Military Saves Week: ‘Start Small, Think Big’ Published Feb. 23, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Military Saves Week is Feb. 20 to 27 here and the theme is "start small, think big," but what does that really mean? According to Sun Park, a financial counselor at Osan's Airman and Family Readiness Center, starting small and thinking big means getting debt free, starting an emergency savings and planning for retirement early, and it all starts with education. "Money issues and debt are directly related to mission readiness and it only adds unneeded stress to everyone's life," Mr. Park said. "With the education and training the staff offers at the Airman and Family Readiness Center we can help everyone get a better understanding of their finances." Military Saves is a national campaign to persuade, motivate, and encourage military families to save money every month, and to convince leaders and organizations to be aggressive in promoting automatic savings, Mr. Park said. This is the third year Osan has participated. "The most important thing anyone can do is to not spend beyond their means," Mr. Park said. This means spending only what they have and using credit cards or loans as a last result. "It's education and financial planning for those rainy days and retirement," he added. To help with that education the staff offers financial management classes, Thrift Savings Plan training, home buying courses and other informative briefings. In some cases they also have one-on-one financial counseling available. Edward Hendrickson, a certified financial planner and public accountant, will be available to help with financial questions until March 4 at the Airman and Family Readiness Center, Mr. Park said. For more information contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 784-5440 or visit http://www.militarysaves.org.