Colonel Richard Philip Stage was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 2-71, 3 September 1971. His first duty assignment was as a Heavy Mortar Platoon Leader, Combat Support Company, 2nd Bn, 185th INF, Turlock, California. | His subsequent assignments include: Heavy Mortar Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Cdr, Combat Support Company (CSC) , 1st Bn, 159th  INF, Turlock, California;  Chief, Recruiting Team, 1st Bn, 159th INF;  Cdr, CSC, 1st Bn, 184 INF (M), Turlock, California; State Opns Officer, Headquarters, Sacremento, California;  S-3, Air, 1st Bn, 184th INF, Modesto, California;  Cdr, Company C, 1st Bn, 361st Regiment, 2nd Bde (BT), 91st Division (TNG), San Jose, California; Training Officer, 2nd Bde, Hamilton Air Force Base, California;  Assistant S-3/ S-2, 2nd Bde, Hamilton Air Force Base, California; Opns Officer, 3rd Bn, 362nd Regiment, 2nd Bde, San Jose, California; Training Officer, 6405th RTU, 351st Civil Affairs Command, Mountain View, California; Recruiting Retention and EO Officer, 351st CA Command; Finance Officer and Chief, Collective Training and Evaluation Section, 351st CA Command;  Public Finance Officer, 351st CA Command; Cdr, 445th CA Bn, Oakland Army Base, California; Public Finance Officer, Government, 351st CA Command; Chief, Current Opns Cell, Headquarters, U.S. Army CA and Psychological Opns Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief, Economics and Commerce Team, 351st CA Command; Chief, Government Team, 351st CA Command; Assistant Chief of  Staff, G1, 351st CA Command; Deputy Cdr, 351st Combined Joint Civil Military Task Force, NATO Peace Stabilization Force, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Chief of Staff, 351st Civil Affairs Command, Mountain View, California.