AFSOC sweeps SOCOM Financial Management Awards Published Dec. 27, 2006 By Aaron Schoenfeld AFSOC Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFSOC News Service) -- Air Force Special Operations Command has the best financial managers in the business, according to the results of the 2006 United States Special Operations Command Financial Management Awards competition. Ten of this year's 13 awards went to AFSOC for extraordinary work at all component levels. Mr. Bill Rone, AFSOC 's senior financial manager credits the dedication of the entire resource management community. "AFSOC financial managers at every level are ordinary people who do extraordinary things for this command as we fight the global war on terror," he said. "AFSOC budget folks recently executed over $1.3 billion during fiscal year 2006 to fund every critical operations and management requirement. "According to Mr. Rone, no unit in the command was left with unfilled mission needs at year end. "Top to bottom, we had a tremendous spend plan which was executed to perfection," he said. The financial managers in the field performed just as well, according to Mr. Rone. "In today's expeditionary environment with complex pay and travel combat entitlements, these folks really worked miracles to get the dollars right," he said. "Whether it is was a travel or flight pay issue, finance's goal was to keep special operations warriors focused on their primary mission instead of pay problems--they are true heroes in my book." Sweeping the SOCOM financial management awards is nothing new to AFSOC. In just the five years the awards program has existed, AFSOC financial managers have claimed 41 of the 61 awards. "That alone is significant," said Mr. Rone, "but it is even more noteworthy considering AFSOC owns less than 20 percent of the USSOCOM financial management population." Other units that compete for the awards include the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Joint Special Operations commands as well as the sub-unified Special Operations Commands. This year's winners are: Financial Management Organization, Component Level - HQ AFSOC Directorate of Financial Management Financial Management Team, Below Component - 16th Comptroller Squadron (Comptroller Warfighting Support Team) Financial Management Individual (Officer), Component - Capt Steven W. Clark, HQ AFSOC/FM Financial Management Individual (Officer), Below Component - Capt Raymond E. Castro, 353 SOG/FM Financial Management Individual (Enlisted), Component - MSgt Lisa A. Bickham, HQ AFSOC/FM Financial Management Individual (Enlisted), Below Component - TSgt Penny Trantina-Bora, 353 SOG/FM Financial Management Individual (Civilian), Below Component - Mark Patterson, GS-12, AFSOF/FM Financial Management Individual (Civilian), Component - David W. Stanton, GS-12, HQ AFSOC/FM Outstanding comptroller, below component - Maj Michael L. Bennett, HQ AFSOC/FM Outstanding author - Capt Leota A. Hidalgo, HQ AFSOC/FM