In his early career, as a first lieutenant, he received the Distinguished Service Cross for actions against insurgents in the Philippines on August 16, 1899. Primarily involved in training, he at one time or another trained and instructed such future legends as George Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, and Omar Bradley. Appointed a Regular Army Colonel in the 1920s, he was one of the top "career" officers in the establishment during a time when America's Army was badly underfunded and ranked 16th in the world.