CDFM Exam 1 Practice Test 2026 – Full Prep Resource

Understanding how the DoD budget is allocated shows that the largest, most consistently funded annual accounts are Military Personnel and Operations & Maintenance. Military Personnel covers pay, allowances, health care, retirement, and other costs tied to the people serving in the armed forces. Operations & Maintenance pays for the day-to-day running of the services—training, maintenance of weapons and facilities, supplies, civilian payroll, and support services. These two areas represent the ongoing, recurring costs required to keep forces ready and capable each year, so they dominate the annual budget. Other major accounts exist, like Military Construction, which funds building and facilities projects and tends to follow multi-year programs, and Security Cooperation programs, which support partnerships and foreign security activities. While important, they do not constitute the same regular, core operating expenses as MilPers and O&M. So, the two most common annual appropriations are Military Personnel and Operations & Maintenance.