Lieutenant Colonel Phelps was born in Naperville, IL. In 1995, he attended the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, NY. He graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music (Horn Performance). He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2002 as a musician (horn) and was assigned to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band in Twentynine Palms, CA. He received his commission through the Enlisted Commissioning Program in 2005. He completed The Basic School in Quantico, VA, in 2006 and earned the 0402 (Logistics) MOS as the honor graduate of Logistics Officer Course 3-06.
In 2006, he was assigned to Truck Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, serving as the Executive Officer of the Remain-Behind Element. In 2007, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment (1/11), where he served as the Battalion Maintenance Management Officer, Embarkation Officer, Safety Officer, and Battalion Logistics Officer (S-4). He deployed with 1/11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007-8.
In 2009, he transferred to Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego, CA, where he served as MCRD/Western Recruiting Region Logistics Operations Officer. In 2010, he was assigned to the Recruit Training Regiment where he served as Series Commander, Company I, 3d Recruit Training Battalion. He was subsequently assigned to Receiving Company, Support Battalion, where he served as Executive Officer and Company Commander until 2012. He was selected by the 2012 Commandant of the Marine Corps Career-Level Education Board to attend Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps University and graduated in 2013.
He transferred to 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (3D MEB), III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan, in 2013 and served as the G-4 (Logistics) Operations Deputy, Camp Commandant, Future Operations Officer, and Operations Officer. During this time, he deployed with 3D MEB in 2013 to the Republic of the Philippines for Operation Damayan (typhoon relief). In 2015 he deployed to Nepal for Operation Sahayogi Haat (earthquake relief) as G-4 Operations Officer, Joint Task Force 505 (FWD).
He was selected under the Commandant’s Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board to attend the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA, graduating with distinction in 2017 with a Master of Business Administration in Materiel Logistics Support Management. Following his graduation from NPS, he was assigned to Marine Corps Logistics Command, where he served as branch head for research support in the Quality Management Center, director of the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Migration Program Office, and Command Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC). In 2020, he earned a Master of Science in Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Logistics from the Florida Institute of Technology.
In June 2021, he transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC, where he served as Executive Officer for Combat Logistics Regiment 2 until being tasked to augment 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) in May 2022. With 2d MEB, he deployed to Naples, Italy, where he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff N-4 (Logistics) for Task Force 61/2, Amphibious Forces Europe, under U.S. SIXTH Fleet. Upon his return to Camp Lejeune in October 2022, he was assigned to the billet of Executive Officer, Combat Logistics Regiment 27. He transferred to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, CA in May 2023 where he currently serves as the Commanding Officer of 3d Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment.
Lieutenant Colonel Phelps is a certified Expeditionary Logistics Instructor and is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Tactical Logistics Operations Course, Intermediate MAGTF Logistics Operations Course, Security Cooperation Manager Course, Joint Humanitarian Operations Course, and Joint Logistics Course at Army Logistics University. His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Meritorious Service Medal (second award), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (third award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (fourth award) and Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.
