For want of a standard form forty-four

So, because our teams generally operate in such far-flung areas, away from the flagpole here on camp and unable to just requisition every little thing they need, each of them has a FOO and PA. That's "Field Ordering Officer" and "Pay Agent" for those of you not fluent in the eldritch tongues. These individuals have some hefty responsibility. They have to know what they can and can't buy, do the paperwork for it all, and safeguard big piles of cash until it's distributed. Most of these costs go to things like petrol/gas/fuel, the occasional bit of building supplies or durable goods that aren't in the normal supply chain.

The FOO's job is to decide that something is necessary to the mission and draw up the Standard Form (SF) 44. It's a tiny slip of paper with enormous consequence; essentially a check, signed by a duly-appointed representative of the US government and issued to the local provider of the good or service described thereon. This provider then turns around and hands the SF 44 over to the PA, who pulls the cash out of his or her big backpack full of money and hands over the proper amount.

Every 60 days, these two people have to return here to reconcile their expenses. They bring all their paperwork, the CCO (contingency contracting officer) looks it over to make sure it's good, then signs off on it so they can go draw their next batch of cash. It's a PITA, but probably the sort of thing most taxpayers would like done with their money, no?

Well, sometimes the paperwork isn't good. Sometimes the FOO and PA leave receipts behind. Or don't get all the receipts properly signed by the local provider of a good or service. Or don't properly account for everything and come up short.

Sometimes they do all of that.

Sometimes, the FOO gets fired. And, since they're operating in another country, we have to scramble to

A) pull an officer off another team to go down to said country and temporarily operate as their FOO so that they can continue to buy gas for their trucks,
B) get him a flight into said country,
C) cancel the original FOO's flight back, since we can only have so many people in said country at any given time,
D) clear these movements with the CCE (country coordination element - a military officer working as a liaison with the embassy),
E) schedule to bring the other potential FOO, a FOOCYTE if you will, from their team up to this country and get trained, reconcile the remainder of the cash, draw new cash, and fly back

in the space of about 5 hours.

Goddamn I love my job.