My brother was in the Army. He tells stories of making very large cash payments to various people in Afghanistan. At the time, I remember looking into it and coming across MAWS.

This evening I was looking for something and came across it again. It makes for an interesting skim.

• Money is a valuable weapons system.
• Money and contracting in a COIN environment are vital elements of combat power.
• Leaders must leverage money and contracting in operations.
• Leaders must understand funding programs and contracting.
• Brigades often lack internal resource management expertise and knowledge of
  funding.
• Financial management administrative requirements in a combat environment can be
  extremely burdensome but are necessary for good stewardship.
• Financial management expertise and knowledge of funding are critical to successful
  operations.
• Without proactive leadership involvement, the potential for extensive fraud, waste,
  and abuse of funds exists in the COIN environment

While warfighters receive training on most weapons systems they will use, most
receive little if any training on money as a weapons system prior to deployment.

Use the acronym WEAPONS to remember the seven steps in funding warfighters:

• Work to identify the requirement and appropriate funding authority.
• Estimate the cost and ensure funding is available.
• Attain required approval(s).
• Purchase the goods or services.
• Oversee the requirement to receipt or completion.
• Notify the appropriate authorized U.S. government (USG) disbursement agency when the goods/services are received or project is complete.

My favorite part is the chapter called "Other People's Money"