Flexibility and planning equal a great fiscal year Published Sept. 25, 2009 By Maj. Tracy Watkins 30th Comptroller Squadron commander VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Happy New Year ... as I write this we are once again closing the books on another Fiscal Year. This Fiscal Year was like most others, we were presented with significant funding challenges early in the year. However, with flexibility and great planning, we were able to overcome these issues. As we started the year, the base was postured for cuts in programs so we could balance taking care of the mission and our people against decreasing budgets, and everyone tightened their belts and made the necessary adjustments. Of course, soon after the new administration took over we were handed the American Recovery and Reconstitution Act funding that took priority over most other things. Under this Act, the DoD was given $7.4 billion while the Air Force realized $1.7 billion in additive funding; Vandenberg received in excess of $32 million for 41 projects. How did team Vandenberg execute this windfall in addition to our annual budget? Flexibility and superior planning! We've all been told: "at every level we need to work our boss' agenda and if we do, we've had a successful assignment." That's exactly what happened when we were flooded with funding; we were given a new priority, and the team did a tremendous job of changing focus to those items important to the boss! We shouldn't, however, use this as a one-time example of how to shift focus and realign priorities; we must always remain flexible so that you can easily shift focus to a "pop-up" tasker and then back to your daily duties. If we fail to understand that things and priorities change and quickly, we spend too much time and effort being mad at the process rather than working solutions! Hand-in-hand with remaining flexible is the idea of good planning. At first look you might think that those words are at different ends of the spectrum. Flexibility is characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirement; while planning is the establishment of goals, policies, and procedures. I submit to you that good planning allows greater flexibility. At every level we have our goals, policies, and procedures; if we execute good planning, the cornerstone of our professional focus is defined for us. We all know that our day-to-day activities are designed to meet the priorities of the 30th Space Wing. Knowing that we must work towards improving our current systems and operations, take care of our Airmen and their families, and to transition to new capabilities and systems provides us a good foundation for developing our activities. Having these established directives gives most people comfort because there is little to question on strategy. Tying those two thoughts together, in order to be flexible and to adapt to a changing environment, you must understand where you are going. To me, it's tying your strategy to tactical execution. With flexibility and planning, the 30th SW was able to fund a tremendous amount of quality-of-life projects like library upgrades, school furniture and equipment, school supplies and materials, dorm improvements, new fitness equipment, linoleum for the youth center, and outdoor recreation supplies. Everyone here at Team V should in some way, feel the benefits of this year's closeout! As we move forward to Fiscal Year 2010, it stands to be another extremely challenging year; when I look at our budget for next year, it can be characterized as a no-growth budget that allows us to execute our mission and priorities, which will require us to once again plan accordingly, be willing to be flexible and make the tough fiscal decisions. A special thanks to the 30th CPTS Financial Management Analysis, 30th Civil Engineer, and 30th Contracting Squadron for a great Fiscal Year 2009, and my best wishes to everyone for a great Fiscal Year 2010!