The 97th Comptroller Squadron first activated on July 12, 1948, as the 97th Finance Disbursing Unit assigned to the 97th Bombardment Wing, Medium at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas. Through the years it has been designated a squadron and re-designated as a flight numerous times, always remaining an important element of the wing staff. The unit was reconstituted as a squadron January 1987 through April 1995. During this time, the squadron earned an Outstanding Unit award and on October 1, 1992, the wing moved from Eaker Air Force Base, Arkansas, to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The 97th Comptroller Squadron was again designated a squadron on June 21, 2004, with responsibility to support the 97th Air Mobility Wing's mission of providing formal training to strategic airlift and aerial refueling active duty, Guard and Reserve aircrews, while maintaining world-wide capability to augment Global Reach contingency support missions and personnel.
The squadron is comprised of 30 military and civilians, providing world-class decision support to wing leaders and financial support to Altus AFB personnel. To perform these missions, the squadron is comprised of a two different flights, Financial Analysis and Financial Operations. The Financial Analysis Flight (FMA) plans, develops, and presents all budget and fund requirements for the installation to the Major Command or other higher headquarters. The responsibilities for financial analysis encompass economic analysis and execution of appropriated Air Force funds, including applicability and propriety of fund usage, to ensure their most effective use in support of Air Force programs and priorities. This flight updates accounting data. It also provides financial management function accounting for host and tenant unit commanders in the execution of funding authorities and liaison service among units, vendors and Defense Finance and Accounting Service. The flight performs commitment accounting and fund certification for the Government Purchase Card Program, fund cite authorizations, fund control messages, and other funding authorizations. The flight obligates and authenticates temporary duty and emergency leave orders while performing follow-up on outstanding travel orders and advances.
The Financial Operations Flight (FMF) provides military, travel, and civilian pay services for all personnel. They perform in and out-processing for a permanent change of station, separations, and retirements pay, and assistance with the Defense Travel System. This flight manages debt programs, dependency determinations, and recertification of entitlements. It processes documents to update pay, allowance, leave, allotment, and tax information. The flight audits temporary duty travel claims, trains, and oversees unit leave monitors and timekeepers, processes time and attendance records for updates to the Defense Civilian Pay System and performs disbursing and cashier functions.
Finally, the squadron leadership and supporting staff oversees internal processes. The Quality Assurance Monitor tracks performance of other sections within the squadron in order to evaluate the quality of support provided to customers. The Non-Appropriated Funds Analyst provides independent financial management oversight and analysis of morale, welfare, and recreation and lodging program activities on the base, along with other special nonappropriated fund programs. All function together to provide world-class support.