Ms. Tamara Phillips is currently the acting Senior Associate Dean of Instruction and Student Affairs at the
Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. She is
responsible for the implementation and execution of all DSCU courses designed for the professional
development and certification of the civilian and military members of the DoD security cooperation
workforce and for training other DoD, U.S. Government, defense industry and foreign partner personnel
who perform Security Cooperation functions.
Ms. Phillips began her federal civilian career with the 88th Air Base Wing, Base Education and Training
Office as a workforce development manager. Shortly thereafter, she accepted a position in the Air Force
Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate as a Program Management Analyst in the Policy and
Requirements Branch. In 2017, Ms. Phillips accepted an instructing position with the Defense Institute
for Security Cooperation Studies (DISCS). While qualifying to teach, instructing across functional areas,
and traveling on mobile training teams, Ms. Phillips also served as a primary faculty scheduler, Faculty
Development Lead for two Areas of Concentration, International Training Management Competency
Manager and Course Manager for the National Guard course. She was the Vice Chair of the inaugural
Faculty Development Council and is credited with establishing DSCU’s first Diversity and Inclusion
Initiative: LEAD Forward!
Ms. Phillips retired from the military at the highest level of enlisted leadership for the Ohio Air National
Guard as the eighth Command Chief Master Sergeant to the Adjutant General of the Ohio National
Guard. She provided enlisted leadership to over 5,000 Airmen assigned to three flying wings, one
Intelligence and Surveillance Wing and eight support units that serve Ohio’s communities, the State and
Nation for homeland defense and federal missions. Chief Phillips worked in close coordination with top
leaders, both officer and enlisted, of Serbia and Hungary through the State Partnership Program.
Concurrently, she served as a Regional Chair on the Air National Guard’s Enlisted Field Advisory Council
(EFAC) at the National level proposing policy solutions, providing legislative and executive oversight and
recommending policy action relating to health of the force initiatives on behalf of the 106,500 Airman of
the Air National Guard. CMSgt (Ret) Tamara Phillips served over 27 years in the Alaska and Ohio Air
National Guard.
Ms. Phillips has a Master of Arts in Leadership and Management from Liberty University. She is a
graduate of the USAF Senior Non-Commissioned Officer School, Senior Enlisted Joint Professional
Military Education and she is a Keystone Fellow.