Chief Warrant Officer Five (Retired) Phyllis J. Wilson joined the Army as a Private on March 25, 1981 as a Military Intelligence German linguist Voice Intercept Operator. During more than 37 years of active and reserve service, she has served at all echelons from tactical to strategic including more than seven years at U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL as a senior intelligence analyst, deploying twice to Iraq in support of a highly specialized Joint Special Operations Task Force. She served as the 5th Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) for the 202,000 Soldiers, Civilians and Families of the United States Army Reserve, representing and advising the Chief of the Army Reserve/Commanding General on matters pertaining to training, education, leader development and talent management. CW5 Wilson was responsible for coordinating policy and statutory changes to support the advancement of initiatives for the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Cohort. She was a 2015-2016 Military Fellow for the Chief of Staff of the Army’s (GEN Mark A. Milley) Strategic Studies Group and conducted independent, unconventional, and revolutionary research and analysis to generate innovative strategic and operational concepts for land forces in support of a governing theme provided by the Chief of Staff of the Army.
Chief Wilson holds a Master’s Degree in Management from Webster University, two Bachelor of Science degrees: Nursing (registered nurse) and liberal arts (Sociology/German) and three Associate of Science degrees. She maintains her R.N. licensure in Alabama, Florida and Virginia. She has attended the Defense Language Institute for German and Spanish and has completed all levels of Army Warrant Officer Professional Military Education. In 2009, she studied at the George C. Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany, completing the Executive Level Program for Advanced Security Studies. She earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University in 2000. She is working on a second Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Post Master’s Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education.
Phyllis Wilson is the National Chairperson for the U.S. Army Warrant Officer 100 th Observance Committee and will complete this appointment on July 9, 2018 – the 100 th Anniversary! She is a current member of the Association of the United States Army – Reserve Components Committee, Advisory Board of Directors. CW5 Wilson is a Florida Ambassador for the Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial – the only major national memorial honoring all women who have defended America throughout history. In 2015, CW5 Wilson founded a 501(c)3 Charity – Wounded Warriors Have FAMILIES Too – to empower families of Wounded, Injured or Ill military/veterans and provide them the means to participate in physically challenging events such as the Bataan Memorial Death March and the Army Ten Miler.
On March 8, 2017, CW5 Wilson was inducted into the Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Examples of previous Hall of Fame inductees include General Ann E. Dunwoody, USA (Ret), the first Army Women Silver Star Recipients (SSG Leigh Ann Hester and SGT Monica L. Brown).
As a Citizen-Soldier, Phyllis Wilson has held positions as a Director of Nursing; Director of Clinical Operations; a Social Worker; a Home Health & Hospice Nurse, and a Loan Officer. She resides in Florida and has eight adult children – four of whom are combat veterans – and nine grandchildren.