When Brig. Gen. David Phillips assumed command at Fort Leonard Wood in January, he knew the position was temporary, and in time he would move back to command the Military Police Training School at the Fort.
During an interview Thursday, on the eve of yielding the duties of the Commanding General of Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, Phillips spoke candidly about his four-month tenure as the post’s top officer and about the impact he’s had during that time.
“There’s always something to be done, and it’s our job to do our best, regardless of the finite time we may have to do it,” Phillips said. “What we do is focus our mission. ...
“If I had to say what I had accomplished in these months, it’s probably what we achieved with the G-Staff,” he said referring to the staff of generals who serve at the post.
“Gen. McCoy got it moving from the start and Gen. Martin got the G-Three up and going. I’d say, I helped to move it, nudge it over the finish line.”
Phillips spoke openly about coming from the Military Police School background to rise to command the post — even on an interim basis. And, when a reporter mistakenly asked him how he felt about going back to the Engineering School, instead of the Military Police School, a gracious Phillips took the mis-step in stride.
“You may not realize it, but you just paid me a huge compliment,” Phillips said. “I’m going back to the Military Police School, but I like the fact you thought engineering. We’ve worked hard at this. I did learn to speak conversational engineering and conversational chemical, and I’m proud of that.”
Some time after 9 a.m. today at Gammon Field, Brig. Gen. Phillips will pass command of the post to Maj. Gen. David E. Quantock, who also has Military Police School background.
The ceremony will have the pomp and circumstance of previous changes of command. It will be a time, that Phillips takes as another experience that will further make him a better officer.
“The saying is, ‘a platoon leader is best on his last day of the job.’ I get to take this experience back with me (to the Military Police Command).”
Asked about his biggest challenge in these four months, Phillips said was knowing he would be in the position for a limited time.
“It’d have to be knowing I only had a finite time, and not wanting to just be a lame duck,” Phillips said. “I wanted to move it forward, and I feel we have moved it forward since passing the flag. It means a lot to me that people may not even know from which branch. It takes years to grow in the Military Police and years to grow into engineering.”
Phillips was asked about his toughest day as commanding general,
“There really wasn’t a worse day. It’s just there are some days that are worse than others,” he said. “I would say the sexual assaults or the suicide. Those are hard. No one wants those on your watch. It’s worse when people are hurt by assaults.”
Then, Phillips capped the interview off with a lighter moment.
“Just to show I could do it, I took leave one Friday, and I changed the oil in all my vehicles. People had no idea who I was. I was in blue jeans,” he said of his trip to the base self-mechanic shop.
“A young guy was so helpful. He could have just pointed me to the oil depository, but he didn’t. He helped me carry the oil. He was very helpful.
“I went back and talked to (his director), and told him how helpful this young man was. We (honored) him. To this day, I don’t think they knew when the (commander) was there. It was the coolest thing. It was fun.”
Phillips is married to Dawn Cunningham, and they have three children, all of whom are serving the military in various capacities.
Quantock is married to the former Melissa J. Summerlin. They have three children; David Jr., 1LT, 4-2 Stryker BDE; Chris, 1LT, 10th Sustainment BDE; and Heather, graduate student, SUNY, Plattsburgh, New York.
