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FROM THE FIELD

US Army Financial Management Command
(USAFMCOM) Corner (Cont’d)

“Her branch, Finance and Comptroller, make up less than 1 percent of those serving on active duty, but I will
tell you, they do some heavy lifting for the United States Army,” the general explained. “She has
demonstrated, not only the skills, knowledge, attributes and Army values, but she also demonstrates every
day her commitment, character and competence.

“She has this, ‘watch-my-tracer’ mentality and leads from the front,” he added. ‘Paige knows the Army, she
lives the Army, and she is making a difference in the Army.”

While promotion into the ranks of general officers is an indicator of a successful Army career, Jennings’
career almost never came to fruition.
She had an uncle who served in Vietnam in finance, but she didn’t know this growing up, and with no one
else in her family who served in the military, she said the chances she would choose a military career were
very slim.

According to the Pew Research Center, 70 percent of new military recruits report a family member who
served in the armed forces.
“Growing up, I had only been around two military people,” Jennings recalled. “Retired Lt. Col. Hal Nelson
and his wife Caroline, who moved to Montana and bought our house, made a lot of memories with me and
eventually pinned on my second lieutenant bars…but it was retired Col. Tony McDermott who got me hooked
on joining the military.”
McDermott worked in the ROTC department at the University of Montana as an instructor and a professor of
military science.
“Without the numerous conversations with him at social gatherings or at the Missoula Trap and Skeet Club,
where I was a trap kid and he was out there shooting with my dad, I would have never joined the military and
be standing here today,” Jennings explained. “You never know the influence you are going to have so
always take [the opportunities].”

Jennings also had a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but opted to go the ROTC route,
and she was initially stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

“My first position in the Army was as a dispersing officer. Simply put, our office made sure the companies
and people were paid timely and accurately with cash and U.S. Treasury checks,” recalled Jennings. “Yes,
[electronic funds transfer] was not mandatory in the Army at that point.”

During those first, formative years, Jennings said she quickly learned three valuable lessons that stuck with
her throughout her career.
The first lesson came from a coworker who Jennings forgot to say, ‘good morning,’ to with the business of
the day.
“As a brand new second lieutenant, you have a enough on your plate just trying to figure out how to navigate
the Army,” Jennings recalled. “She scolded me for not saying good morning and told me no matter what I
had on my mind or what type of mood I was in, I was to come in the office, and my first duty for that day was
to just simply tell everyone good morning.
“I have carried that with me through my career…those simple words, added with a smile, will change your
entire outlook and those around you for that day,” she added.

The second lesson she said she learned was about taking care of others.
“While this has always been a part of my nature, you get a nuance when you join the military – it’s not just
about Soldiers,” Jennings explained. “It’s about Soldiers and their families, our civilians and contractors.”
The third lesson the newly-minted general said was to expect the unexpected.

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