Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Sammie Lynn Phillips was recognized as Tipton County’s Veteran of the Month for August 2025 during a ceremony last week at the Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial and Nature Center.
Born in Elgin, Ill., in 1960, Phillips enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school in 1978. She completed boot camp at Recruit Training Center Orlando and went on to the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill., and later to Atsugi, Japan, where she worked in the weapons department.
Though she left active duty to keep her family together, Phillips spent nearly two decades as a Navy wife before returning to service in the reserves just weeks before Sept. 11, 2001. Over the next 12 years she supported units across the country, including humanitarian missions in Cameroon and Hawaii, and was named Sailor of the Month in April 2007. She retired from the Navy Reserve in 2020 after being promoted to chief petty officer in 2017.
Her military decorations include three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, four Navy Reserve Meritorious Service Medals, the National Defense Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and several others earned across her career.
In addition to her service, Phillips worked for years as a civilian Navy Reserve medical program manager in Millington and remains active locally. She volunteers with the Tipton County Animal Rescue, serves as secretary for Military Women Across the Nation Unit 151, and is a member of the Tipton County Veterans Council and Museum.
During the ceremony, State Rep. Debra Moody presented Phillips with a flag flown over the Tennessee State Capitol in her honor, along with proclamations from the governor and legislature.
“We are grateful for every one of you that has already served,” Moody told the audience. “To get to honor you and tell you face to face, thank you so much for your sacrifice and your service and your honorable service.”
Phillips, surrounded by family, friends, fellow veterans and her “military sisters,” expressed her gratitude.
“I didn’t intend to stay 20 years, but I did and had a lot of travel and fun and met a lot of good people and did a lot of good things. I’m just proud … I’m honored.”
Phillips and her husband, David, live in Millington. She has three sons — Rick, Matthew, and Nicholas — all of whom have pursued careers in military or federal service, and six grandchildren.
Leave a Reply