The $33 Billion Question: Managing Money in a War Zone Lessons from Middle East combat finance operations

Published: February 10, 2026 | By Gabriel Denny

In 2014, I deployed to the Middle East as the CFO for all special operations aircraft operations (excluding Afghanistan) during ISIL operations. My job? Manage financial operations for combat missions worth over $33 billion.

No boardroom. No comfortable office. No "let me run this by the team and get back to you."

Just real decisions with real consequences in a combat-adjacent environment where mistakes could cost lives—or billions.

Here's what managing money in a war zone teaches you about business.

1. Speed Matters More Than Perfection

In a combat environment, you don't have the luxury of three weeks to analyze a funding request.

Missions need approval. Aircraft need fuel. Operations need support. Now.

You learn to assess quickly, decide confidently, and move forward. Waiting for 100% certainty means mission failure.

The business lesson: Most companies suffer from analysis paralysis. They wait for perfect data, perfect conditions, perfect alignment. Meanwhile, competitors act.

Learn to make high-quality decisions with 70-80% of the information. That's what separates leaders from committees.

2. Complexity Is the Enemy

In the field, you can't rely on complex approval chains, multi-layered processes, or "let me check with Legal."

Systems have to be simple, clear, and executable under pressure.

We streamlined financial processes so that field commanders could get answers fast. If it took more than three steps, we redesigned it.

The business lesson: Your finance processes are probably too complicated. Every layer of approval, every "check with this person," every unnecessary form slows you down.

Simplify. Your business will move faster.

3. Trust Is Currency

In a combat zone, you can't micromanage. You have to trust your team to execute correctly because you won't always be there to check.

I trained my team, gave them clear guidance, and empowered them to make calls. Then I trusted them.

The result? They delivered—because they knew I had their back.

The business lesson: Micromanagement kills speed. If you don't trust your team to make financial decisions within clear guardrails, you either hired the wrong people or built bad systems.

Fix one or the other.

4. Visibility Is Non-Negotiable

When you're managing billions in a combat environment, you need real-time visibility into where money is going.

We built dashboards, automated reporting, and created systems that gave commanders instant answers to questions like:

How much budget do we have left?
What's committed vs. obligated?
Where are the risks?
What's on track vs. at risk?

We didn't wait for month-end close to know our position. We knew in real-time.

The business lesson: If you only know your financial position at month-end, you're flying blind. Real-time dashboards, automated reporting, and KPI tracking should be standard—not a "nice to have."

5. Audit Under Fire

During one deployment, we performed the first combat zone audit in five years.

Most organizations avoid audits. We ran toward them—because we needed to know where the risks were.

We found $2M in excess funds that could be reallocated. We identified broken processes. We fixed control weaknesses before they became crises.

The business lesson: Most companies treat audits as compliance exercises. Smart companies use them as diagnostic tools. If you're afraid of what an audit will find, that's exactly why you need one.

6. Accountability Is Everything

In combat finance, there's no hiding behind "the system" or "the process."

If money is mismanaged, it's on me. My name. My responsibility.

That level of accountability sharpens decision-making. You don't cut corners. You don't assume someone else will catch mistakes. You own it—completely.

The business lesson: Diffuse accountability is the same as no accountability. When everyone's "responsible," no one is. Clear ownership drives results.

7. Resource Constraints Force Innovation

We didn't have unlimited funds. We didn't have perfect systems. We didn't have ideal conditions.

So we got creative. We found efficiencies. We reallocated strategically. We made every dollar count.

Constraints didn't limit us—they made us better.

The business lesson: Companies with unlimited budgets often waste money. Resource constraints force you to prioritize, innovate, and execute efficiently. Don't wait for more budget—optimize what you have.

8. Communication Must Be Crystal Clear

In a combat environment, unclear communication kills.

There's no room for corporate jargon, vague language, or "we'll circle back."

Financial decisions had to be communicated clearly, concisely, and actionably:

Here's the situation
Here are the options
Here's my recommendation
Here's why

No 40-slide PowerPoint decks. No hedged language. Just clarity.

The business lesson: Most financial presentations are garbage. Too many slides, too much jargon, no clear recommendation. If you can't explain your financial position in 2 minutes, you don't understand it.

9. People Over Process

The best systems in the world fail if your people aren't bought in.

I invested time in training, mentoring, and building trust with my team. I made sure they understood not just what to do, but why it mattered.

That investment paid off. When things got chaotic (and they did), my team executed because they believed in the mission and trusted the leadership.

The business lesson: Companies obsess over processes and tools. But people make businesses work. Invest in your team, and they'll deliver—even when systems break.

The Bottom Line

Managing $33 billion in a war zone isn't something you put on your resume to sound impressive.

It's a crucible that teaches you what actually matters:

Speed over perfection
Simplicity over complexity
Trust over micromanagement
Visibility in real-time
Clear accountability
Innovation under constraints
Crystal-clear communication
People over process

Most CFOs learn these lessons in classrooms or through trial and error over decades.

I learned them in combat. Under pressure. With real consequences.

That's what I bring to your business.

Want a CFO who's made decisions that actually mattered?

Let's talk or call (616) 881-6777.

About the Author

Gabriel Denny served as CFO for special operations aircraft operations in the Middle East during ISIL operations, managing over $33 billion in financial operations in a combat-adjacent environment.

He now brings that high-stakes decision-making experience to growing businesses.

Combat Finance Lessons

Speed matters more than perfection
Complexity is the enemy
Trust your team or fix your team
Real-time visibility is non-negotiable
Clear accountability drives results
Constraints force innovation
Communication must be crystal clear
People over process