AFSOC civilian retires after 42 years of service

by Capt. Victoria Porto
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

11/25/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Forty-two years after Bill Rone began his accounting job at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., he celebrated his retirement at Hurlburt Field Nov. 21, as a member of the Senior Executive Service and Air Force Special Operations Command's director of financial management and comptroller.

The former University of West Florida cooperative education student said when he applied for that job years ago he never imagined it would take him so far in a career as an Air Force civilian.

"I was working my way through college when I saw the advertisement for the Armament Development and Test Center on the placement office bulletin board," Rone said. "It's just that simple. I had to eat."

Rone's dedicated work ethic and talent for all things budget and finance helped him move quickly through the ranks.

For example, at age 28, he was promoted to director of programs and budget, in charge of a $2 billion budget. And in 1983, he graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, where he said his classmates referred to him as the "class baby." The six years he was budget director, Eglin's comptroller office was selected Air Force Systems Command's Comptroller Organization of the Year each year.

He went on to become the deputy comptroller at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Ga., and later the comptroller, programmer and chief information officer at the Naval Aviation Depot in Pensacola, Fla., before being hand-picked for his dream job working with the newly-created AFSOC headquarters in 1990.

"If you're a financial manager, why would you want to be anything other than a comptroller for special ops?" he asked, smiling. "When I got here, I was the happiest person to ever come through the gates. I just committed to be the best teammate and do the most I could for the command."

That commitment and positive attitude continued to shape not only his personal development and career, but the culture of the AFSOC financial management office and the development of those who worked with him.

"He always challenged us to do our best, to do more and try to be a better person every day," said Annette Beard, AFSOC deputy director of financial management, who started working with Rone in 1991.

Under his mentorship, 65 percent of his team have completed their masters, 70 percent have completed professional military education, 74 percent have earned professional certifications and six have gone on to become major command-level comptrollers or deputy comptrollers themselves.

But the Bonifay, Fla., native does not take credit for their successes, or the success of his organization, which has won the U.S. Special Operations Command Outstanding Financial Management Organization Award every year for the last decade.

"Everybody feels like they're part of the team, and we're a very successful team," he said. "But is it me? No, it's the team."

In Rone's 23 years with AFSOC, he executed $20 billion in support of the mission, the Air Commandos and their families.

"If there's one person who's touched the lives of every Air Commando--past, present and future--it's Bill," said Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, AFSOC commander. "We will miss his compassion for our people, and how he always set them up for continued success."

After a distinguished career in AFSOC and years of leadership roles in community and charitable organizations like the Eglin Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and local chapters of the American Society of Military Comptrollers, Rone said he's looking forward to spending more time with his family, working out more, and maybe even learning golf.

But first, true to his legacy as an amazing mentor, he offered parting advice for future success and leadership.

"You have to commit yourself emotionally, intellectually and physically," he said. "And work like a dog."