Voices of Our Veterans: Patrick Gallagher | Kraus-Anderson

Veterans Day is the national holiday designed to recognize those who have served in the US armed forces. While the holiday is just one day out of the year, our active duty Soldiers, Guard and Reserve, and Veterans serve 24/7, 365 days a year, giving and receiving a lifetime impact for their dedication. Today Veterans comprise less than 10 % of the US population, with less than 1% of the US population in active military service; https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/05/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/ many Americans have little or no connection to a Soldier or a Veteran, making their contributions to our democratic way of life often difficult to fathom. This month we set aside time to talk with some of Kraus-Anderson’s Veterans about their military experience, what it means to them and how it shapes their approach to work, and what we all can learn from their perspective.

Patrick Gallagher, LEED AP BD+C, is Senior Project Manager at KA’s Duluth office. He retired from the Military as Colonel, US Army Reserve, in 2012.

Your history in the U.S. Army Guard and Reserve is even more extensive than your history with KA. Please summarize your years of service.

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

Enlisted in April 08, 1980

Retired: December 12, 2012

Total Service:  Over 32 ½ Years

23 Years in WI National Guard:

08 April 1980 – 16 November 1982 Enlisted

16 November 1982- 31 August 2003 Officer

9 ½ Years in the US Army Reserve:  August 2003-December 2012

Retrace your history and the highlights of your time in Nicaragua and in Afghanistan.

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• Country of Nicaragua Deployment
  • Served as the Joint Task Force Commander for over 2,400 service members that deployed in 6 overlapping rotations.
  • Forces under my command were from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines from Active, National Guard and US Reserve components from 40 different units located in 20 states.
  • 150 Nicaraguan military personnel were integrated into the missions as well.
  • The mission was to improve interoperability of all services (get used to working together better) while assisting in nation building construction projects that supported the US Central American “Engagement Plan”.
  • Projects:  Construct Roads, Schools, Hospitals/Clinics, Drill Wells, provide medical/dental treatment to the local citizens and Veterinarian services to the local livestock.
  • Made and amazing difference in our “Joint Working Relationships” within the military, as we embarked on the over 20 years of combat operations that lay ahead.
  • Greatly improved our US reputation in the country, enhancing the conditions for a successful election of a non-communist President of Nicaragua during the deployment.
  • Provided a better quality of life for the local population, making many local friends along the way.
• 1^st Deployment to Afghanistan: with the US Army Corps of Engineers – Afghan Engineer District (AED) for the country.
  • I started out on the tactical side as the “Operations Officer” for the first 7 months, due to my combat oriented experience.
  • I then was “dual hatted” as both “Operations Officer” and “Chief of Construction” for the country, due to my civilian construction experience.
  • I later hired and trained my replacement “Operations Officer” and transitioning to the Chief of Construction 100%, when we received $2 Billion of funding.
  • Projects included:  Road construction/upgrades, Air Field construction/upgrades/expansions, US military bases construction, Afghan Bases, Border Crossing/Customs Stations and Police Stations.
  • Set the new government of Afghanistan up for success.
• 2^nd Deployment to Afghanistan: with the 372^nd Engineer Brigade
  • Served as the Chief of Staff for the 372^nd Engineer Brigade.
  • As a brand new Brigade headquarters that was not yet fully resourced; we organized, integrated new members and built a cohesive deployable team for our combat mission.
  • 5,000 service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines from Active, National Guard and US Reserve components.
  • Missions included:
    • Improvised Explosive Device (IED) (large bombs) removal from roads and bridges to maintain trafficability of the Northern, Eastern and Capital (Kabul) areas.
    • US Base construction to prepare and accept the “US surge forces” added to the fight in 2010.
  • Provided the most secure conditions that the country had seen, since the Taliban took control of the country.

What stands out in your memory of your time in deployment? What are you most proud of?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• I am most proud of the personnel I worked with and the amazing sacrifice, as well as the high quality performance they provided to their country in its time of need.
• Getting to know the numerous allies that the US has and the dedicated service members from countries all over the world that I was able to get to know and work with; breaking down barriers in language and culture for a common goal.

What message would you like to share in terms of the people and the culture you experienced during your deployment?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• There are “good” and “very bad” people in every society, but it is worth taking the time to understand their perspectives and culture. This allows us to better assist the good and defeat the bad.
• Many citizens risked their lives to help the US and Allies with their missions.  Over 69,000 Afghans lost their lives during the war in Afghanistan. Many were US trained Service Members and Police that were trying to make a positive change in their country.
• Many of the “good” citizens made great sacrifices in very poor living conditions to better their lives, family, government and country. It makes you appreciate what we have in the US.

How did KA provide support for you during your deployment?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• In order to maintain operational readiness in my military role, my participation in numerous training missions and military exercises extended well beyond the one weekend a month of a standard reserve Soldier’s commitment.  KA assisted me with much needed military leave, while not penalizing me financially.
• KA allowed me to be absent from a relatively small satellite Duluth office team, while other members compensated for my absence.  This allowed me to have peace of mind while training and while being deployed.
• I remember when I left in November of 2006 for Afghanistan, the then Vice President (Gary Hook) traveled to Duluth for a farewell party that the Duluth office planned.  He hand-delivered my annual bonus check that I was not eligible for until December and would most likely not have received in my absence.  That really made a difference to me and my family through our financial adjustment to deployment.
• Multiple care packages were sent from the Duluth office and multiple e-mails from concerned employees throughout the company, helped keep me connected to the world.
• KA reintegrated me back into the team upon my return from deployment, reserving projects in my name and often starting them prior to my return, providing a smooth hand-off to me.  This smooth reintegration is critical to the psychological adjustments that a service member makes after deployments.

What did you gain from your military service? How have those assets helped you in your work at KA?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• Working in the Army Corps of Engineers in my Engineering specialty was very complimentary to my civilian construction Project Manager career. It is amazing how many similarities there are between the two careers.
• I acquired vast construction technical knowledge and experience at KA that I applied to my military career.
• I acquired vast leadership skills and experience with an international perspective – on a large order of magnitude scale, that I applied to my KA career.
• Bottom Line:  I am a better employee at KA and was a better Soldier and Leader in the US Army because of my complementary dual career paths.
• KA provided donated funds to purchase special “Wounded Warrior Coins” that I was able to present to numerous Soldiers and their families in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities throughout the US.

Many Veterans are struggling with processing the events of recent weeks/months in Afghanistan. What advice would you offer to them?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• The US military is subordinate to civilian leadership and we are very good at following orders, regardless of our personal thoughts or beliefs.  That is what makes us the best military and strongest nation in the world.
• The recent events of pulling out of Afghanistan was a decision made by that civilian elected leadership of our country, and the US military followed those orders expertly.
• It is very unfortunate that we lost more service members in this process of withdrawal, but one of the most dangerous operations to execute in military strategy is retrograding from a mission/country.  This is a risk service members are well aware of and accept as a part of their mission.
• Professional Service Members don’t express political views, but instead express their opinions in the voting booth.  This is something every citizen should do to influence the selection of the civilian leadership that make these tough decisions.  We Veterans defend the right, you as civilians just need to use it.  Thank You to all that do.
• What many US citizens don’t know; is that we have brought many “good Afghan citizens” that helped the US and were in significant danger upon our withdrawal, back to the US for resettlement.  We did not get everyone that wanted to leave out of Afghanistan, but we sure saved a lot of them for a better life in the USA.  These Afghans have been security vetted twice to ensure they don’t have terrorist ties, quarantined for over 14 days, medically treated and vaccinated, prior to being flown to the US for integration into our society.  I recently volunteered to assist in this effort for the 13,000 Afghan guests currently residing at Fort McCoy, WI.  There are 7 other bases throughout the US that are doing the same.  This is something good that we can all be proud of as a nation.

What advice would you offer to their friends, families and business associates to be better allies to Veterans?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• Show respect for them and teach the next generation to do the same.
• Thank them, regardless of how it may appear to embarrass them, as it makes a positive difference.
• Exercise the right to vote in every election you can.  Get involved in the political process that Veterans defended.
• Help them in transitions from military to civilian life that is often repeated several times.
• Take part in patriotic events and holidays (Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, etc.) to show your gratitude.
• Befriend a veteran and allow them to open-up about their experiences and state of mind.
• Say a prayer for them.  We lose far too many Veterans to suicide every day.
• Never forget the fallen that sacrificed all, to enable you to live the great life and opportunities we all enjoy in this country.  I carry the seven names of my fallen comrades on a bracelet every day to keep them on my mind and their sacrifice relevant.

What can civilians do to be more supportive of Veterans in general? Are there any nonprofit groups or services you’d like to call out for the work they do to support Veterans?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) and numerous veterans organizations provide great comfort/assistance to veterans and often need financial contributions to support that effort.  Please give what you can.
• An organization called “Team Rubicon” is an organization of volunteers that was started and is made-up primarily of Veterans.  This organization also accepts “tough civilians” that are not afraid of hard work in poor living conditions in both US and foreign countries.  The organization supports natural disaster relief (hurricanes, floods, tornados, etc.), supported the mass vaccination efforts for COVID, and are currently supporting the resettlement of the Afghan refugees.  This organization helps Veterans to better their lives by reestablishing their relationships with fellow Veterans and other concerned US citizens, while serving again to improve the US and world populations’ quality of life.  Consider joining or supporting this great organization:   teamrubiconusa.org
• Encourage civilian leaders to support the Veterans Administration (VA) and military personnel pay, efforts and benefits.
• Support Veterans as they continue to serve their communities and the nation in their civilian capacities.

Anything else you’d like to say?

PATRICK GALLAGHER:

• With all US military service members comprised of only 1% of our population, our Veterans truly are special and deserve our gratitude.
• We lost over 2,300 US service members, brought home over 20,000 US wounded and shared in the grief for over 1,100 deaths of our allies (comprised of over 50 other countries) as a result of the Afghanistan war alone.  Let’s not forget that sacrifice and the fact that during the entire duration of this war, we have not had one major foreign terrorist attack on US soil.
• I am very fortunate to have the privilege to serve my country for over 32 years as a part of the all-volunteer force of the US military and work for a company (KA) that has supported me and made that service possible for over 10 years.
• With all of our imperfections in this “Great Experiment in Democracy”, we live in the best country in the world and we need to both appreciate that and be proud of it.
• There are “Great Americans” serving all over the world in a wide variety of capacities (military, CIA, FBI, Police Forces, State Department, Customs and Border Protection, etc.) on our behalf.  I have gotten to know and work with many of them throughout the years and they are amazing patriots.  They provide continuous selfless service; absent from loved ones through holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, child births, deaths in the family, graduations, kids sporting events, etc.  They guard the doors to our country and freedom throughout the world.  They keep us safe, so we can sleep well at night.  Don’t forget them in your prayers tonight.