Veteran Spotlight
Phillip F. Crenshaw December 25, 1952 Viet Nam, Grenada, Operation El Dorado Canyon, Desert Shield/ Desert Storm/Cold War U.S. Army – SFC
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When Phillip joined the Army in April 1971, he became the eighth generation of his family to serve in the military, dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. He knew if a young man wanted to go to college, there were three options: have his parents pay his way (not an option for Phillip’s parents), work his way through (not an option for Phillip to raise the amount needed) or join the military and use the G.I. Bill for education. This last option became “Plan A.”
Phillip attended boot camp (basic training) at Fort Lewis, Washington. Since he was an “Air Force brat,” the routines didn’t surprise him. He was prepared to be yelled at a lot by the drill sergeant and learned discipline by following what he was told to do and doing his best. It’s like riding a bicycle: scary but eventually you learn. He learned to maintain his gun, take and give orders, etc. Discipline became ingrained and stayed with him.
After boot camp, Phillip attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, which was the home of military intelligence training. He became an intelligence analyst and felt basic training prepared him well. This was actually only the beginning of a lot of training that Phillip received throughout his career.
Phillip’s first assignment was Viet Nam. He remembers a master sergeant with experience in WWII and Korea who took a personal interest in him. He told Phillip he had three choices: he could finish his enlistment and get out of the military, become a career soldier or work as a military analyst. He also advised Phillip to volunteer for interesting duty and take on the “hard stuff.”
Phillip decided to stay in and work as a military analyst, and during the next several years in various locations, he had lots of interesting experiences. He was stateside for seven years at Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Fort Douglas, Utah, and spent some time with the Utah National Guard (19th SFG.)
Over 14 years of Phillip’s career was spent overseas, including time in Germany. During an assignment in 1976, Phillip was selected to work on a special project in Africa. This turned out to be during the first big outbreak of the Ebola virus, everything was speculative and experimental. Phillip is thankful he worked off-site and didn’t have to go into the infected areas.
Phillip says during his 22-year career he got to do everything he wanted to do. He served primarily as an intelligence analyst but also as a Cavalry scout, imagery analyst, electronic intelligence analyst, technical observer and remotely piloted vehicle crewman. The government spent a lot of money on his training and after getting out of the military in October of 1993, Phillip was able to take technical positions with Internet companies. He has learned the “power of team.”
Being in the military can open doors, Phillip said, but it’s not for everyone. It may be the best time of your life, and it can lead to college and a career. Phillip says he has no complaints and no regrets, but he also carries the weight of some of the decisions that had to be made. Even with military successes, there are costs that are never known to those outside of that inner decision-making circle.
For all of your service, Phillip, the good, the bad and the ugly, we thank you.
