Page 7 - FCA Diamond Point Dec 2022

FROM THE RAFINO PRESIDENT
MEET THE NEW PRESIDENT OF RAFINO

COL (R) Michael D. Kelly

Looking back on the last 50 years, “To Support and Serve” was not only a code that I lived by
during my Army career but also a principle that I practiced during my subsequent corporate
careers. When I was elected as the President of RAFINO, I adopted the motto of “Keeping the
Finance Family Together” as a policy mandate during my two-year term as President of that great
organization. I hope to bring the leadership experience and organizational capabilities that I
have accrued to bear on issues facing RAFINO around stewardship; membership
growth/diversity; and outreach to the younger generation of our Finance Corps Soldiers.

All of the RAFINO members have, for the most part, walked in the shoes of today’s Finance Corps
ranks. Army doctrine, strategies, and tactics may have created different missions, policies, and
systems for the performance of Financial Management, Comptroller, and Military Pay functions
but the basics are still there and at the end of the day, the clarion call of my generation, “You
cannot go to war without us” still rings true.

Our overlapping career journeys underline all the more the importance of our two Finance Corps
associations working closely together on the issues of the day and remembering the past and
present achievements while keeping an eye toward the evolving Army Finance Corps mission.
We should inform that discussion where it makes sense and where we collectively can be of value
to the resulting doctrine and force structure decisions.

Charleston! Charleston! Charleston! We want to increase attendance at the 2024 RAFINO reunion
by building on the success of the Fort Harrison 2022 event. During my tenure, I will be focused on
an event that delivers Member camaraderie, enjoyment, and entertainment. The 2024 Reunion in
Charleston/SC offers great venues and events that should make the 2024 Reunion a destination
vacation. Our team, headed up by the VP for Reunions, John Veal, will do the heavy lifting and
planning for our Reunion. Our working title Theme for the 2024 Reunion is “The Army Finance
Corps through the Years.”

Kelly US Army Assignment Highlights and Post Army Employment:

1997-1999: DOD Transportation Payments Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service
(DFAS), Indianapolis; 1996-1997: DOD Contract Entitlements Director, Defense Finance and
Accounting Service (DFAS), Columbus; 1995-1996: Study Director, U.S. Army, Reengineering
Study of Military Pay and Personnel, Fort Jackson; 1992-1995: FORSCOM Staff Finance and
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Accounting Officer, Atlanta; 1990-1992: Commander, 106 Finance Support Command, 7 Finance
Group (FG), US VII Corps, Ludwigsburg /Saudi Arabia/Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm;
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1989-1990: Commander, 21 FG and Deputy Commander, 9 FG, Kaiserslautern; 1987-1989: Chief
of Accounting Policy in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Resource Management, U.S.
Army Europe (USAREUR), Heidelberg; 1985-1987: Chief of the Accounting and Finance Division,
7 MEDCOM, U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR), Landstuhl; 1982-1985: Team Chief, Finance and
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Accounting Quality Assurance Division, U.S. Army Finance Accounting Center, Fort Benjamin
Harrison; 1981-1982: Assistant SGS, NATO LANDSOUTHEAST Izmir, Turkey
1976-1978: U.S. Army Combat Developments Project Officer, HQDA Consolidation of Pay and
Personnel Project, Fort Benjamin Harrison; 1973-1974: Commander, 125 Finance Company, 25
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Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

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