Ava M's Senior Project Blog
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Project Title: Above and Beyond the Budget: Air Force Spending Unveiled BASIS Advisor: Beatriz Gonzalez Paneque Internship Location: Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Joint Base San Antonio Onsite Mentor: Daniel Mcdermott |
Project Abstract
I am interning with the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center for my senior project, where I am developing and implementing a cost-cutting plan to optimize resource allocation within the Air Force's $9 billion installation and mission support budget. Military budget allocation is essential for maintaining operations, fostering innovation, and ensuring mission readiness. Growing up in a military household, with my father working in finance at Veterans Affairs, I developed an interest in how financial decisions impact military operations. Understanding and applying cost avoidance techniques lead to more efficient resource use, ultimately advancing the Air Force’s mission. This project takes place at the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center at Lackland Air Force Base with Enterprise Branch Chief Daniel McDermott. This organization is ideal for my research as it directly oversees mission support budget allocation, providing real-world insights into cost avoidance strategies. My approach involves analyzing budget expenditures, identifying inefficiencies, and proposing solutions that align with the Air Force’s strategic goals. Using data analysis, financial modeling, and discussions with military finance professionals, I develop recommendations to enhance fiscal responsibility. Through this project, I gain practical experience in resource management and financial analysis while contributing to a cost-cutting strategy that improves operational efficiency. My research provides insights into how strategic financial planning enhances mission success, with potential applications beyond the Air Force. This experience also reinforces my academic and career interests in business finance and law, preparing me for future opportunities in financial and legal analysis within government or corporate sectors.
Week 10: Closing This Chapter
It's hard to believe this journey is coming to a close. Over the past 10 weeks, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the financial sector within the Department of the Air Force and I’ve grown so much along the way. This final week was centered around presenting everything I’ve... Read More
Week 9: Preparation for Innovation Day
Welcome back to Week 9 of my senior project! I can’t believe we’re already this far along. It feels like just yesterday I was walking into AFIMSC/FM for the first time, unsure of what to expect. Now, I’m part of the team preparing for one of their biggest events of the year: the AFIMSC/FM Innovation... Read More
Week 8: Tech Tools and Teamwork
Welcome back to Week 8 of my senior project! This week I had the opportunity to attend a high-level briefing with my team and Mr. Edwin Lewis, the Chief Information Officer of the Department of the Air Force Financial Management. During this session, my team presented their ongoing work on the ODIN-FM tool. Again, ODIN-FM... Read More
Week 7: Week 7: Surviving Spreadsheets and a Hiring Freeze
Hello everyone, and welcome to Week 7 of my senior project! This week, I attended the Financial Management portion of the AFIMSC Commander, Major General Allen’s, Program Management Reviews. This review was originally scheduled to be held last week, but was rescheduled to this week. Each day, the review takes a deep dive into every... Read More
Week 6: Beyond the Office
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Week 6 of my senior project! This week didn’t go exactly as planned. I was supposed to attend General Major Allen’s Program Management Review Session, but due to scheduling issues, the event was moved to a later date. This change meant my site advisor, Mr. McDermott, and I had... Read More
Week 5: Keeping Things Moving
Hello all, and welcome to week 5 of my senior project! This week was quite slow in the office. From Monday through Wednesday my days looked the same. I’d work alongside Mr. Mcdermott analyzing and implementing enterprise solutions and digital materiel management. At its core, enterprise solutions are about finding smarter, more efficient ways to... Read More
Week 4: Demolish it!
Welcome back to week four of my senior project! This week, I got a closer look into the distinct responsibilities of the Mission Support Center compared to the Operations side of the Air Force. Now that the government is operating under a continuing resolution, the goal of gaining air superiority over China becomes significantly more challenging;... Read More
Week 2: Budget Constraints!
Welcome back to week two of my senior project! This week, I focused on analyzing the effectiveness of the U.S. Air Force Conference in Denver, Colorado, and its impact on our office at the Mission Support System at JBSA Lackland. In my previous post, I discussed the top senior leaders of the Air Force and... Read More
Week 1: WW3, Air Superiority, and Budget Negotiations!
Welcome to week 1 of my senior project! This week was both captivating and thought-provoking. Monday marked the start of the annual U.S. Air Force Conference in Denver, Colorado, where top-ranking generals General Mike Minihan, General David Wayne Allvin, and General B. Chance Saltzman outlined their strategic goals for the Air Force in the 2025... Read More