Diamond Saber 2009

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ISSUE 1Friday June 5, 2009

Photo by Sgt. Chris Pisano

I am pleased to seeDiamond Saber2009 is off to a goodstart. As I visit thevarious trainingsites, I see that ourfinance Soldiers arehungry to tap intothe knowledge of ourinstructors, whohave "Been There,and Done That".

We've added a number of enhancements to thisyear's Diamond Saber, to include improved account-ing training increased emphasis on DDS in disburs-ing training, improved cashier-level business for theSTX, improved mechanisms for feedback to units,improved training scenarios to address the new mod-ular structure, and FM SPO training.

As many of you know, no one finance unit/agencyis resourced to be able to run an exercise of thismagnitude, so we will always be a "pick-up team" ofSoldiers/civilians from many units/agencies to runthe exercise. The silver lining is that this makesDiamond Saber an excellent forum where Soldiersfrom all components can network with each other.

Personally, my favorite part of Diamond Saber isthat it gives me a chance to see fellow Soldiers whoI worked with in theater but haven't seen in a while.Developing and reinforcing these relationships isimportant, because in theater, we "win or lose as aTEAM.”

Lt. Col. Robert CraftCommander, 336th FMC

2

OIC1st Lt. Carlos Agosto

NCOICStaff Sgt. Adam Navarro

Editor/DesignerSgt. Chris Pisano

PhotojournalistSgt. Joseph A. Morris

DIRECT FRDIRECT FROM OM THE DIRECTTHE DIRECTOROR

This year'sDiamond Saber 2009was truly a teameffort by the financemanagement commu-nity. To put a trainingevent together likethis required inputfrom the U.S. ArmyReserve, NationalGuard, Active duty,DFAS, U.S. FinanceCommand, and many other participants. I would liketo personally thank all the instructors and staff mem-bers for their contributions.

Our goal is to ensure the individual and team mem-ber technical training we are providing will make theSoldier and their unit mission ready to go to war.Throughout this two week training exercise confidenceand proficiency will be branded within the Soldiers ofthe finance corps. The improvements we made to thisyear's training make it relevant to the ever changingclimate our troops will encounter down range. Thistraining will be intense and focused and will have aripple effect through the units as they go back homeand continue their training.

A multi-component exercise such as Diamond Sabertruly makes every participating finance warrior ArmyStrong - No matter if it's the Army Reserve, ArmyNational Guard, or Active Duty Army.

Good luck to all and do good things.

Sgt. Major Mario Reyes,Sergeant Major , 336th FMC

Published for the Soldiers of Diamond Saber 2009 by members of the 361st Public Affairs Operations Center, Fort Totten, NY.

For more info log onto www.diamondsaber.info

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DIAMOND SABER NEWS

FORT MCCOY, Wis. - TheMilitary's premiere multi-compo-nent financial management trainingexercise began here Monday.

Over 600 Soldiers from 45 dif-ferent units comprised from ArmyReserve, National Guard andActive duty components of theFinance Corps gathered to partici-pate in Diamond Saber 2009.

And these finance warriors areon the money.

"Diamond Saber provides realis-tic training for financial manage-ment warriors of all componentsincorporating lessons learned toassist in their preparation fordeployment to a theater of opera-tions," said Lt. Col. Robert Craft,commander of the 336th FinancialManagement Center (FMC) fromLake Charles, La., and exercisedirector of Diamond Saber 2009.

The training also provides com-manders of units the chance toassess their Soldiers' capabilitiesand preparedness for deploymentand then to help determine whatadditional training is needed backhome, he said.

"Diamond Saber gets the troopsin battle-sync," said Sgt. Major.Mario Reyes, sergeant major of the336th FMC and senior financeoperations advisor for DiamondSaber 2009. "Our goal is to have amission-ready Soldier by providingclassroom and hands on training.We will train as we will be expect-ed to perform in theater."

The extensive training concern-ing military money matters coversthe four core competencies that

support the finance corps' mission:Disbursing, military pay, vendorpay, and resource management.The first week is comprised oftroops in classrooms being taughtby instructors rich in finance expe-rience. The second week consistsof Soldiers participating in scenar-ios that simulate actual financeconditions in theater.

However the chance to hone inon finance specific skills not exe-cuted often is what really pays off.

"These are highly perishableskills," said Craft. "For example,we don't do disbursing in the statesanymore, but in-country you haveto know how to. Diamond Sabergives the Soldiers a chance topractice these skills they areexpected to know when they gooverseas."

The U.S. Army has restructuredto a new modular system wherefinance elements are now placeddirectly under the sustainmentbrigades on the ground, and the

training this year has also beenimproved to reflect this new era .

The 336th FMC was the first unitdeployed overseas to actually usethe modular system in the realworld. When they came back fromdeployment they deposited awealth of knowledge withdrawnstraight from the battlefield andcompletely rewrote the DiamondSaber training to more accuratelyreflect how things are actuallybeing done in the sand box withthe modular structure.

"Actual deployment experiencehas helped to refine the DiamondSaber experience. These skills arebattlefield tested," said Craft, aveteran of three deployments andtwo Diamond Saber exercises him-self. "The majority of the financeSoldiers here have been deployedat least once."

Another addition to this yearsexercise is the increased emphasis

During Diamond Saber 2009 extensive classroom training, ripped straight from thebattlefield, is being conducted by seasoned instructors with deployment experience.

Story bySgt. Chris Pisano361st PAOC

Diamond Saber ‘09 is on the money

Issue 1 Friday June 5, 2009 3

(Continued on page 7)


Warriors learning skills to pay bills

FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- During the first week of thetwo week Diamond Saber 2009 exercise, financeSoldiers will be refreshing their core fundamentalswhile incorporating advanced technology and updatedclassroom instruction based on current battlefieldconditions and designed from recent deploymentexperience.

"The four main competencies that make up thefinance field are disbursing, military pay, resourcemanagement, and commercial vendor services," saidMaj. Donna Beaulieu, 336th Financial ManagementCenter (FMC) from Lake Charles, La., and trainingoperations officer here at Diamond Saber 2009. "Eachof those four cores are big missions in their ownright, which is why we are covering them all atDiamond Saber."

And big missions they are: Disbursing involvescashing checks, issuing of casual payments, payingcontracts, physical accountability of money, cashiertraining, and counterfeit currency. Military Pay (MIL-PAY) covers all financial entitlements of the Soldiersincluding pay issues. Resource Management dealswith accounting records, financial obligation execu-tion and allocated funds. Commerical Vender Services(CVS) ensures that everything that happens on a post

is processed forpayment toinclude meals,supplies andmaintenance.

A key point tothe success of thisexercise will bethat the trainingclasses are beingtaught at differentlevels of difficul-ty based on par-ticular experienceof the individualSoldiers.

"DiamondSaber has beenconstructed to

accommodate finance Soldiers of all different skillabilities," said Beaulieu. "Knowing that differentSoldiers have different capabilities, the training herehad to be constructed to allow each individual to trainup on their weaker areas of knowledge and get themaximum training experience."

During the year, some Soldiers are involved work-ing in one area of their field more than other areas.This training at Diamond Saber has been designed totake those Soldiers out of their comfort zone andexpose them to the areas where they may be weaker.

"The unit commanders identified Soldiers for theirblock of training based on the unit's needs," saidBeaulieu. "Prior to Diamond Saber, the participatingunits were required to send in a battle roster pickingwhat Soldiers they were sending and what trainingthey wanted those Soldiers to hone up on."

A major advantage of Diamond Saber is that itallows key leaders to evaluate their unit's level of pro-ficiency to see where their Soldiers stand. And thathelps determine what training must be continuedupon arrival back to home station.

The training materials used in the classrooms con-sist of hard copies drawn from power points that givethe students the option to move ahead at their ownpace. Also used are comprehensive manuals and prac-tical exercises from the finance school -- SoldierSupport Institute, Fort Jackson, S.C. And most impor-tantly, personal experience and first hand knowledgeon how business is currently being conducted on the

Sgt. 1st Class Michelle Applebee (center), 376th FMCO,reserve Soldier from Wausau, Wis., and Diamond Saberinstructor assists an enthusiastic Sgt. Ralph Garren (right),159th FMD, Arizona National Guard, during cashier training.

DIAMOND SABER NEWS4

Story bySgt. Joseph A. Morris361st PAOC

The Computerized Accounts PayableSystem (CAPS), an Army finance systemused worldwide, is trained on duringthe CVS classes.


Photo by Sgt. Joseph A. Morris

battlefield from troopswho have been there.

"This is the toprefresher and learnercourse I've been to," saidSpc. Joey Wilcox, 249thFinance ManagementDetachment (FMD),Texas National Guardfrom Austin, Texas, andfinance warrior for over6 years on active duty."Anyone who didn'tknow anything aboutfinance could takeknowledge away fromhere and know what todo out there.”

With constant changesin motion, the Soldiershere must adapt. But in order for them to build onnew knowledge a solid foundation is needed first. Thetraining here is designed to set Soldiers up for futuresuccess by giving them a good basic level of knowl-edge that can be incorporated into their unit’s follow-on training back home.

"A big push this year is advancing the technologyand letting the Soldiers experience both ends of thespectrum: The old fashioned way, and the more mod-ern way," said Beaulieu. "We begin with the basicsbecause you don't know what you will experiencewhen you go down range.”

"The Soldiers definitely need to know how to dotheir job using pencil and paper first before they canstart processing information into the computer," saidSgt. 1st Class Michelle Applebee, 376th FinancialManagement Company (FMCO), reserve Soldierfrom Wausau, Wis., instructor and veteran of two pre-vious Diamond Sabers.

The training simulates the progression to advancedtechnology in the field.

"When infrastructure does not exist in theater youhave to build it up from ground zero," said Sgt. 1stClass Stephen Cottle, readiness Non-ComissionedOfficer with the 249th FMD. “Immature locationsmay not have internet or phone lines when you hit theground. So as a theater matures then you would incor-porate the use of computers. It’s important that theSoldiers know this in case we execute in anotherlocation that goes hot.”

The Diamond Saber training allows the troops towork with the manual process and build up to usingcomputer programs, some of which are only usedover seas.

As Beaulieu said, a lot of reserve Soldiers in thefinance field perform their jobs in the Army and thecivilian world. But some computer programs, such asthe Deployable Disbursing System (DDS), are onlyused overseas and not in garrison stateside.

"Finance elements stateside don't do disbursing sothey never use the DDS unless it's at training likethis. I haven't used it since I was active overseas, sothis is great to put hands on it again," said Wilcox.

Getting a taste of what to expect when the boots hitthe ground abroad is a major advantage the traininghere allows. Whether active, reserve or nationalguard, the skills learned here are used downrange sothe training truly levels the playing field.


Sgt. 1st Class Francisco Pacheco, 469th FMC, AGR Soldier from New Orleans, La., and DiamondSaber 2009 instructor, shares his recent deployment experience to students in a MILPAY class.

Soldiers go back to the front and work with pencil and paperforms to get grounded in the fundamentals of finance.



"Diamond Saber is very accurate in keeping upwith the changes in the Army. The StandardOperating Procedure (SOP) came straight from over-seas," said Applebee. “Lessons learned from in the-ater have been crucial to this exercise.”

"I just came back from deployment in February andwas asked to come help train Soldiers on the newmodular structure,” said Sgt. 1st Class FranciscoPacheco, from the 469th FMC, active-guard reserve(AGR) Soldier from New Orleans, La., and instructor.“And I have to say that Diamond Saber has veryaccurate manuals on what’s happening over there, sothis training is a great benefit for those who haven'tbeen deployed."

"This is my first Diamond Saber, and I can trulysay that my deployment experience from Iraq in 2006has definitely helped here," said Spc. DennisSantiago, 389th FMD, reserve Soldier from FortBuchanan, Puerto Rico, and instructor of one of themilitary pay classes.

It’s a huge opportunity for the Soldiers to not onlyrefresh and revise their personal finance proficiency,but to also meet and get accustomed to their compo-nent counterparts.

"Diamond Saber is a great overall training experi-ence. I learned a lot of my job the hard way whiledeployed, so it's great to put that knowledge to useand be able to help out fellow Soldiers in the othercomponents,” said Santiago, who is a finance studentin the civilian world.

The content covered in the classes is condensedwith real case scenarios, keeping the students ener-

getic to listen andlearn not only fromthe instructors butcollectively fromeveryone else in theclass.

"Diamond Saberis exceptionallyvaluable becauseyou get to feed offthe experience ofworking with multi-ple units with multi-ple experiences, andyou see there's defi-nitely a commonthread," said Capt.

Steven Brantz, commander of the 249th FMD. "Thisis relationship building that helps make different unitsmore organic when they work together down range."

Wilcox can attest to that. He said he’s bumped intoa large number of familiar faces here that he met dur-ing his time on active duty.

"This has been a reunion for me. Diamond Saber isa good atmosphere and opportunity to not onlyrefresh your skills but to bring back camaraderie tothe finance corps as a whole," said Wilcox.

Support from all components gives and gets thebest training for the Soldiers. Diamond Saber is onlysuccessful because it's been a joint endeavor.

"The finance corps is built on trust and integrity.And that trust and integrity is built here at DiamondSaber," said Brantz.

The Soldiers will have trust in these classes duringthe second week when their skills are put to the testin scenarios that replicate their jobs when deployed.

There will be no room for error.“In finance the passing score is 100 percent," said

Lt. Col. Robert Craft, commander of the 336th FMC,Diamond Saber 2009 director. “We cannot afford tomake mistakes. No pun intended.”

DIAMOND SABER NEWS6

Although a Texas National Guardsman, Spc. Joey Wilcox,249th FMD, actively engages the updated course materialswhile drawing from his own personal bank of experience.

Lessons conducted via computercourses strenghten the training toolsbeing used at Diamond Saber 2009.



(Continued from page 3)


on working with the Financial Management SupportOperations officer (FM SPO), who acts as a liaisonbetween the finance Soldiers and the sustainmentbrigades.

"The concept has changed, but the mission is stillthe same. Diamond Saber 2009 is the first time thenew structure is being replicated and the first timethe FM SPO concept is being fully implemented intraining," said Reyes.

While the 336th FMC may be the unit hosting thiscolossal event, it's truly a multi-component exerciseand effort with an extensive number of other unitsvolunteering to help out.

"This Diamond Saber is a year in the making,"said Craft. "With out the support of all the unitsinvolved it could not have happened."

"It's like a jambalaya with a lot of ingredients init," said Reyes. "And we got a lot of cooks stirringthat jambalaya. So by the end, we're gonna have anice taste of jambalaya."

Originally an Army Reserve only exercise,Diamond Saber has grown over the years to includecontributions from the national guard and activeduty components.

"There are approximately as many financeSoldiers here as there are in Iraq. And the financecommunity is really small. So multi-componenttraining like this really facilitates networking, whichpays dividends," said Craft.

Camaraderie definitely plays an important part ofDiamond Saber, according to Reyes.

"Here you get to meet other finance elements andget to work with them and then when you see themagain down range you have already established aworking relationship," he said. "It facilitates the get-to-know-you factor. You can cut down on that meetand greet and just get to business."

And these days business is good. With new inno-vations in place for this year's exercise the trainingis hard like a diamond, but the Soldiers are sharplike a saber. It only reinforces the importance of theU.S. Finance Corps' vital role that it plays in theU.S. Army's overall mission.

"You can’t afford to go to war without us," saidCraft. "Diamond Saber helps prepare financeSoldiers to go to war."

USAFINCOM USAFINCOM US US Army Finance School, SCArmy Finance School, SC

126th FMCO, KS 126th FMCO, KS C DETC DET, 24th FMCO, GA, 24th FMCO, GAAA DET/82nd FMCO, NC DET/82nd FMCO, NC D DET/82nd FMCO, NC D DET/82nd FMCO, NC B DET/126th FMCO, KSB DET/126th FMCO, KS

4th FMCO, 4th FMCO, TX TX 1st SB (SPO)1st SB (SPO)

15th SB (SPO)15th SB (SPO)82nd SB (SPO)82nd SB (SPO)

AR MEDCOM (G8), FLAR MEDCOM (G8), FL3r3rd MEDCOM (G8), Gd MEDCOM (G8), GAA

4412th TEC (G8), MS12th TEC (G8), MS85th DIV (T) (G8), IL85th DIV (T) (G8), IL

1100th DIV (T) (G8),00th DIV (T) (G8), KYKY1143r43rd ESC (G8), FLd ESC (G8), FL33110th ESC (G8), IN0th ESC (G8), IN33111th ESC (G8), CA1th ESC (G8), CA

326th FMC, CA326th FMC, CA336th FMC, LA336th FMC, LA398th FMC, V398th FMC, VAA469th FMC, LA469th FMC, LA

368th FMCO, KS368th FMCO, KS33774th FMCO, D4th FMCO, DAA33776th FMCO, WI6th FMCO, WI389th FMD, PR389th FMD, PR

395th FMCO (De395th FMCO (Det 1), UTt 1), UT44113th FMD, PR3th FMD, PRA/32A/324 ITSB, SC4 ITSB, SC

335th SIG CMD, G335th SIG CMD, GAA9912th HR12th HRC, FLC, FLNGB (G8), VNGB (G8), VAA36361 P1 PAAOC, NYOC, NY

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sPC ASTRID SANDOVALUNIT:149TH Financial Detachment from Austin, Texas

COMPONENT:Texas ArmyNational Guard

HOMETOWN:Austin, Texas

EXPERIENCE:4 years in Active Duty,Joined National Guardin 2006,Deployed toKosovo from March‘08to April‘09.

AT DIAMOND SABER:Instructor for Commerical VendorServices class.

ARMY GOALS:To make a career outof the Army and get her stripes.

MESSAGE:Give everything in life your best effort.

UNIT:82nd Financial ManagementCenter from Fort Bragg, NC

COMPONENT:Active Duty Army

HOMETOWN:Raleigh, NC

EXPERIENCE:Joined Army Reserve

in 2006, after 5 months switched to Active Dutyfor the full-time Armylifestyle.

AT DIAMOND SABER:Learning the differences on how the Reserve and National Guard get paid.

ARMY GOALS:To get a deployment on

his sleeve, then becomean officer.

MESSAGE:Have purpose and beeffective in what you do.

PFC carlos murrell

UNIT:374TH FinancialManagement Centerfrom Cumberland, PA

COMPONENT:Army Reserve

PV2 Scott weiksner

AT DIAMOND SABER:Getting his firsttaste of financetraining, hasn’tattended AdvancedIndividual (AIT) Training yet.

ARMY GOALS:To jump into AITwith his DiamondSaber experience.

MESSAGE:Be high speed andwalk out better thanyou walked in.

EXPERIENCE:Joined Air Force in Nov.‘08, 4 months later went to WarriorTransition Course and joined ArmyReserve to become a finance Soldier.

HOMETOWN:Harrisburg, PA

Compiled byCompiled bySgt. Chris PisanoSgt. Chris Pisanoand Sgt Joseph A. Morrisand Sgt Joseph A. Morris

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Diamond Saber 2009