Joshua Phillips, Army Veteran

Joshua Phillips’ great-grandfather served in the U.S. Navy in World War II—he was stationed at Pearl Harbor on that fateful and infamous day, December 7, 1941. He grew up on those stories but was determined instead to join the U.S. Army. When Joshua first enlisted, he was a M1A1 Abrams Tank Turret Mechanic. He then re-enlisted and trained to become a Military Police Officer.

Phillips medically retired from the Army in November of 2007 due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was in was struck by an IED. He was awarded the Purple Heart and returned to civilian life. He joined Lifeguard Ambulance Service in 2019 and serves as an EMD-Certified Dispatcher and Assistant Supervisor for LifeComm. He credits the military for his success in his civilian roles.

“My experience as a non-commissioned officer in the Army helps me effectively lead, manage and supervise my dispatchers, and prepared me to work efficiently and effectively in a high-stress environment,” he said. “I’ve always been drawn to service. I’ve worked as a volunteer firefighter and a police dispatcher in addition to working in EMS.”

Rank Achieved

Phillips attained the rank of Sergeant E5 in his 10+ year career in the U.S. Army. Sergeants lead a team or section of soldiers and are responsible for the first-hand individual training soldiers receive.

Places Served

Sergeant Phillips had stop-overs in Germany, Italy, Turkey, Ireland, Guam and Japan, and served operationally in:

• Kuwait
• The Philippines
• Afghanistan
• Kyrgyzstan

Favorite Military Memory

Phillips said that each deployment he was on had its own interesting experiences and he enjoyed traveling the world. As a Military Police Officer, he also met a lot of celebrities: Coolio, Blake Clark, John Elway, Leeann Tweeden and the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders. He even had the opportunity to serve as Robin William’s personal security detail.