Second Lieutenant Patrick Conlisk joined the 3rd Infantry Division Realism Unit on June 30th 2019 for his second tour of duty within the unit.  Having served prior and achieving the rank of Warrant Officer 1 as a training aviation pilot,  P.Conlisk  was reinstated as a Private First Class (E-3) and assigned to Alpha Company, First Platoon, First Squad, 1/1/A-CO, 1-2IN. Throughout his time during this tour he has shown a very strong passion for our unit, dedication, patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities, his demonstrated leadership potential, and dedicated service, Officer Candidate Patrick Conlisk has been award the Soldiers Medal and selected as this Soldier of the Quarter

Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Patrick, and I'm somewhere over 30 years old.  I've been active duty military for ~12 years now, having served with the Army and the Air Force.  I consider myself a student of military strategy and leadership, two things that take continuous work and dedication, and have very real impacts on peoples lives, especially in the profession of arms.  My perfect Sunday sitting back on the beach in Hawaii, 75 degrees, warm sun, cold sand covering my feet and a glass of scotch in my hand.

What is your favorite aspect of the unit?
Being a part of a team, whether sports related or not, is a wonderful thing.  Going through ups and downs, good and bad, with quality guys is great for the soul and great for overall wellness, and I really enjoy being able to come together in a familiar setting and build relationships and camaraderie with others who share a common interest.

Any favorite/funny/memorable moment throughout your whole time in the unit? 
The first thing that comes to mind is back in 3CAB, during flight training, CW3 Ahles (at the time) decided it would be fun to have all the pilots hover in their own ship above the tarmac, and then take out everyone's tail rotor at the same time.. which went very poorly btw.  For the record, I made it down safely.

Any advice to give to your fellow soldiers? 
Look out for your fellow Soldiers.  Take care of them.  Everyone is everyone's battle buddy.  And remember that the military may have cool guns and cool uniforms, and do cool missions, and give cool medals, but that's not what its all about.  Its all about taking care of each other and making sure everyone gets home.  And that really counts in-game and out of game.  Treat others with respect, facilitate growth and learning, and be there for your "Wingman" when they need help.

What army value is the most important to you and why? 
Selfless Service - Your #1 priority should start with the word "others."  If its starts with "me" or "my" then you need to change it quick or find somewhere else to go.  There's no room for selfish warriors here.

Any valuable lessons you have learned while being in the unit?

When times get tough, and when the future looks grim, people show you who they really are.  You are defined, as a person, based entirely on what you do when faced with a challenging road.  And in those times, take a good long look at yourself and then take a look at those around you.  Are you in good company?  Are you in bad company?