Philip L. Bolte served thirty years in the U.S. Army in a broad range of troop and research and development assignments. He has extensive experience in major weapon system program management, test facility management, and staff planning of military acquisition programs. He completed his military service in 1980.

As Program Manager, Fighting Vehicle Systems, he directed the latter stages of the design and development, the testing, production initiation, and logistic support planning of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles and their associated weapons and ammunition, as well as the derivative carrier for the Multiple Launch Rocket System. Serving as Assistant Project Manager (Tank Main Annament Development), XMI Tank System, he directed weapon and ammunition development for the Abrams Main Battle Tank. As U.S. Working Group Chainnan, Tripartite Tank Main Annament Evaluation, he directed U.S. efforts in joint Gennan-UK-US conduct of a multi-year, multimillion dollar test and evaluation of national candidate weapons.

He served as Assistant for Combat Materiel to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research and Development), providing analyses and recommendations for high-level decisions concerning combat vehicles and other tactical materiel. He also served on the Army Staff in communications-electronics research and development. As Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, he developed and executed policies for the management of nine test and evaluation facilities with a working force of more than 12,000.

General Bolte commanded Armor units from platoon to brigade, with combat service in Korea and Vietnam, finally serving as commander of the Army's only Armor training brigade. In this capacity, he supervised a staff in excess of 1,000 in the programming, budgeting, scheduling, and conduct of the training of all tank crewmen and cavalry scouts entering the Army, an annual training load of over 10,000.

His military decorations and awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star (with one oak leaf cluster), Purple Heart (with one oak leaf cluster), Legion of Merit (with three oak leaf clusters), Combat Infantryman Badge (two awards), and senior parachutist badge. He also holds the Vietnamese National Order (Fifth Class) and three awards of the Gallantry Cross with Palm.

For two years after retirement, he worked for a small defense consultant finn and then became an independent consultant, working primarily in the area of combat vehicles. His activities included assisting industry in understanding and assessing military markets, preparing and reviewing proposals, and in forming appropriate teams of domestic and foreign companies. Clients included major U.S. defense companies such as FMC, Honeywell, and General Electric; foreign firms such as Israel Military Industries and Tanque Argentino Mediano; defense marketing firms such as DGA and IPAC; professional service companies such as BDM and VSE; and other major U.S. companies such as Deere & Company and Booze Allen & Hamilton. He has also been an associate of Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd., since 1982.

Other activities after retirement included extensive writing for U.S. and foreign defense publications, including writing a column, "Tank-Automotive News," for "National Defense" for ten years. In addition, he served as chapter president for Association of the U.S. Army and U.S. Armor Association chapters in the Washington, DC, area. He also chaired the annual American Defense Preparedness Association Combat Vehicles Conference for five years. He has been awarded the American Defense Preparedness Association Bronze Medal, the U.S. Armor Association Gold Medallion of the Order of St. George, and the Cavalry Medal of the U.S. Cavalry Association.

In recent years he has turned his attention more to military history, especially writing magazine articles. He is also Chairman and President of the U.S. Cavalry Association and a Director of the Council on America's Military Past (CAMP). He also has taught occasionally in the Lifetime Learning Institute of Anderson University and conducts staff rides of the Chancellorsville Battlefield from time to time.