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Local woman named Air National Guard's top airman

Chief Master Sgt. Tamara Phillips of Dayton, who has been chosen the new senior enlisted airman for the Ohio Air National Guard. Phillips is both the first female and first African-American state command chief in the Ohio Air National Guard.

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By Margo Rutledge Kissell Staff Writer, Staff Writer Updated 3:12 PM Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Chief Master Sgt. Tamara Phillips of Huber Heights has been chosen as the new senior enlisted airman for the Ohio Air National Guard.

She is its first female and first black state command chief.

“Chief Master Sgt. Phillip’s extensive background in personnel makes her a superb choice to serve as the senior enlisted advisor on our Air team,” Maj. Gen. Harry “A.J.” Feucht, Ohio’s assistant adjutant general for Air, said in a news release.

Phillips, 41, replaces Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Muncy, who grew up in the Dayton area and was recently selected for the top enlisted job at the national level.

As the state command chief, Phillips serves as a mentor and guide for the 5,000 airmen. Her two grown children, daughter Jazmyn, 21, and son Brent, 20, are among those airmen.

Phillips enlisted in the 168th Air Refueling Wing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in 1987 as an administrative specialist. She transferred to the Air Force Reserve’s 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for 18 months and then enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard.

In 2005, she became the first female chief for the Springfield-based 178th Fighter Wing after holding positions as information management supervisor and wing commander’s executive administrative assistant. From 2002 through earlier this year, she served as Mission Support Flight superintendent of the fighter wing. In April, she became Forces Support Squadron superintendent.

Early in her career, Phillips had set the goal of becoming chief master sergeant but never imagined becoming the new state command chief.

“That was not part of my plan,” said Phillips, who believes she’ll be able to do a lot more for the enlisted Ohio Air National Guard troops.

“There’s going to be some challenges and adventure to this position and I’m excited for all of that,” said Phillips, who grew up a military brat. Her stepfather is a retired Air Force master sergeant and her husband, Brent, also served in the Air Force.

Phillips has enjoyed her career in the military, though she knows it’s not for everybody.

“It’s not what you see on TV either. I think there’s a lot of misconceptions that people get from watching too much TV. They always see women in real subservient roles or action-packed roles, Rambo like. It’s not like that.

“In the National Guard, you can pretty much have a career doing anything you aspire to do on the outside,” she said.

But, the job also requires going “above and beyond because we also serve the nation,” she said. “There’s honor in that.”

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