Philip Tuttle

Retired Army Officer, Chief Dish Washer

BIO for Philip I Tuttle
Born in 1951 to Robert and Marilynn Tuttle. Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas. Attended school, church, Boy Scouts (Eagle Scout) and participated in sports, graduating from Tascosa High School in 1970. One younger sibling, brother Cliff.
Attended Texas A&M University on an Army ROTC scholarship, graduating in 1974 with a BS degree and commissioned as a 2d Lieutenant of Infantry, US Army (RA) and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division. While at Texas A&M, graduated from US Army Airborne School (1972) and US Army Ranger School (1973).
Reported to the 82d Airborne Division immediately after A&M graduation in May 1974. Initially assigned to the 1-504 PIR as a platoon leader. Attended IOBC in Aug 1974, graduating in November and returned to the 82d. Served as rifle platoon leader in 1/504 PIR and 2/504 PIR. Went on to serve as company XO and 81 mortar platoon leader. Promoted to 1st LT in May, 1976 and selected to attend the TOW Trainer Crs, graduating in July 1976 and assigned as the battalion anti-tank platoon leader. While signing over the AT platoon in Aug 1976, was informed I have been selected to attend US Army Special Forces selection in September 1976.
Completed SF Selection in September 1976 and continued on to Special Forces Officer Qualification Course, graduating in November 1976 with orders to report to 1st BN, 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Toelz, Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) aka West Germany in January, 1977.
Spent three years in 1st BN, 10th SFG as XO and Commander of Special Forces Operational Detachment A (ODA) 2 and A Company (B Detachment) XO. Promoted to Captain in 1978. Led the detachment in numerous field training exercises, Joint Exchange Training Events (JCET) with special operations partner forces (German, Italy, Norway, France and Belgium) preparing for our go-to-war mission of conducting special long range reconnaissance, direct action attacks, sabotage and resistance force development deep inside Warsaw Pact counties (Poland and Czechoslovakia). Special Note: While assigned as XO of A company in Nov 1979, we were alerted by our higher HQS (Special Operations Task Force-Europe) to prepare to rescue US Citizens in response to the Iranian Hostage Crisis in Tehran. The unit was stood down after three weeks and did not participate the initial rescue mission
Returned to CONUS in Dec 1979 to attend US Army Advanced Infantry Crs at Fort Benning, GA graduating in June 1980 and assigned to 2d Armored Division (2 AD) at Fort Hood, TX. (Special Forces was not yet a branch and all officers and NCO’s had to serve in their assigned branch or MOS IOT maintain their individual branch or MOS qualifications.) At the 2 AD, commanded two mechanized infantry companies over a period of 2 ½ years and assistance brigade operations officer for 6 months.
In 1983 was selected to attend US Army Foreign Area Officers course at Fort Bragg and then the Defense Language Institute (DLI) for German 1984. While at DLI, I was notified that I had been selected for assignment to a clandestine Army Special Forces Unit in Berlin, FRG (West Berlin). We reported there in September, 1984. This unit (Physical Security Support Element Berlin PSSE) had just been activated to replace the original unit Det A (Detachment A, Belin Brigade) which had just been inactivated. Originally a Special Forces Company assigned to Berlin from 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Toelz, FRG in 1955 in response to a number of crises in the divided city, most notably the 17 June 1953 up-rising by East Berlin workers, this unit covertly remained in Berlin until it was inactivated. This new unit, PSSE, was the cover name for 410 Special Forces Detachment. It had the same mission as Det A; in the event of full-scale war with the WARSAW Pact in Europe, conduct clandestine sabotage and subversion operations to disrupt East German and Soviet forces deep inside East Germany and conduct counter terrorist operations as the theater initial counter terrorist response force. I served in the unit from 1984 to 1986 as an assault team leader and operations officer (promoted to MAJ in 1985). The existence of both units was de-classified in 2014.
We returned to CONUS in the summer of 1986 for US Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) graduating in June 1987.
Returned to 1st BN 10th SFG for three years where I served as an operations Staff Officer and commanded Company A. While back in Germany, we witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, dissolution of the WARSAW Pact, the reunification of the two Germany’s and the fall of the Soviet Union ending the Cold War.
Returned to CONUS in the spring of 1990. Assigned as the first Special Operations Planner at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Chaffee, AR. One of two major training centers in the US (the other at Fort Irwin, CA) for the conduct of Army brigade level operations in a high intensity realistic environment. Promoted to LTC in May 1992.
Returned to Germany in 1992 assigned to Special Operations Command, Europe, the Special Operations Component Command for all joint service special operations units (Army, Navy, Air Force) conducting training and operations in the US European Command (USEUCOM) area of responsibility (AOR). As the assistance J3 (Operations) I supervised the planning and ultimate execution of Joint Special Operations training exercises and operations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, most notably in Norway, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, and Isreal.
Returned to CONUS in 1995, assigned to the Army Staff Operations Directorate as the Focal Point officer in charge of Army Special Access Programs (SAP’s) and Special Activities (SA’s).
Retired from active duty in Sep 1996 as a LTC.
Went to work for a defense contractor (Alion Science and Technology) in the Washington D.C area, providing subject expert support to Army customers. Retired in 2013 as a Company Vice President.
Returned to Texas in 2014 to establish our retirement home in Montgomery, TX but took a position as a Special Operations Planner and mentor-coach at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) now at Fort Polk, LA. Continue to work part time in this capacity at the JRTC.
Married to my wife, Sharon for almost 50 years (12 July 2025), with two children, daughter Kelly (born at Fort Hood, TX and Texas A&M class of 2005) who resides in Houston, TX (husband Alan and three grandchildren) and son Bobby ( (born in Berlin and Texas A&M class of 2007), an Army Special Forces LTC (primarily 1st Special Forces Group) currently assigned with his family (wife Leigh and two grandchildren) to the US Army Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, NC.