For Immediate Release                                                                                              
Release No. 071015-2
Oct. 15, 2007
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Gulf Region Division staff refreshed on fiscal law
Gulf Region Division

Baghdad, Iraq – Meeting to gain a clearer understanding of the latest in fiscal law, 36 members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division participated in instruction here Oct. 15 from a visiting expert on the complex and ever changing topic.

“Knowing the legal use of appropriated funds is the cornerstone to sound financial management and a core competency for accountants, budget analysts, financial managers and for everyone who deals with ‘money’ in the federal government,” said B.J. Fagan, chief of Resource Management for GRD. “That includes auditors, contracting officers, program managers and attorneys.”

Fagan explained that the GRD team manages funds and projects for appropriated dollars that are unique to the theater of Iraq. Additionally, the majority of the team has never worked in a contingency environment nor dealt with the day-to-day financial and project issues that come with working side by side with joint military service members, civilians and contractors in a combat environment and with Iraqi partners, she said.

“Fiscal law training provides the team members with another knowledge tool to help them perform their duties within the statutes and laws that govern the obligation and expenditure of government funds,” Fagan said.

The training is also being provided to the Corps district staffs by Robert Cote, Management Concepts instructor for the training who spends half his time providing training in the States and overseas.

Cote is a 1978 graduate of Pennsylvania State University and received his Masters in Business Administration in 1981 from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.   He is also Vice President of Finance and Program Manager for Edit, Inc., an information technology and technical training company that provides services to state and federal government executive branch agencies.

“This is Mr. Cote's first trip to Baghdad and the first time for a Fiscal Law course to be taught here,” Fagan said.

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Note:  Grant Sattler is a public affairs specialist with the Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iraq. For more information, contact him at 540-665-1233 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq, visit www.grd.usace.army.mil.