Understanding the mission of the 13th Financial Management Support Center—to ensure the financial readiness of units prior to deployment and provide financial support for all commands, units, and personnel within its area of responsibility—is easy enough.
Deciding what to call the unit, however, seems to have been a big challenge for the U.S. Army. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH), the unit went by the following designations from the time of its activation at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana in 1942 until its inactivation on December 5, 2013:
- 13th Finance Section (twice)
- 13th Finance Disbursing Section
- 13th Finance Center (twice)
- 13th Finance Support Unit
- 13th Finance Group
- 13th Financial Management Support Center*
The green asterisk beside the last listing is to denote the fact that the CMH does not list this designation, but it is the one used on the official homepage of the U.S. Army. No wonder they were nicknamed the “Phantom Paymasters”—no one could ever be sure of what to call them!
During its 71-year existence, the unit earned 15 campaign streamers and was awarded three Meritorious Unit Commendations for its service during the Vietnam War. Its units have participated in just about every operation the U.S. Army has conducted over that time, and the reality of the necessity of money to carry out operations is inherently implied in its motto: “Combat Multiplier.”
The gray background of the 13th Financial Management Support Center’s CSIB, or Combat Service Identification Badge, recalls the U.S. Army pay chest from days gone by. A black star representing the keyhole of the chest is emblematic of the security of the funds for which the unit is responsible. A dragon symbolically guards the treasure inside. The three red stars denote the unit’s association with III Corps; with the black star at top (standing for 10), they add up to the unit’s numerical designation. For more financial symbolism, look no further than the organization’s unit crest.
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