Airman delivers cash, military pay services, payed in dinars

[harrysmug]

* Airman delivers cash, military pay services to austere locations

May 1, 2011 07:58 pm · Posted in CHATS & POSTS (Iraqi Dinar Info) · Comments Off

Airman delivers cash, military pay services to austere locations

by Staff Sgt. R. Michael Longoria

9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force – Iraq Public Affairs

4/26/2011 – MOSUL, Iraq (AFNS) — What was typically a three-hour convoy turned into an 11-hour journey for an Airman and his teammates when their mine-resistant, armor-protected vehicle broke down in the middle of a village.

Senior Airman Jon-Nicos Walker and his fellow service members ran to the next available MRAP to continue on their mission, while Iraqi protesters lined the streets.

This doesn’t sound like a common experience for most comptroller Airmen, but this is one of the moments that, according to Airman Walker, sticks out during his first deployment.

“This is my first time overseas and I’m glad to be serving in the role that I am,” said Airman Walker, a military pay technician assigned to the Air Force Financial Management Det. 2 at Contingency Operating Site Marez near Mosul, Iraq. “Most people in my career field, when deployed, are usually stuck in an office all day, while I get to travel on a weekly basis.”

The detachment is responsible for 17 locations across northern Iraq.

The job is different compared to that of most comptroller Airmen, Airman Walker said, because Det. 2 caters directly to the Army, offering all the services of a stateside base finance office.

“From our location here, we travel out to other checkpoints and offer the same services to the Soldiers there,” Airman Walker said. “Some places we visit weekly while others only twice a month. I’ve been able to travel all over Iraq, via helicopter and ground convoy, to provide support to Soldiers out in austere locations.”

To date, he has helped more than 11,000 service members with various pay-related issues, including more than 900 EagleCash card loads totaling $270,000, and more than 850 military pay transactions. In addition, Airman Walker has settled countless overdue travel reimbursements valuing more than $25,000.

The detachment is also a test base for getting U.S. currency off of the battlefield. Instead of disbursing U.S. dollars, the comptrollers are giving service members Iraqi dinar.

“The reason behind (disbursing dinar) is because using the U.S. dollar here isn’t giving the Iraqi economy a chance to grow,” Airman Walker said. “This gives (Iraqis) a chance to build up what they have, as opposed to counting on us and our dollar.”While the traveling is fun, he said, the interactions with his follow service members are the most rewarding.

“When we go out to those locations, we get a lot more appreciation from the Soldiers,” Airman Walker said. “They just enjoy us being there. Even if they don’t need anything, they still thank us for coming out. It’s an uplifting experience.”

Airman Walker travels to locations where the Soldiers don’t have many of the base support functions or amenities of other sites, like a base exchange or post office.

“They are outside working all day,” he said. “So, it’s good that we are here so they can bring their stuff directly to us. We are right here so they can come and talk to us if there are any issues, especially since most of them don’t have access to email, and if they do, they probably don’t have time to check it.”

At any rate, “face to face communication is the key to good customer service,” he said. “It makes it easier on the Soldiers who are here for 12 to 13 months at a time.”

Since he is on a joint expeditionary tasking, Airman Walker said he realizes he is getting a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“I’m actually rolling outside the wire,” Airman Walker said. “I’ve talked to the senior NCOs back at Grand Forks (Air Force Base, N.D.), and they’ve never had the chance to do some of the things I’m getting to do here.”

http://www.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123253377

[JRichards]

I remember when people were saying it was BS that they were being paid in dinar.

[lechesuerte]

Thanks h-mug! Nice to know.

[gbosh]

I remember when people were saying it was BS that they were being paid in dinar.

I'll say it now. I'm here. It's BS that they are being paid in Dinar......

There's another thread with this same article. Here is my response in that thread:

Maybe I can shed a little light on what this article is really saying:

Here in Iraq, soldiers can purchase/exchange Dinar at many (if not all) of the Finance offices at their base/post. They don't receive their PAY in Dinar, but they are able to (and do) get Dinar, either on their own, or on behalf of their unit. This Dinar, as the article alludes to, can then be used when the soldiers interact with the Iraqi populace during convoys, missions, etc. Individual soldiers (as well as civilians and contractors) are permitted to purchase up to US$1000 per month worth of Dinar. Special missions/needs may dictate carrying larger amounts.

The use of Dinar by servicemen in Iraq is primarily a matter of expediency. An additional benefit is that having Dinar minimizes the introduction of extra US currency into the Iraqi economy. I can promise you, however, that Iraqi merchants working around our bases will just as willingly take a dollar bill as they would a 1000 Dinar note (especially since it's worth more).

HTH!

gbosh

[iRaQi_VeT_716]

Well I will say that us as soldiers no better to put this type of Intel out due to opsec issues... I would hope airman understand this simple concept as well. So for me to see this type of info on what his job is, actual number, and unit names. Sounds like bs as well to me.... Any other service members feel my vantage point?

[wgb52]

I'll say it now. I'm here. It's BS that they are being paid in Dinar......

There's another thread with this same article. Here is my response in that thread:

Maybe I can shed a little light on what this article is really saying:

Here in Iraq, soldiers can purchase/exchange Dinar at many (if not all) of the Finance offices at their base/post. They don't receive their PAY in Dinar, but they are able to (and do) get Dinar, either on their own, or on behalf of their unit. This Dinar, as the article alludes to, can then be used when the soldiers interact with the Iraqi populace during convoys, missions, etc. Individual soldiers (as well as civilians and contractors) are permitted to purchase up to US$1000 per month worth of Dinar. Special missions/needs may dictate carrying larger amounts.

The use of Dinar by servicemen in Iraq is primarily a matter of expediency. An additional benefit is that having Dinar minimizes the introduction of extra US currency into the Iraqi economy. I can promise you, however, that Iraqi merchants working around our bases will just as willingly take a dollar bill as they would a 1000 Dinar note (especially since it's worth more).

HTH!

gbosh

I do hope this is true. The last thing our investment needs is more currency in circulation. More currency equates to a lower RV.

[Zildjian67]

People need to understand what they are reading. What this article is saying is that Airmen and Soldiers receive IQD when they go to finance and request cash from their Eagle Cards for local purchases while in Iraq.

Their paychecks are still going into their bank accounts in USD.

I am prior Air Force and a Contractor in Iraq & Kuwait and currently in Afghanistan...yes I have a Eagle Cash card.

This was posted earlier.

"D"

[TFK]

This is the only kind of crap SMUG HARRY knows how to post. Have a look at his posts. He's a **** disturber period!

[Tom 777]

I remember when people were saying it was BS that they were being paid in dinar.

They weren't being paid in dinar only in US dollars and therefore it wasn't BS.

[ron0177]

Well I will say that us as soldiers no better to put this type of Intel out due to opsec issues... I would hope airman understand this simple concept as well. So for me to see this type of info on what his job is, actual number, and unit names. Sounds like bs as well to me.... Any other service members feel my vantage point?

Well I myself am an Iraqi vet and was apart of our U.S. Air Force...but this story comes off an official AF website for the public to see and I don't see how opsec was compromised in this article. It brought you news but at the same time said they were responsible for 17 locations in Northern Iraq...never let you know were the soldiers were operating out of...ask for the airman he is a penny counter and is strictly there for support but never said a route that they took...so basically they said they went out but never gave details of times, locations, or routes...

[TPSprayduster]

I'll say it now. I'm here. It's BS that they are being paid in Dinar......

There's another thread with this same article. Here is my response in that thread:

Maybe I can shed a little light on what this article is really saying:

Here in Iraq, soldiers can purchase/exchange Dinar at many (if not all) of the Finance offices at their base/post. They don't receive their PAY in Dinar, but they are able to (and do) get Dinar, either on their own, or on behalf of their unit. This Dinar, as the article alludes to, can then be used when the soldiers interact with the Iraqi populace during convoys, missions, etc. Individual soldiers (as well as civilians and contractors) are permitted to purchase up to US$1000 per month worth of Dinar. Special missions/needs may dictate carrying larger amounts.

The use of Dinar by servicemen in Iraq is primarily a matter of expediency. An additional benefit is that having Dinar minimizes the introduction of extra US currency into the Iraqi economy. I can promise you, however, that Iraqi merchants working around our bases will just as willingly take a dollar bill as they would a 1000 Dinar note (especially since it's worth more).

HTH!

gbosh

Hold on Gbosh, that article did not say american soliders are getting paid in Dinars. Read the dam article instead of blasting an article. We use this stuff at the bazaars and special events put money back into the local economy. The local merchants rather have dollars they can care less about the Dinar at this time.

[harrysmug]

People need to understand what they are reading. What this article is saying is that Airmen and Soldiers receive IQD when they go to finance and request cash from their Eagle Cards for local purchases while in Iraq.

Their paychecks are still going into their bank accounts in USD.

I am prior Air Force and a Contractor in Iraq & Kuwait and currently in Afghanistan...yes I have a Eagle Cash card.

This was posted earlier.

"D"

Good point thanks Zildjian

[gbosh]

Hold on Gbosh, that article did not say american soliders are getting paid in Dinars. Read the dam article instead of blasting an article. We use this stuff at the bazaars and special events put money back into the local economy. The local merchants rather have dollars they can care less about the Dinar at this time.

If you'll re-read my post (including the post I quoted), I wasn't blasting the article but responding to JRichards who said "I remember when people were saying it was BS that they were being paid in dinar," implying that soldiers were, in fact, receiving their pay in Dinar.

I HAVE read the 'dam' article, and I'm here in Iraq. I know about the bazaars and the soldiers that use Dinar to put money back into the local economy. And I understand how and WHY those soldiers have Dinar in the first place.

Please read MY post before you go blasting......

Thank you for your service!

gbosh

[AkinNAUY]

I hope this isn't true because there are many statements that violates OPSEC...

MODS to the sake of OPSEC and this man's identity, please delete this post. People just don't understand the kind of information can actually be extracted from this statement if you try hard enough.

Edited May 2, 2011 by AkinNAUY

[gbosh]

I hope this isn't true because there are many statements that violates OPSEC...

It's obviously an article that has been vetted by Public Affairs and published on a public Air Force website. I trust that if they deem it fit to publish, the OpSec threat of doing so is low or nonexistent.

Here's a link to the article at the official Air Force website. It even includes a picture of the Airman doing his finance duties. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123253377

Enjoy!

gbosh

[AkinNAUY]

It's obviously an article that has been vetted by Public Affairs and published on a public Air Force website. I trust that if they deem it fit to publish, the OpSec threat of doing so is low or nonexistent.

Here's a link to the article at the official Air Force website. It even includes a picture of the Airman doing his finance duties. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123253377

Enjoy!

gbosh

Thanks for clearing that up! At least its publish by the military...

[aferriss]

I'll say it now. I'm here. It's BS that they are being paid in Dinar......

There's another thread with this same article. Here is my response in that thread:

Maybe I can shed a little light on what this article is really saying:

Here in Iraq, soldiers can purchase/exchange Dinar at many (if not all) of the Finance offices at their base/post. They don't receive their PAY in Dinar, but they are able to (and do) get Dinar, either on their own, or on behalf of their unit. This Dinar, as the article alludes to, can then be used when the soldiers interact with the Iraqi populace during convoys, missions, etc. Individual soldiers (as well as civilians and contractors) are permitted to purchase up to US$1000 per month worth of Dinar. Special missions/needs may dictate carrying larger amounts.

The use of Dinar by servicemen in Iraq is primarily a matter of expediency. An additional benefit is that having Dinar minimizes the introduction of extra US currency into the Iraqi economy. I can promise you, however, that Iraqi merchants working around our bases will just as willingly take a dollar bill as they would a 1000 Dinar note (especially since it's worth more).

HTH!

gbosh

The article is full of manure. Many of the soldiers, like yourself, have said so. Believe me, I'll take your word and theirs before believing some article.

[gbosh]

aferriss,

Thanks for your compliment!

The article, in my opinion, doesn't do anything more than tell the story of a finance Airmen who is doing his job in a deployed, arguably hostile, environment. The article doesn't imply that soldiers are paid in Dinar, only that they (finance) are 'disbursing' Dinar for the soldiers to use as necessary when dealing with the local Iraqi populace in the Iraqi economy (as opposed to using US currency). This is very much much factual. The rest of the article describes various scenarios and services that soldiers are helped with in the field, as opposed to in a finance office somewhere. Aside from this Airman doing his work in the field, the topic of military pay is fairly mundane.....

The title of the article is "Airman delivers cash, military pay services to austere locations"

The title of THIS THREAD is "Airman delivers cash, military pay services, payed in dinars"

See the difference? Didn't even spell 'Paid' correctly.....

The article is fine as written. It's the way the article is presented (title of the thread) that sends people into orbit about soldiers having their military pay delivered in Dinar.....

gbosh

[harrysmug]

So I think we should lock this one thanks

[aferriss]

Thanks for the clarification, gbosh!! Have a good day.