MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Major Jason Bryan is the officer in charge of the Financial Management section of the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He is responsible for maintaining the wing budget, developing funding plans, validating complex economic and cost-benefit analyses, making sure people get paid, and training his staff to do the same. He has been with the 908th AW in this position since Jan. 2018. He commutes from Warner Robins, Georgia; where he is a finance and budget analyst for the C-130 Hercules sustainment office at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
Bryan originally enlisted in the Army right after graduating from high school in 1995 in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. He was later sent to Camp Casey, South Korea, before spending the last three years of his enlistment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
After his enlistment in the Army, he used his GI-Bill and an AFROTC scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee-Knoxville where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting. From there, he received a master’s degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Over his is 22-year long career he has been employed at Buckley AFB, Colo., Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Robins AFB, Ga., Keesler AFB, Miss., MacDill AFB, Fla., Tinker AFB, Okla., Barksdale AFB, La., Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, Eglin AFB, Fla.; and then finally here at the 908th AW.
Specializing in finances and budgets, Bryan has had many chances to deploy to help international wings and expeditionary units. He said he was thankful for all of the opportunities to travel. All of this travel meant more chances to meet new people. It also meant he could see old ones.
Bryan said that while in-processing at a deployed location, he was surprised to see an old friend from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. They had been in the same AFROTC program. That buddy was now the commander and director of wing staff of that deployed unit.
“The Air Force lets you see just how small this world really is,” said Bryan.
Even though he has been able to travel the world and meet new people, Bryan said he was most thankful to be able to help people. He said that since he enjoys finance and accounting, he is glad that he can put those skills to use to help others.
“Everywhere I have been across my 22 years, seeing peoples’ dedication to doing a good job and how that compounds upon itself is incredible,” said Bryan. “Getting to see your FM shop support everyone that comes in the door and making sure that people get paid feels great.”
He said he wants to make sure that wings have the budget so they can fund their mission and their Airmen. Without the wing, there are no Airmen; no Airmen means no mission. So, having Airmen like Major Bryan and his team in FM are crucial to ensuring the wing has the manpower and resources necessary to executing the mission.