377th ABW budget office named best in Air Force

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 377th Air Base Wing Budget and Accounting Office won the "Best in the Air Force" title for its work in 2015.

Staff members learned of their award earlier this month.

"It's surreal," said Capt. Tiffanie Katz.

She and the other financial analysts are proud of the achievement. This is the third year in a row the office was named the best in its major command, but the first it has taken the Air Force-level award.

Katz said the office, also known as the Financial Analysis Flight, handles budgets and accounting for the 377th ABW and its mission partners at Kirtland Air Force Base.

The job involves communicating not just with entities at Kirtland but also with Defense Financial Accounting Services and major commands.

Ryan Goodpastor said the office was able to get the award through diligence, and Staff Sgt. Thomas Ramirez attributed the success to teamwork.

Katz said the 12- to 14-person staff handles the work despite having lower ranks or grade levels than many of their counterparts at other locations.

"So we just have a lot of committed individuals doing what needs to be done regardless of what they get paid or how many kudos they get coming their way," she said.

Lt. Col. Tracy Bell, 377th Comptroller Squadron commander, said the office has well more than 100 years of combined experience.

The office did analysis and accounting for $1.4 billion, 26,000 personnel and more than 100 mission partners on the installation last fiscal year, Katz said.

The staff also prepared the economic impact statement that base commander Col. Eric Froehlich presented to local leaders and the governor, as well as advocating for $13.2 million for civil engineering and the base munitions maintenance facility to eliminate security risks.

Katz said the office also established more accounting records faster than their peers. In addition, staff members processed and validated $19 million in reimbursements, more than anywhere else in the Air Force Global Strike Command or Air Force Materiel Command due to the number of mission partners on base.

"We have the most unique program," Lisa Norton said.

She said the number of entities makes that the case.

Katz said people have a perception that financial personnel work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and have it easy, but they put in long hours to make budgets work within the limited resources they're given.

"So I think there's a lot of smart individuals in this community getting the job done," she said.