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Financial Readiness Course Aids Selfridge Airmen

  • Published
  • By TSgt. Dan Heaton
  • 127th Wing Public Affairs
SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. --  A new training program is helping Airmen of the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Wing improve their ability to deal with the financial challenges of daily life.

"In these tough times, financial awareness is critical to your Guard career," said Paulus Obey, a retired Air National Guard master sergeant who serves as the director of the Family Readiness Group for the 127th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.

Obey works closely with the first sergeants and unit commanders around the 127th Wing to provide support to local Guard Airmen who find themselves in a pinch due to financial circumstances. Financial counseling and training in budgeting has always been a part of that program, but now a new formal class is being added to help local Airmen, and their spouses, become more financially aware.

"We deal with our Traditional Guard Airmen who are employed, under-employed and unemployed," Obey said. "For many of them, they are living paycheck to paycheck and one unforeseen challenge can cause havoc. We've had times where an Airman shows up for drill and he or she doesn't have enough gas in the car to get back home after drill weekend. These are dedicated men and women and the goal is to give them the tools they need to be able to handle these challenges."

The new Financial Readiness for Military Families class focusses on a variety of topics, including:

· Managing Expenses
· Needs Analysis
· Setting Goals
· Getting Out of Debt
· Using Credit Wisely
· Understanding the Importance of and Maintaining a Good Credit Score
· Appropriate use of the Government Travel Card

"There are some additional challenges that can come with being a military family and we want to give people the tools they need to meet those challenges," Obey said.

The Financial Readiness course will be offered on 127th Wing Unit Training Assembly weekends. The course is required for all new wing members and optional for all others. Spouses are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Additional financial readiness information is also available for military members via the Military OneSource web site, www.militaryonesource.mil. Included at MilitaryOneSource is free income tax preparation assistance for military families.

Comprised of approximately 1,700 personnel and flying both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the KC-135 Stratotanker, the 127th Wing supports Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command and Air Force Special Operation Command by providing highly-skilled Airmen to missions domestically and overseas. The 127th Wing is the host unit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which marks its 97th year of continuous military air operations in 2014.