The bottom line

Air Force Comptroller, July, 2003 by Bruce S. Lemkin

Teammates--This issue of The Air Force Comptroller magazine initiates a recurring feature that will appear at the end of every addition--an article by me that I term The Bottom Line.

BOTTOM LINE (Business definition): Gross sales minus taxes, interest, depreciation, and other expenses. Also called net earnings or net income or net profit.

While at first glance, based on this definition, the Bottom Line appears to apply only to the business world--I think that with some interpretation and imagination, the correlation to Air Force Financial Management is not hard to see.

Our Gross Sales are the resources and services we provide to Finance the Fight--including: budgeting and cash flowing aircraft, weapons, personnel, operations, etc.; delivering financial services to our commands and airmen; and advising commanders based on expert analyses of financial and management information.

The minus part really is a measure of our optimization of resources, including our ability to deliver our services as efficiently as possible and minimizing drains on resources such as interest penalties.

Our net earnings/income/profits, therefore, are measured directly by the Air Force's ability to carry out its critical mission in defense of the nation. Support for the warfighter, through Financing the Fight, is really our Bottom Line!

Our transformation efforts and execution of our Strategic Plan will help us to achieve the best Bottom Line for the Air Force, but it is our FM professionals--those serving in the FSOs, those on our staffs from the smallest unit to the MAJCOMs to the HAF, those deployed with the AEF--who contribute to a healthy Bottom Line through their hard work and dedication every day. Professional development, the theme of this issue of The Air Force Comptroller, is key to our ability to optimize Air Force financial performance by having the best trained, most credible financial management corps.

A financial management community operating at peak efficiency, providing quality analyses and real-time accurate financial and management information, as well as optimum resourcing and financial services, where every member has the opportunity for professional development and achievement--that, too. constitutes our BOTTOM LINE!

Mr Bruce S. Lemkin

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force

(Financial Management)