Patrick was born in Cornwall, NY and raised in Highland Falls, NY. He enlisted into the Army in September 1987. His duty assignments included Ft. Bliss, TX; Ft. Huachuca, AZ; Ft. Bragg, NC; Ft. Lewis, WA and two tours each in Iraq, Korea, Germany and one tour in Bosnia/Kosovo.
Patrick was struck by an IED on October 20, 2007. He feels that his injury has not caused him to stop doing anything he did prior to that, he just does them differently now. He has taken part in several fishing trips in Florida sponsored through Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Since his injury, he has joined several organizations with a focus on the disabled such as Disabled Sports USA, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Wounded Warrior Project. He has hiked many trails throughout Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, North Rim Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell. He has even skied Breckenridge, CO, which was not on his to do list prior to injury!
He has been awarded a Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal among others.
Patrick retired from military service in July 2009 and entered the federal workforce as a contract Program Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security for the National Infrastructure Coordination Center (NICC). In February 2015, he transitioned as a federal employee. He is currently working for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as a Federal Exercise Manager conducting Active Shooter and All Hazard discussion based and operational drills for the nation’s critical industries owners and operators.
Pat has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from East Coast Polytechnic Institute and is currently enrolled at American Military University pursuing a dual master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and Homeland Security. He lives in Alexandria, VA.
