Financial management, services to Airmen evolving Published May 2, 2008 By Roger Drinnon Air Mobility Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- The assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller described a bright future for financial services during a visit with Air Mobility Command financial management officials here April 28. John H. Gibson II said current and pending enhancements allow Airmen to work directly with Air Force financial systems using Web-based applications with worldwide access, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "Our systems are evolving," said Mr. Gibson. "We have some Web-centric evolutions moving forward that are geared toward better customer service anywhere, anytime." Mr. Gibson serves as the Air Force's chief financial officer and is responsible for providing the financial management and analytical services necessary for effective and efficient use of Air Force resources. He said Airmen can expect continuous refinements to the Eagle Cash program, the Defense Travel System and the pending Defense Integrated Military Human Resource System. "Eagle Cash allows deployed Airmen to have money available and accessible electronically," he said. "This makes cash unnecessary in some deployed locations. Also, we continuously enhance DTS to improve accessibility and to make it a more efficient, centralized system." Eagle Cash cardholders transfer funds from their checking account onto their Eagle Cash card. The card then can be used for purchases at a deployed base, reducing both the amount of U.S. currency in circulation overseas and the need for Airmen to obtain cash while deployed. DIMHRS is a Web-based application slated for Air Force implementation early in 2009. The system integrates several existing personnel and pay processes into a central self-service application. Mr. Gibson said improved Web-based training programs will help Airmen interact directly with certain applications that streamline some programs and eliminate redundant or unnecessary documentation processing. He emphasized FM programs and initiatives exist to serve Airmen, so efforts focus on the needs of Airmen. "The FM world is in a period of change, so it's both an interesting and challenging time," said Mr. Gibson. "Customer needs are evolving and demands on our systems are evolving, so we strive to stay ahead of those demands." Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page