Lieutenant Colonel Phillip A. Skillman is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics, and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Upon completing The Basic School and Infantry Officer’s Course; 2ndLt Skillman reported to 3d Battalion, 2d Marines in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. There he served as a Rifle Platoon Commander, Sniper Platoon Commander, and an Embedded Training Team Executive Officer and Operations Advisor. His deployments in 3/2 include the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), as a rifle platoon commander including participation in humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti, Operation Unified Response; a deployment to the Republic of Georgia as a part of the Georgian Deployment Program to train a Georgian Battalion for a combat deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan; and a deployment to Musa Qala, Helmand Province, Afghanistan as the Embedded Training Team Executive Officer (XO) and Operations Advisor in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
From January 2012 to June 2014, Capt Skillman served at the School of Infantry-East where he was assigned to Infantry Training Battalion as the Headquarters and Instructor Company XO; Company Commander, Company B; and Company Commander, Headquarters and Instructor Company, while he also served as the Battalion Academics Officer.
After graduating in May 2015 from Expeditionary Warfare School as a Distinguished Graduate, he reported to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Camp Pendleton, California. He served in 1/5 from May 2015 to August 2016, as the Assistant Operations Officer and Company Commander, Company B. From November 2015 to May 2016, he deployed as the Boat Company Commander for Battalion Landing Team 1/5 as a part of the 31st MEU in Okinawa, Japan.
In August 2016, he received orders to Weapons Company, 2d Battalion, 23d Marines in Port Hueneme, California, to serve as the Inspector Instructor. In May 2018, Maj Skillman was assigned as the Battalion Executive Officer for the Battalion’s activation and deployment on the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa, Japan from September 2018 to March 2019.
In July 2019, he received orders to the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY to serve as the U.S. Marine Representative. He served as an instructor for MS300 Platoon Operations, assisted in Cadet training events, and oversaw the Inter-Service Commissioning process.
From July 2022 to June 2023, LtCol Skillman served as the XO for Headquarters Battalion, 3d Marine Division, Okinawa, Japan.
In June 2023, he received orders to Officer Candidates School, Quantico, VA to serve as the XO.
His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with (3) gold stars, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Transformational Leadership from the University of Maryland Global Campus.