LTC(R) Matthew Hash began teaching at West Bladen in 2020. A military brat and native of Corbin Kentucky, he was commissioned in the United States Army in June 1997 as a 13A (Field Artillery Officer) and completed his Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK. After attending the Basic Course, his first assignment was at Ft. Bragg, NC with the 1st BN, 321st FA Regiment where he served as a Fire Direction Officer, Support Platoon Leader, Battery Executive Officer and a Battalion Maintenance Officer.  After attending the Field Artillery Officer Advance Course, LTC Hash was assigned to Ft. Sill, OK where he was assigned to 5th BN, 3rd FA Regiment and served as a Battalion Adjutant Officer and the Headquarters and Service Battery Commander.  After command LTC Hash was assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade as the Brigade Adjutant.  LTC Hash was then assigned to Ft. Leavenworth where he served with the Battle Command Training Program (currently known as the Mission Command Training Program) as an Opposing Forces (OPFOR) Planner, Headquarters and Headquarter Detachment Commander and an Observer Training for Operations Group Charlie.  Once LTC Hash was promoted to Major, he attended the Information Operation (IO) Qualification Course and then was assigned to 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division as the Brigade IO Chief (S7).  After his assignment to 3ID, LTC Hash attended Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas. He was then was assigned to 18th Airborne Corps, G7 IO section at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he served as the Operations Officer, G7 Deputy, Acting Assistant Chief of Staff, G7 and the Information Assessment Officer. LTC Hash then was assigned to U.S. Army Central Command at Shaw Air Force Base, SC as Deputy IO Chief and IO Exercise Planner.  His final assignments in the military was with the 82^nd Airborne Division as the Division IO Chief (G7). 

LTC Hash has served on four combat deployments and one operational deployment assigned as a Battery Commander, Brigade Staff Officer, Corps Staff Operations Planner and Army Staff Operations Planner. These deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait accumulated in 54 months of overseas service in support of five named Operations spanning from 2003 to 2016. 

LTC Hash Military Education includes, Military Deception Planners Course, Military Deception Theater Operations Course, US Army Special Technical Operation Planners Course, Operational Security Analysis and Program Management Course, T-11/MC-6 Jumpmasters Course, Intermediate Level Education Qualification and Common Core Course, Information Operation Qualification Course, Tactical Information Operations Course, Middle Eastern Orientation Course, Maintenance Leaders Course, Combined Arms Service Staff School, Field Artillery Captains Career Course, U.S Army Jumpmaster Course, Field Artillery Officer Leaders Course, Joint Firepower Course, Combat Lifesavers Course, Airborne School , and numerous other Joint and Army Training and Planning Courses

LTC Hash Awards and Decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (2^nd Award), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2^nd Award) , Meritorious Service Medal (4^th Award), Army Commendation Medal (3^rd Award), Army Achievement Medal (3^rd Award), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (1 Campaign Star), Iraqi Campaign Medal (2 Campaign Stars), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2^nd Award), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon (4^th Award), ISAF NATO Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Superior Unit Award, Master Parachutist Badge, Canadian Jump Wings, Uruguay Jump Wings, Gold and Bronze German Jump Wings.

Sergeant First Class (Ret) Vincent Phillips

SFC Phillips retired from the US Army with 20 years of active duty.

He enlisted as an Army Infantryman with an initial assignment in Germany.  There he served as Team Leader, Radio Telephone Operator and Machine Gunner.

He was then assigned to Fort Stewart and served as a Bradley Gunner, Squad Leader, and Bradley Section Commander.  While at Fort Stewart he was part of the initial forces sent to Saudi Arabia to stop the incursion of Iraqi forces into Saudi Arabia after they invaded Kuwait.  In a lightning strike he Stormed across the Desert and was part of the forces that exiled Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait.

Afterwards, he returned to Germany where he completed Ranger School and was assigned as a Rifle Squad Leader, Section Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant.  While there his unit was sent to Macedonia to serve with United Nations Protective Forces to guard the border between Macedonia and Serbia to prevent the war from spreading into Macedonia.

His last assignment was at Fort Stewart as a Platoon Sergeant, Platoon Leader, and Operations Sergeant Major.  While serving here his unit was part of the Thunder Run Strike into Baghdad which was the final assault to eliminate Saddam Hussein’s reign of Terror.

His awards and decorations consist of the Bronze Star with Valor, Meritorious Service Medal, army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantry Badge, Combat Infantry Badge with Star, Gold Recruiting Badge and Drivers Badge.

Since retiring SFC Phillips taught Corporate Team Building Skills to numerous high level Companies, i.e. Dell, and Pepsi-Co.  He also became a police officer with the Naples Police Department which got him involved with the Naples High School JROTC as a volunteer to help with the various activities they did.  While an instructor at NHS he was awarded the Gold Instructor Award from Cadet Command and was the High School Teacher of the Year.

After instructing JROTC in 10 years he moved to North Carolina to be closer to family and now teaches at West Bladen HS.