SMSG Phillips is amidst her 29th year in the military with assignments at the Washington Air National Guard (1986-2000), Utah Air National Guard (2000-02), Georgia Air National Guard (2002-14) and is currently with the Oregon Air National Guard.

She was deployed within the U.S. in support of natural disasters, such as floods in northern Washington State and Hurricane Katrina. In addition, she has been deployed to Qatar and Kandahar, Afghanistan.

She is the mother of three sons who have all served in the US Military. One son continues to serve in the U.S. Navy on the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, and another in the U.S. Marines and is stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

She has performed at numerous military functions that include change of commands, retirements, promotions, dedications and conferences.

“Representing our nation and our military by singing the National Anthem is always a great honor for me,” she said. “The words written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key have always had a special meaning to me as a United States citizen as well as a member of the United States Military.

“Every time I walk past our flag there is a reminder of our freedom,” she added. “The song speaks of how even through the fighting bombs, guns and cannons, the lighting of the night sky showed us that indeed our flag was still standing over our land. Much like our men and women in uniform who follow the sounds of the cannon, through the fighting and the battles, they still proudly stand to defend our country, they fight bravely for their freedom and for the freedom of our country.

“Throughout my career, especially while deployed, I saw many of these men and women injured or give the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives for our freedom, our future. Standing proud, singing the National Anthem, is just one way I can say thank you to those who have and those who continue to fight for our freedom.”

The Medal of Honor Bowl, which will be televised live nationally by the NBC Sports Network, is a premier all-star game the features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL Draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, disabled veterans and wounded warriors.

The game will be played on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 pm.

Tickets, which range from $15-$40, may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.MOHbowl.com. They will also be available at The Citadel Athletic Ticket Office at 843/953-DOGS (3647).

For more information, please refer to Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl