Stevens accepted a commission as a third lieutenant in the
Philippine Constabulary in July 1910. He was also commissioned in the
United States Army Officers' Reserve Corps. Stevens was promoted to major in January 1922 and subsequently received a temporary promotion to lieutenant colonel in March 1924. He then served as constabulary commander in the District of
Mindanao and
Sulu from March 1924 to July 1927. Permanently promoted to lieutenant colonel in January 1927, Stevens served as superintendent of the Philippine Constabulary Academy from July to December 1927 before resuming command in the District of Mindanao and Sulu in January 1929. Stevens was promoted to colonel in February 1933. He was honorably discharged from his U.S. Army Reserve commission in March 1936 when the Philippine military forces were reorganized. After capture, he survived the
Bataan Death March. As a non-Filipino general officer, Stevens was interned with senior U.S. Army officers. His wife Lula and daughter Betty were imprisoned at the
Santo Tomas Internment Camp. His three sons were studying in the United States at the time of the Japanese invasion. When the original nomination expired at the end of the congressional session, it was resubmitted in January 1946 but failed to obtain Senate confirmation. Stevens instead accepted an appointment as a temporary U.S. Army colonel in July 1946. ==Later life==