Air Force Financial Services Center
Encyclopedia
The Air Force Financial Services Center (AFFSC) is a Field Operating Agency of the United States Air Force
. The center is located at Ellsworth Air Force Base
in Rapid City
, South Dakota
. Its mission is to centrally process all military pay and travel pay transactions for the Air Force
, and to answer financial services questions from Air Force personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The commander of the Air Force Financial Services Center reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Operations in The Pentagon
.
The Financial Services Center was opened on September 14, 2007 by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne
. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by United States Senator John Thune
, Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, senior Air Force official, and Rapid City civic leaders. The center’s first commander was Colonel Judy Perry.
The Air Force selected Ellsworth Air Force Base as the site for its finance center from more than 80 candidate locations. It was chosen because the base had existing facilities with 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) of available floor space as well as good force protection and communications infrastructure. In addition, the area's cost of living, low risk for natural disasters, and generally friendly atmosphere also were considered in the site selection decision.
The center consists of three buildings located on Ellsworth Air Force Base. The main building houses the financial transaction processing operations group and the customer service contact center (which will be officially activated in October 2008). This building was originally the base military education and testing center. The finance center also includes a separate state-of-the-art technology facility and a small military headquarters
building adjacent to the main building. This building was the base community center prior to being gutted and remodeled.
The center is modeled on private sector
customer service operations. Its streamlined transaction processing will save the Air Force $210 million in basic operating costs over a ten year period. Through the center, Airmen have instant access to finance experts at any time of day from any location in the world. Previously, Airmen had to leave their work areas during duty hours and travel to the base finance office to complete financial transactions.
Contact center personnel are trained to resolve a multitude of common finance issues. This allows Air Force personnel to make inquiries and resolve pay issues at the customer's convenience. More complicated pay matters are routed to the appropriate department within the center so functional experts can research and resolve the problem. This approach ensures each problem is effectively addressed.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. The center is located at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota....
in Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. Its mission is to centrally process all military pay and travel pay transactions for the Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
, and to answer financial services questions from Air Force personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The commander of the Air Force Financial Services Center reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Operations in The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
.
History
Michael Wynne
Michael W. Wynne is an American business executive and was the 21st United States Secretary of the Air Force. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asked for and received his resignation Michael W. Wynne (born September 4, 1944) is an American business executive and was the 21st United States...
. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by United States Senator John Thune
John Thune
John Randolph Thune is the junior U.S. Senator from South Dakota and a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as a U.S. Representative for .-Early Life, Education:...
, Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, senior Air Force official, and Rapid City civic leaders. The center’s first commander was Colonel Judy Perry.
The Air Force selected Ellsworth Air Force Base as the site for its finance center from more than 80 candidate locations. It was chosen because the base had existing facilities with 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) of available floor space as well as good force protection and communications infrastructure. In addition, the area's cost of living, low risk for natural disasters, and generally friendly atmosphere also were considered in the site selection decision.
Personnel
An initial cadre of approximately 50 non-commissioned officers, arrived in April 2007. When fully manned, the center will have 775 Airmen and civilian employees. The current personnel makeup is 80 percent military and 20 percent civilian. However, the Air Force plans to slowly shift the manning mix to achieve a majority civilian work force by 2014. All military personnel assigned to the center are trained for contingency operations and support expeditionary Air Force deployments.Facilities
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
building adjacent to the main building. This building was the base community center prior to being gutted and remodeled.
Financial Operations
Activation of the Financial Services Center was the largest financial management transformation initiative in Air Force history. The Air Force consolidated financial services into a single center to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs needed to deliver the financial services to Airmen. The center’s centralized transaction processing and customer service contact center reduces these tasks from 93 base finance offices located at Air Force installations around the world. This reduced the total number of Air Force personnel needed to process pay transactions and respond to customer inquires by 600.The center is modeled on private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
customer service operations. Its streamlined transaction processing will save the Air Force $210 million in basic operating costs over a ten year period. Through the center, Airmen have instant access to finance experts at any time of day from any location in the world. Previously, Airmen had to leave their work areas during duty hours and travel to the base finance office to complete financial transactions.
Contact center personnel are trained to resolve a multitude of common finance issues. This allows Air Force personnel to make inquiries and resolve pay issues at the customer's convenience. More complicated pay matters are routed to the appropriate department within the center so functional experts can research and resolve the problem. This approach ensures each problem is effectively addressed.