"Great in the Woods" - Godspeed Captain Travis Patriquin

Posted By Blackfive • [December 11, 2006]

Britton sends this note about a special operations soldier (currently Civil Affairs for 1AD) that was killed in Iraq.  Captain Patriquin, who was in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, made a difference in everything that he did (I know that he received the Bronze Star with Valor device for fighting in OPAnaconda). 

First, the note about his death from KDSK (St. Louis - near where Travis went to High School in St. Charles, MO) and then a note from a friend which will give you a better idea of the kind of American Fighting Man that Travis Patriquin was:

Army Capt. Travis Patriquin, 32, died Wednesday in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, the Department of Defense announced Saturday afternoon.

Patriquin was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, serving in Tikrit, Iraq.

Patriquin joined the Army upon graduating from high school.

According to a statement released Friday night by his family, Patriquin impressed his superiors during boot camp, and was subsequently offered Special Forces training.

In addition to participating in various Special Forces operations, he was also fluent in several languages including Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.

Patriquin is survived by his wife Amy and their children Emily, 7; Harmon, 5; and Logan, 1, who reside in Bonstadt, Germany. He is also survived by his parents Gary and Connie Patriquin of Lockport, Ill., and three siblings.

Funeral arrangements are pending...

Michael Fumento met Captain Patriquin and talked to him about operations in Iraq.

And, after the Jump, a note from a was posted on the most excellent Light Fighter.net, Travis was a member:

Army CPT Travis Patriquin ("Travisquin" here on LF'r) was killed in an
explosion while conducting operations in AL Anbar province, Iraq on 6
DEC 2006.

Travis was a warrior, a dedicated father, and my friend.

I worked with Travis off and on several times in Iraq and he was
amazing.
<...>
Travis gift of being able speak "Durka Durka" made him an invaluable
asset to any team.

Travis was hand picked and pulled from the 82nd to supervise a platoon
of special operations SOT-A's during OEF-1.

Trav was one of the few Pashtun speakers in the military.

Trav inserted into the SHA-e-KOT valley when his teams were attached to
101st during operation ANACONDA in late FEB of 2002. He sucked up
mortar, Arty, RPG, and Machinegun fire alongside the 101st soldiers.

Trav scored 3/3 (the highest rating) on his defense language
proficiency test (DLPT) in Arabic, Dari, Urdu, and Pashtun. Travis was
starting to learn Farsi so he could "talk to the Durka man when we take
Iran down next".

Using his superb language and people skills, Trav started an initiative
to encourage the Iraqi people in Anbar to turn against the AQIZ
fighters there.

Many people were too stupid to "get" what Trav was trying to do, so he
made a Power Point presentation that even a 4th Grader (or 4th ID
General) could understand.

How to win in Anbar

Trav's plan was starting to work when he took the dirt nap.

I was crushed when I got the phone call, America's ability to wage war
in Iraq was diminished in a way that nobody can understand on 6 Dec
2006.

The impact that Trav made "behind the scenes" was more critical than a
Battalion of infantry's efforts.

The impact that he made on the lives of the people he touched was even
greater.

During Vietnam, the highest compliment that a MACV-SOG operator could
get from a peer was for a peer to state that he was "good in the
woods".

Travis Patriquin was great in the woods.....

I will miss you brother.

Be sure to see Captain Patriquin's powerpoint (.pdf file) about Al Anbar...

Godspeed, Captain Patriquin, godspeed...

---

Comments

"Great in the Woods" - Godspeed Captain Travis Patriquin

Britton sends this note about a special operations soldier (currently Civil Affairs for 1AD) that was killed in Iraq.  Captain Patriquin, who was in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, made a difference in everything that he did (I know that he received the Bronze Star with Valor device for fighting in OPAnaconda). 

First, the note about his death from KDSK (St. Louis - near where Travis went to High School in St. Charles, MO) and then a note from a friend which will give you a better idea of the kind of American Fighting Man that Travis Patriquin was:

Army Capt. Travis Patriquin, 32, died Wednesday in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, the Department of Defense announced Saturday afternoon.

Patriquin was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, serving in Tikrit, Iraq.

Patriquin joined the Army upon graduating from high school.

According to a statement released Friday night by his family, Patriquin impressed his superiors during boot camp, and was subsequently offered Special Forces training.

In addition to participating in various Special Forces operations, he was also fluent in several languages including Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.

Patriquin is survived by his wife Amy and their children Emily, 7; Harmon, 5; and Logan, 1, who reside in Bonstadt, Germany. He is also survived by his parents Gary and Connie Patriquin of Lockport, Ill., and three siblings.

Funeral arrangements are pending...

Michael Fumento met Captain Patriquin and talked to him about operations in Iraq.

And, after the Jump, a note from a was posted on the most excellent Light Fighter.net, Travis was a member:

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» American Hero: Capt. Travis Patriquin from Cop The Truth
Capt. Travis Patriquin, 32, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, was killed by a roadside bomb in Ramadi, Iraq, on December 6th. He died beside Marine Major Megan McClung and Spc4 Vincent Pomante, [Read More]