JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- What would you do if your paycheck stopped working? For the more than 1,300 members of the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 108th Wing, it comes down to one person.
Staff Sgt. Joshua Heath, a financial management technician with the 108th Comptroller Flight (CPTF), is responsible for ensuring that Airmen are processed and paid accurately, especially with deployments, changing orders and current missions.
“Heath is solely responsible for making sure around 1,300 members are processed and paid,” said Master Sgt. Conan Clark, Heath’s supervisor in financial management. “He has dedicated himself to this office like no one else and puts it all into his work.”
As a financial management technician, Heath operates in a position that would normally have at least two people to handle the workload. With deployments and missions such as Operation Epic Fury, that workload only continues to grow.
“Epic Fury is one of those intense deployments that we deal with because of all the coordination necessary between different departments,” Clark said. “Orders are constantly getting modified, which causes a lot of changes in people’s pay that Heath has to update, and he is the only one who can do it.”
Heath has maintained zero gaps in coverage for the 108th Wing’s personnel. His dedication has led to a 99% accuracy rate in the disbursement of more than $1.5 million in military personnel funding.
“In my opinion, it’s probably the hardest job in financial management,” Clark said. “For him to have a positive attitude and to do the job exceptionally well means a lot.”
Beyond his financial management responsibilities, Heath has also taken on a leadership role by proactively mentoring four Airmen. He has dedicated his time to training them to contribute to the 108th CPTF and to helping ensure the Wing remains strong.
“I really enjoy sharing knowledge with younger Airmen and seeing them use that knowledge and apply it,” Heath said. “The less they rely on me, the more they rely on themselves. It reassures me that what I’m passing on is working.”
For the members of the 108th Wing, a working paycheck is something they can count on. Heath’s work ensures the Wing’s financial operations continue moving even when the mission becomes more demanding.