An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 24, 2020

Property and fiscal office quietly works behind scenes

By Master Sgt. Blair Heusdens Minnesota National Guard

CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. – In the Minnesota National Guard, highly skilled personnel manage government funds and property to ensure Soldiers and Airmen are trained and able to respond to federal and state missions.

“In an era where all the transactions are digital, it’s easy for people to see the financial side of the force as invisible,” said Lt. Col. Patricia Baker, the U.S. property and fiscal officer for Minnesota. “It’s hard for people to grasp what the dollars and cents mean when it’s all invisible. Which also means it’s easy to take it for granted.”

“When we think about what it takes to run an organization that has 13,000 people, it’s millions and millions of dollars,” said Baker. “But there are billions of dollars when it comes to the assets that reside in all of those armories and flight lines and connexes and facilities statewide.”

At the lowest level, any Soldier or Airman in the force can be a better steward of government resources. From the clothing and equipment each service member signs for to military equipment, vehicles, radios and computers, ensuring accountability and maintenance of government property is critical. Just as crucial is responsibly managing the government funds that come to the Minnesota National Guard for things like pay, allowances and travel.

“Almost everybody in the force has a card in their wallet or bag that is government-issued,” said Baker. “That’s an easy starting point: to be a good steward of that government travel card and to be mindful that those are government funds.”

Baker says it can seem that Department of Defense funding is immense, but when it gets passed down to the 54 states and territories and the major commands within those Army and Air National Guards, that pot of money isn’t nearly as big as what it is in our heads.

Charged with managing the millions of dollars in funding and billions of dollars in assets are employees who work behind the scenes to ensure all regulations, requirements and standards are met.

“We are the wizard behind the curtain,” said Baker. “We’re enabling others to do so many things, and they just never see it. The actions that we take, the transactions that unfold, affect every single Soldier and Airman every day.”

 

 

Related Articles
Photo of medical training during a Port Subject Matter Expert Exchange at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, August 20, 2025. (Courtesy Photo)
Washington Guard Continues Strengthening Relationship at Thailand’s Port of Laem Chabang
By Joseph Siemandel, | Sept. 30, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Four members of the Washington National Guard partnered recently with more than 170 employees from the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, to continue improving the port’s all-hazard response as part of the...

Leaders and attendees from the Hawai‘i National Guard, Guam National Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines gather for a group photo during the 25th anniversary celebration of the State Partnership Program between the Hawai‘i National Guard and the AFP at Clark Air Base, Philippines, Sept. 25, 2025. The Hawai‘i Guard and AFP launched the Indo-Pacific’s first State Partnership in 2000, marking 25 years of cooperation in training, disaster response and regional security.
25 Years Strong: Hawai‘i Guard and Philippines Celebrate Enduring Partnership
By Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy, | Sept. 30, 2025
CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines — Cheers, handshakes and shared stories filled the air Sept. 23–25 as the Hawai‘i National Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines celebrated 25 years of partnership — a bond that has endured...

Oklahoma National Guard leaders and Italian representatives unveil a plaque at the former headquarters of the 45th Infantry Division during WWII in Venafro, Italy, Sept. 8, 2025. A delegation of Oklahoma National Guard members and veterans toured key locations from the 45th Infantry Division’s campaign in Italy against German forces during World War II, continuing the development of the Thunderbird Trail. The initiative is aimed at preserving the Division's role in World War II through a memorial trail tracing its footsteps through Italy, France and Germany, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)
Thunderbird Trail: Preserving Sacrifice, Strengthening Connection for Oklahoma Guard
By Sgt. Danielle Rayon, | Sept. 29, 2025
ITALY – Standing among rows of white marble headstones at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Soldiers of the Oklahoma National Guard bent to place sand from the beaches of Anzio into the carved names of...