Thomas D. Phillips

During a 36-year military career, Tom led an isolated unit through a terrorist episode, ran a think tank for the Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Air Command, served as the Director of the Military Personnel Readiness Center during Operation Desert Storm, and led troops into Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He helped organize one of the nation's largest searches in the quest to find an abducted child of a co-worker. He is believed to be the only Air Force officer to graduate at the top of his class from Officer Training School, Squadron Officer School, and Air Command and Staff College.

After his military service, he worked as a university administrator before beginning a career writing about military history and baseball. He was the winner of the Iliad Press International Writing Competition for the 9/11-related poem "The Day After Tuesday."

Tom is an avid sports fan and was the winner of four gold medals in inter-service softball competition. He and his wife Nita live in Lincoln, Nebraska.