Name:  Sam Patrick

Where were you born and raised?
Hinesburg, Vermont

What’s a short story around the biggest transition you’ve faced in life?
Retiring after 21 years on Active Duty / Full Time National Guard service with the Army. You take for granted the tribe you’re part of when you’re in it and unless you work hard to build the lasting tribe it’s gone as soon as you sign your DD-214. It’s also very easy to take for granted “how easy” the military is, it is very structured, you’re surrounded by people driven by similar things, and the benefits you receive while on active duty are second to none.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a younger you?
Take advantage of education benefits sooner, earn a bachelor’s then a masters while active duty and transition to become a commissioned officer before 10 years of service.

Your Personal Why?
I hyper-focus on the contingencies so others can focus on the main effort.

How does your Why drive you to be a part of the THF Ecosystem?
Having gone through THF for my own transition I found that helping other service members with their transition provides me purpose and hopefully I can help them see the potential roadblocks or hurdles in their path after service.

Military Connection or Why do you respect Special Operators?
21 years of Military service, ~ 17 years in the SOF community.

Favorite THF Value, and why?
Be You, I have a theory that a majority of Military SOF operators are on the spectrum of neurodivergent minds. It is very easy to take our unique perspective for granted when surrounded by similar minds. Though it is this perspective that can be leveraged like a super power after service to continue thriving, the key though is being genuine to yourself and finding a place that embraces “your weirdness”.

Area/Industry of expertise:
Military medicine, Pre-hospital medicine, emergency medicine, disaster/emergency management, Incident Command System, all hazards risk mitigation, public safety, contingency plans and operations, and whatever else might cause one to have a bad day.

Contact Sam directly at sam.patrick@honor.org