Patrick English
MEA Director
 Patrick
English joined the US Army when he was 17 years old,
in the year 2000. While training at the Defense Language
Institute in Monterey, CA, to be a Korean Linguist,
Patrick came to terms with his sexuality and found an
overwhelming amount of support among his peers. Shortly
after his graduation from the Korean Language program,
seven of his friends, including several Arabic Language
trainees, were kicked out of the military simply for
being gay. The cold reality of the military's "Don't
Ask, Don't Tell" policy sank in, and in response,
Patrick helped co-found the Gay and Lesbian Servicemembers
for Equality (GLSME), an organization dedicated to giving
active-duty LGBT service members a voice, and a place
to turn for support. While serving in Korea along the
demilitarized zone (DMZ) Patrick came out to many of
his peers, finding widespread acceptance, despite the
close quarters and multiple field exercises he performed
in support of the 2nd Infantry Division.
Upon returning to the US, he was stationed at Fort
Lewis, WA, as part of the new Stryker Combat Brigade,
in the 25th Infantry Division. After exhaustive training,
his brigade deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
III, where he served as a Logistics Specialist and Intelligence
Analyst and Operator in Tal 'Afar and Mosul. Patrick's
unit was responsible for the collection, analysis, and
dissemination for all intelligence operations in Northern
Iraq. During his time in Iraq, Patrick was put in contact
with the organizers of the Call to Duty Tour, and quickly
became Deputy Director of Development for the tour,
in particular coordinating all Veteran Service Organization
stops along the tour route.
At the end of 2005, and the end of his military contract,
Patrick left the Army due to the burdens of living under
the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. He had been
recognized over his 5 year career with several accolades,
among them the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf
Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Combat
Action Badge. He helped successfully execute the Call
to Duty Tour in Spring of 2006, and currently resides
in Bellingham, WA, organizing efforts to repeal DADT
in Washington's 2nd Congressional District.
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