During his 50 years of combined military and civilian service, Phillip H. Riley served as a company commander in Vietnam, participated in the Abrams Main Battle Tank operational test, processed more than 1,000 test plans, and was the U.S. Army Operational Test Command's proponent for the Army Test and Evaluation Command Decision Support System.

Riley, a Cripple Creek, Colorado, native, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958 and was accepted by Officer Candidate School in 1960.  Commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant at Fort Benning, Georgia, he served as a company commander for six separate units and saw overseas duty in Vietnam and Korea.  In 1971, Major Riley was assigned to the Project Mobile Army Sensor Systems Test Evaluation and Review where he worked in the Air Cavalry Combat Brigade Test Directorate.

When Project MASSTER transitioned into the Training and Doctrine Combined Arms Test Activity, Riley worked for the Secretary of the General Staff and the Operations Division of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Operations.  His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Expert Infantry Badge.

TCATA hired Riley as a Department of the Army Civilian employee in 1980 where he worked as a maintenance assessor during the Abrams operational test.  Reassigned in 1981 as a data manager assistant with the Training Systems and Support Test Directorate, Riley participated in the Armor Combat Operations Model Support II field experiment.  In 1982, he accepted a new assignment as a military test plans analyst, serving as USAOTC's test schedule and review committee coordinator.  He was instrumental in the initiation and processing of more than 1,000 outline test plans and the coordination and execution of 55 TSARC cycles.

Riley's work on the ADSS culminated in a program that automated the production of operational test plans and test resource plans.  His civilian awards and decorations include the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Superior Civilian Service Award, Commander's Award for Civilian Service, and Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.