Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii –
U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Wilson couldn’t walk into a room without being noticed. Standing at 6-feet 7-inches, Wilson was a dominating presence wherever he went. Sadly, his presence will no longer be felt at Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
Wilson, 51, a member of DPAA’s Asia-Pacific Division, was killed in an accident with a motor vehicle on October 30 while deployed to South Korea.
"I clearly remember when Patrick first came to the POW/MIA mission back in 2014, not because of his noticeable stature, but because of his effusive attitude," said Kelly McKeague, DPAA Director. "He loved every aspect of our mission, particularly our field work, and his indomitable spirit factored into all his endeavors."
His career began more than 33 years ago, when he enlisted in the summer of 1984. A native of Michigan, his career spanned across the country, from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and everywhere in between. He spent more than a year in Johnston Atoll, a one-square-mile island located 860 miles southwest of Hawaii. Wilson also spent nearly three years living in Germany, and deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2007, Wilson graduated from Officer Candidate School, followed by the Military Police Basic School in 2008. He followed that by completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Intelligence Studies from American Public University. Throughout his career, Wilson also completed Air Assault training, Airborne school, the basic Combatives course, and master driver training.
Rear Adm. Jon Kreitz, DPAA Deputy Director remembers Wilson as a cheerful, friendly gentleman who was always happy to talk to anyone. Many other DPAA colleagues recall the courage Wilson recently displayed as he completed chemotherapy in a battle against cancer. During his assignments after being commissioned, Wilson served as a platoon leader, a brigade plans officer, a law and order operations officer, a provost marshal, a company commander, and most recently as a plans officer and recovery team leader for DPAA.
Wilson is survived by his wife, and his two sons.