Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2026
Time: 12:00pm ET
CPE: 1.0
A clean audit opinion is not the finish line, and sustained auditability is more than a reporting requirement. It is the foundation for a readier force. In this moderated panel, senior financial management and audit leaders from across the Department of War will examine how accurate, auditable financial data translates directly into improved material visibility, increased equipment availability, and confident resourcing decisions that directly support the warfighter. The panel will also discuss why transparent data-sharing with the Defense Industrial Base matters and how to build a digitally fluent FM workforce that sustains the momentum JTF-Audit is creating into the out-years. Attendees will leave with practical perspectives on turning audit discipline into a strategic advantage, one where the ledger becomes a readiness tool rather than a compliance exercise.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the Link Between Audit and Operations: Articulate how financial statement accuracy directly impacts supply chain visibility and equipment availability for the warfighter.
- Strengthening DIB Interoperability and Resiliency: Analyze the importance of secure, interoperable data-sharing with the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) to ensure supply chain transparency and financial resilience.
- Upskilling to “Digital Workers” Inside the Financial Management Community: Evaluate strategies for raising the digital literacy and fluency of the financial management workforce so they can more effectively solve problems.
- Navigate the “Audit-to-Insight” Pipeline: Highlight the importance of transitioning away from descriptive reporting (what happened) to predictive analytics (what will happen) with a specific focus on how data-driven financial insights directly enhance warfighting readiness and resource allocation.
Panelists
Panelist
Brig Gen Carl “Ferris” Buhler, USAF (ret), Founder and President of Buhler Consulting Group, LLC
Mr. Buhler currently serves as the Founder and President of Buhler Consulting Group, LLC, a consultancy firm serving aerospace and defense companies, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms. He also serves on the board of advisors for two technology companies and five advisory boards. His focus areas include aviation, innovation, dual-use technologies, and sustainment. He holds three master’s degrees, a bachelor’s degree, and a Business Consultant Certificate. Mr. Buhler has extensive experience in logistics, aircraft maintenance, munitions, and operations. During his 28-plus-year Air Force career, he served as the USAF “Thunderbirds” maintenance officer and deployed to Operations DESERT STORM (cease-fire phase), IRAQI FREEDOM, & ENDURING FREEDOM. Additionally, he served twice as a Major Command Logistics Director (PACAF and ACC) and commanded one of the three Air Force depots, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex (Hill AFB). He also commanded the 78th Air Base Wing as the Robins AFB Installation Commander, the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group (Southwest Asia), and two squadrons. Lastly, he served at the Pentagon in Legislative Liaison and as the AF Deputy Director of Logistics Resource Integration, helping develop the Air Force budget, known as the Program Objective Memorandum (POM). He holds an active TS/SCI security clearance.
Panelist
Joe D. Wilburn II, Director of Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation (FIAR) in the Office of the Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)
Mr. Wilburn now serves as the Director of Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation (FIAR) in the Office of the Deputy Chief Financial Officer, supporting the Assistant Deputy Chief Financial Officer and the Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller). In this role, he leads efforts to strengthen the Department of War’s financial integrity by advancing audit remediation, improving internal controls, and driving enterprise-wide financial management reforms. He oversees teams that evaluate and implement initiatives to enhance efficiency, standardize processes, and ensure compliance with federal financial management requirements. Mr. Wilburn served as the Deputy Executive Director within the J34 Logistics Policy and Programs division of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at Fort Belvoir, VA. In that role, he was the primary advisor to the J34 Executive Director on all aspects of logistics management. His portfolio included the integration and synchronization of critical business and supply chain management functions such as Order Fulfillment, Planning, Technical Quality, Inventory Management, Disposal, and Cataloging. He also oversaw Audit Integration and Process Integration initiatives. Mr. Wilburn began his federal career with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in 2008. He transitioned to DLA in 2011, assuming the position of System Accountant at DLA Finance Distribution in New Cumberland, PA. He later joined DLA Finance Energy at Fort Belvoir in 2012, and over the years held multiple leadership roles in financial and resource management within DLA J8. His previous positions included Acting DLA Deputy Chief Financial Officer, DLA Working Capital Fund Budget Director, DLA Director of Accounting Operations, and Deputy Comptroller of DLA Finance Energy. Mr. Wilburn earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky and completed his Master’s in Business Administration at Anderson University in 2011.
Panelist
Gregory G. Koval, serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management Systems (DASN FMS), Department of the Navy
Mr. Gregory G. Koval is a member of the Senior Executive Service, serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management Systems (DASN FMS). He is responsible for the portfolio management and resourcing of financial management systems for the Department of the Navy (DON), including legacy system migrations to Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), supporting audit activities through advanced analytics, and upgrading financial management capabilities in the next generation ERP+ system. Prior to becoming the DASN FMS, Mr. Koval was the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources (Resources), Headquarters Marine Corps, Pentagon. He served as the Senior Accounting, Audit, and Resources Advisor to the Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, the Chief Financial Officer of the Marine Corps. Mr. Koval led the Marine Corps to a historic first unmodified audit opinion on the Marine Corps General Fund Financial Statements, establishing the Marine Corps as the first Department of Defense Military Service to achieve this goal. His responsibilities included financial statement audit remediation, internal controls, financial reporting, and financial system controls. He also developed and executed the strategy to stabilize Marine Corps data and processes in the Defense Agencies Initiative (DAI) general ledger following migration. Previously, Mr. Koval served as the Deputy Director, Financial Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller). As the DON’s Chief Accounting Officer, he oversaw accounting and financial operations, including the Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation (FIAR) program. He also served as Acting DASN Financial Operations and Deputy Director of the Marine Corps Fiscal Division. Mr. Koval joined the civil service from the private sector, where he supported the Marine Corps and Navy FIAR programs for over a decade as a contractor, providing business consulting services in accounting, audit, and internal controls, including information technology. Mr. Koval is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and graduated with honors from Muhlenberg College with a B.A. in Accounting and a B.A. in Economics. He received a DON Superior Civilian Service Award (2021), Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service (2024), and the DON Distinguished Civilian Service Award (2024).
