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Patrick Wickens
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15 December 2022
kashiaherring

Patrick Wickens joined the US Army one month before the attacks of September 11, 2002.  By 2003, Sgt Wickens was deployed to Iraq, assigned as a wheel vehicle mechanic with the 4-27 Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.   On May 14, 2004, he was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) during an ambush near Mahmudiyah, Iraq. He immediately lost his right leg above the knee and sustained shrapnel wounds and burns on his left leg. His medic and teammates are credited with applying tourniquets and rendering life-saving medical assistance, as both femoral arteries were severed in the blast.

After arriving in the United States a few days later, SGT Wickens endured weeks of surgeries and skin grafts at Walter Reed Medical Center. After repeated infections, doctors performed surgery to amputate his right leg at the hip.

Medically retired in January 2006, Patrick loves spending time with his wife Jenna and their two sons Gavin and Carter. He leads an active lifestyle by playing golf, kayaking, fishing, scuba diving, cycling, exercising, and traveling. In his spare time, Patrick volunteers with the nonprofit, The Mission Continues, building playgrounds and fixing bicycles in his community. He is also active with Fairways for Warriors, a nonprofit that provides golf equipment, instruction, and outings for injured Veterans and their families.

Pat is originally from Denton, MT where he attended school and graduated in 2002. He moved to Lewistown after he returned from Iraq and moved out of state and finally settled in Orlando, FL where he lives with his wife and two boys. He grew up hunting, fishing and being outdoors in small town Montana. Pat is a caring person who was devastated by his injuries but fought hard to regain his life and find purpose to help other and make the best of a devastating injury that changed his entire life in an instant.

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