266th FMC deploys in support of OEF, OND

On a day when most Americans were honoring the service of their veterans, the Soldiers of the 266th Financial Management Center, 21st Theater Sustainment Command boarded a plane for Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Nov. 11 marks the start of a 12-month deployment for the 266th FMC in support of both Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. Although the unit will be headquartered in Camp Arifjan, Soldiers from the unit will be deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. The unit will be responsible for technical oversight of financial management operations in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as maintaining responsibility for central funding in theater, financial systems and banking operations.

“I’ve been in the unit less than a year and am impressed by the quality of our Soldiers and civilians. As for the deployment, the morale can’t be higher,” said Sgt. Maj. Joe Johnson, the sergeant major of 266th FMC. “The Soldiers are motivated and ready to go downrange. Personally, I wanted to be in this mission to experience firsthand a split operations mission within this new FMC model.”

 In addition to their role while deployed, the 266th FMC’s civilian workforce will continue the unit’s garrison support, and the rear detachment will handle exercises and contingencies in support of the 21st TSC and U.S. Army Europe.

“It’s a great opportunity to validate the FMC concept in Europe – a deployable financial management organization augmented with a Table of Distribution of Allowance to simultaneously support a contingency operation and its enduring mission in Europe,” said Col. Luis Crespo, the director of 266th FMC. “Of all Army deployable FMCs, the 266th is the only one with a large garrison mission spanning several countries.”

This is the first unit deployment for the 266th FMC since its transformation in July 2008 from the 266th Finance Command into a directorate under the 21st TSC.