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FROM THE FIELD

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

Upon deploying to the United Kingdom in 1943, the 45th FDS initially supported the 1st
Bombardment Division of the 8th Army Air Force, earning a Presidential Unit Citation for the air
offensive in Europe.

Landing in Normandy just one month after D-Day, the 45th FDS served through the Normandy,
Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central European campaigns.

The 45th FDS continued to serve in Europe as the Cold War ramped up and inactivated for just
three years before reactivating in 1958 with the U.S. presence in Europe more established.

Over the next 30 years, the unit provided service to more than 8 million U.S. Army Soldiers who
served in Germany through the Cold War.

During this time the 45th was reorganized and redesignated three times. It became the 45th
Finance Section in 1964. Next it was redesignated the 45th Finance Center in 1984. And, in 1988,
the unit became the 45th Finance Support Unit. The 45th FSU was once again inactivated on July
15, 1994, in Germany.
For its 2023 reactivation, nearly 20 of the unit’s former members were in attendance, coming in
from all over the country. Most of them served with the 45th FS in the mid-to-late 1970s, but Bruce
Fonda, a Korean War veteran, was the oldest former member in attendance. Fonda served in the
45th FS from 1965-1967.

“Your legacy, the foundation upon which our unit was built, is a source of inspiration and a
reminder of our heritage,” said Shick to former 45th members at the ceremony. “The knowledge
and experience you bring are invaluable, and we are committed to honoring the legacy you
established.”

Jennings concurred, stating that the 45th FC will honor its past by carrying their mission forward.
“The Army’s purpose remains timeless and clear: to fight and win our nation's wars,” Jennings
concluded. “We are a global force that fights when called upon at the scale required, and I have no
doubt that the current and future Soldiers of the 45th FC will carry on the legacy built by so many
and serve with distinction and honor serving to protecting our freedom and our nation.”

USAFMCOM delivers precision enterprise-wide financial operations to integrate, synchronize and
sustain the battlefield through the Joint Strategic Support Area and directly supports the Office of
the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller in their role as the
principal advisor on all matters related to financial management and comptrollership.

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