Friday, Feb. 05, 2010

Around the Army

U.S. dollar in Iraq being reduced to stimulate local currency, economy

BASRA, Iraq — U.S. currency may soon become difficult to find in Iraq as part of an effort to protect Soldiers and increase the value of the Iraqi dinar. SGT Brittany A. Raimer, a dispersing manager with the 368th Finance Management Company, 36th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), said eliminating the use of U.S. currency on the battlefield will help to stimulate the economy of Iraq. The use of electronic fund transfers to pay vendors and contractors, and urging service members to rely on the Eagle Cash Card, rather than cash, are two major changes that have been implemented in Iraq to eliminate the use of cash, Raimer said.

Fiscal 2011 budget includes $400 million for re-enlistment bonuses

WASHINGTON — The Army revealed its fiscal year 2011 budget Monday, including $143 billion to fund training and sustainment of the total force, and an additional $102 billion to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. During a budget briefing at the Pentagon, LTG Edgar E. Stanton III, the Army’s military deputy for budget, detailed the overall rationale behind items in the Army’s portion of the Department of Defense’s FY11 budget requests that will go forward to President Barack Obama. That rationale included the Army’s budget priorities. “The Army leaders have focused on caring for our people — that’s our Soldiers, our families and our civilians,” Stanton said. “We focus on training and equipping Soldiers and units for the current fight and then we revitalize our people — the entire gamut of people, Soldiers and civilians — for whatever the next development might be.”

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