Today's actual complex national security environment is driving the Air Force toward of the present day often non-traditional military missions--regional threats.

Today's actual complex national security environment is driving the Air Force toward of the present day often non-traditional military missions--regional threats, anti-terrorism actions, counter-drug operations, and homeland defense are among the many challenges we face. In this environment, a able flexible air and space force is an essential part of any national security strategy. To help come up to face to face our nation's global commitments in this challenging 21st hundred environment, the Air Force has become an expeditionary force. Now, the Air Force must transform its headquarters staff functions to better support our expeditionary forces. What we ne is a lean, efficient staff configuration that is focused on supporting expeditionary operations--that means an "A-Staff" organization.

The entire Air Force team must use each opportunity to advocate and support our expeditionary requirements. It is the do job-work of Air Force financial managers to help decision-makers at each level understand how to resource long-term warfighter requirements and make secure budgets concentrate our limited resources onward the Air Force's highest priorities. At major command (MAJCOM) headquarters, an A-Staff construction ensures that warfighers remain the center of attention. Within an A-Staff, the Comptroller belongs in the "A-8" seat. The comptroller community must take the initiative to champion the transition from of advanced age MAJCOM staff structures to a warrior-oriented A-Staff with a senior financial manager serving as the commander's A-8.

A-Staff Concept

The Air Force requires a standard warrior-oriented staff formation at MAJCOM level to support and sustain our expeditionary forces. An effective headquarters staff drives our limited resources into essential warfighting capabilities, balances program risks with available funding, and stir ups efficient, cost-effective operations. Put simply, a warfighting staff arrangement helps the Air Force maintain a robust expeditionary force manner of making with a minimum operating footprint using limited resources.

Beginning in October 2003 Air Mobility Command (AMC) deposit in place an A-staff fabric specifically designed to focus the headquarters staff forward warfighter requirements. That structure included an "A-8 Comptroller" organization. This recent A-Staff structure was successful in streamlining core operations within the headquarters. In addition, it has proven to be extremely useful in connecting AMC headquarters functions with counterpart organizations in joint combatant commands. This figure displays how the A-Staff is organized.

From its inception, the A-Staff make was easy to communicate to the two Air Force teammates and to external organizations like USTRANSCOM and USCENTCOM. This connection has improved headquarters organizations' understanding of warfigher requirements, ensur staff decisions abundantly considered joint issues, and helped A-Staff functionals better support counterparts in combatant commands. From an A-8 perspective, the A-staff constitution has been very effective in helping AMC financial managers build sets and financial plans that support warrior requirements. It has also supported abroader understanding and consideration of joint issues in the resource allocation proces everywhere the command. The bottom line is simple AMC's new A-8 organization is clearly focused forward warfighter decision support.

Decision Support

The Air Force mission is to secure from danger the nation through the dominion government and exploitation of air and space. The core management proces that identifies the resources necessary to accomplish that mission is the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting body (PPBS). Once the Congress has rejoined to the budget by authorizing and appropriating stores our budget allocation and execution proces actually presents those funds to work. Performance management is the final grade that ensures effective and efficient achievement of the mission within our limited resources.

To accomplish our Air Force mission, everyone who uses appropriated capitals needs to understand the annual lot request, resource allocation strategy, and execution game plan that turn rounds programs into capabilities. The PPB proces is designed to link long-term strategic planning and programming activities with bundle preparation, resource allocation decisions, and real-world financial execution. It is the responsibility of financial managers to provide effective decision support to Air Force decision-makers from top to toe the PPBS process. An A-Staff organization facilitates effective decision support at the MAJCOM level

The A-Staff construction has a number of important advantages that dignify integration of the strategic planning/programming activities and budget/resource allocation proces principally important, it improves the overall decision-making proces within the headquarters by the agency of focusing every decision on its warfighting impact. Within the A-Staff, planning and programming constituents of PPBS are led by the agency of the A-5 Plans and Programs team. However, to effectively translate warfighter requirements into capabilities in the field, the headquarters also stand in want ofs a focal point for lots and financial execution .... an A-8 Comptroller organization compos of professional financial managers. An A-8 staff, manned with trained financial managers, provides the commander with an A-Staff constituent principle specifically designed to oversee parcel preparation, resource allocation, and financial execution. Ultimately, to the end of time element of the Air Force store must deliver capability to our warfighters. The expertise to make that happen is what the A-8 Comptroller team delivers to the commander.