Maj. General John F. Phillips USAF (ret.)

Partner

John Phillips is the former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics). He recently left Home Depot as Vice President of the Government Solutions Group, which he formed. The organization propelled Home Depot into the federal business, growing to over $100M in the first 12 months of operations. He is now president of Phillips Defense Consultants. His organization boasts of subject matter experts across the range of Defense operations from IT, supply chain management, and acquisition, to Network Centric Warfare.

John brings more than 30 years of comprehensive acquisition, aviation, IT, logistics and leadership experience to the organization. He served as Vice President of Government Services for Honeywell, where he has held several positions of increasing importance since 1997. Prior to joining Honeywell, John served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics), overseeing an organization of 850,000 military and civilian personnel with a budget of $114B where he established an outsourcing and privatization program for the federal government. He led the 1994 Quadrennial Defense Review. The recipient of over 250 awards and decorations, John was honored with Vice President Al Gore’s Hammer Award in 1999.

John served for more than 27 years in the United States Air Force, retiring with the rank of Major General. His last assignment was Commander, McClellen AFB, California. The military depot was responsible for aircraft, satellites and microelectronic technology. John earned the highest Department of Defense certifications (level III) in Program Management, Acquisitions Logistics, and Computer Systems Development (DOD Black Belt equivalent). He is a fighter pilot with over 3,000 flying hours, 300 hours in combat. He earned wings as a navigator and pilot and was awarded German pilot wings. He has flown the F-15, F-111, T-38, KC-135 and T-37 aircraft.

John holds a B.S. degree in biology and chemistry from Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins, Texas, and a Masters of Science degree in Logistics Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He was awarded the Degree (Honorary) Doctor of Laws, from Jarvis Christian College. In addition, he is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; the National War College; Defense Systems Management College; Industrial College of the Armed Forces; and the University of Southern California, School for Safety Engineering. He is an internationally known speaker and consultant on National Defense.

Active in civic and professional affairs, John is currently a member of the Army Science Board; International Society of Logistics Engineers, Board of Directors; Association for Enterprise Integration; Maintenance Repair & Overhaul Conference; Board of Visitors, Defense Acquisition University; Shades of Blue (Aviation Mentoring), Americorps National Civilian Community Corps, and is a former chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Tuskegee Airman, Inc and formerly served on the Board of Boys and Girls Club of America. His other accomplishments include authoring the book, “Navigating the Pentagon” and co-authoring the book, “Military Project Management,” as well as numerous articles and lectures on leadership and management. John is a current member of the Air Force Association, the Navy League and the Association of U.S. Army. He and his wife Blanche have three daughters, one son and four grandchildren.

EDUCATION

• 1963 Bachelor of science degree with honors in biology and chemistry, Jarvis Christian College, Texas
• 1972 Honor graduate, Institute of Aerospace Safety Engineering, University of Southern California
• 1975 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
• 1975 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
• 1976 Master of science degree in logistics management, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• 1976 Industrial College of the Armed Forces (correspondence), Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
• 1978 Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
• 1983 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
• 1992 Senior Managers in Government Course, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

ASSIGNMENTS

• December 1963 - December 1964, student, navigator training, James T. Connally Air Force Base, Texas
• January 1965 - January 1967, student, KC-135 combat crew training, Castle Air Force Base, Calif.; navigator, Walker Air Force Base, N.M.
• February 1967 - March 1969, instructor navigator, KC-135, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (flew regular combat missions over Vietnam)
• March 1969 - July 1970, student (top honors), pilot training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
• August 1970 - October 1973, T-37 instructor pilot, 1st German Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
• October 1973 - August 1975, inspector and flight examiner, Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
• August 1975 - September 1976, student, AFIT, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• September 1976 - December 1978, program manager, F100 and J85 engines, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas
• December 1978 - May 1979, logistics systems analyst, Doshan Tappeh Air Base, Iran (after the fall of the shah of Iran, remained in Iran under the Khomeini regime until expulsion)
• May 1979 - August 1982, deputy program manager for logistics, KC-10 Joint Program Office; TR-1 system program director; and director, Airlift and Trainer Systems, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• August 1982 - June 1983, student (distinguished in both academics and athletics), National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
• June 1983 - June 1985, deputy division chief, then chief, Weapons System Program Division, Directorate of Logistics Plans and Programs; and deputy director, Directorate of Logistics Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
• July 1985 - July 1986, military assistant to the secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research, Development and Logistics, Washington, D.C.
• July 1986 - October 1988, vice commander, Logistics Management Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• October 1988 - December 1991, deputy chief of staff, Communications-Computer Systems, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• January 1992 - June 1992, assistant to the commander for Joint Logistics Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• July 1992 - May 1993, commander, Joint Logistics Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• May 1993 - present, commander, Sacramento Air Logistics Center, McClellan Air Force Base, Calif.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Senior pilot, navigator
Flight hours : More than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, KC-135, F/EF-111, C-21
Pilot wings from: Germany

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Combat Readiness Medal
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Listed in "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities"
Selected as one of the Outstanding Young Men in America
Co-authored book, "Military Project Management"
Numerous articles and lectures on leadership and management
Poet, published and copyrighted
Inducted into Texas Historical Hall of Fame

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant Dec 20, 1963
First Lieutenant Dec 20, 1965
Captain Jun 20, 1967
Major Nov 1, 1974
Lieutenant Colonel Nov 1, 1979
Colonel Oct 1, 1982
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1988
Major General Aug 1, 1991