Congress through the general budget and designated for certain mission requirements while nonappropriated funding is generated in-house and is generally executed at the unit level. Resource management oversees all of this within the squadron.

“Due to the various positions and responsibilities in our office, a day-to-day looks different for each person,” said Hobbs. “On the financial side, personnel are analyzing, collecting, compiling, and evaluating financial data. The NAF contracting agent initiates contracts for projects that the activities require such as entertainment, services, and large purchases and sees them through completion.”

NAF entities at Tyndall include outdoor recreation, the Oasis food services, lodging, auto hobby shop, arts and crafts center, Fam Camp, Information Tickets & Travel and some functions of the Child Development Center and youth center. Special programming and events also fall under this category.

“We maintain [NAF] and we bring in over $7 million a year in self-generated funds,” said Faircloth. “It’s usually what they have generated and what they have to support in order to take care of their own [mission] expenses.”

In some cases, APF and NAF funding can be used for some of the same activities. The bottom line is that the squadron has what it needs to execute their portion of Tyndall’s mission, with a heavy focus on personnel, families and base community.

“[We want to] give back the morale by making sure there’s events and things for people to do; that they are recharged and regenerated,” said Faircloth. “That recharged and resilient Airmen are capable to sustain, and they have what they need to continue.”