Editorial | The color of money: why it is important to complete annual AT and IDT requirements

  • Published
  • By Col Thomas O. Pemberton
  • HQ RIO Detachment 4 Commander
Many of you have heard the term 'Color of Money' used by military leaders.  These leaders are not referring to the 1986 movie with Tom Cruise and Paul Newman.  Strangely enough, the 'Color of Money' is an official Department of Defense term that refers to the different categories of money within the DoD and the specific uses on which those funds may be spent.  With the ever-tighter fiscal constraints, we must all be very careful we are not confusing the 'color of money' as we stretch every dollar to complete our mission.  We must also plan efficiently and accurately for these different colors of money to ensure we have enough funding available for each desired purpose. 

The overarching question asked of each fiscal year's budget is "what did we spend last year?"  Requesting and obtaining more funds than the previous year is extremely difficult in today's world and can send a signal we are not managing our budgets appropriately.  This is the primary reasoning behind the requirement for all Individual Reservists to complete their annual tours and inactive duty training days every year.  If we don't use the AT and IDT "color of money" in the current FY, then the next year there is a strong possibility funding will be cut. 

As we transition from combat operations to peacetime-mode of reduced budgets, this becomes even more important. As military personnel appropriation and reserve personnel appropriation fund allocations dwindle, the AT and IDT "colors of money" need to be healthy to allow our IMAs to participate.

Col. Christopher E. Cronce, HQ RIO commander, established official guidance for all Individual Reservists in September 2014, when he released the FY15 RIO Participation Memo.
This guidance points out that the extensive waiving of AT and IDTs of past years has caused an under-execution of the Air Force Reserve Command RPA program, which has contributed to increased budgetary pressure on funding levels in succeeding FYs.

One of the primary HQ RIO goals is to ensure we have the necessary funding available so all IMAs can complete their annual requirements and remain viable and valid assets to the units they support. 

While this guidance does allow detachment commanders to approve waivers of AT and IDTs, Individual Reservists must understand these waivers will be heavily scrutinized, especially for those who are involved with long-term MPA or RPA orders. 

The whole issue can be summed up by stating - if we don't use it, we will lose it!