Alumnus Col. Patrick Harvey retires after 30-year Army career

Col. Patrick Harvey, '90, retired June 15 after 30 years in the Army. His service took him around the world, and he was grateful to finish as a colonel.

"That was my dream, and I did it," Harvey said. "It was hard mentally, physically and emotionally, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

His Army career began in 1990 when he graduated from the University of North Georgia (UNG) and commissioned as an infantry officer. His assignments took him to multiple Army posts in the U.S. as well as Saudi Arabia, Panama, South Korea, and Germany. He also had combat deployments to Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division in 2004-05 and 2008-09.

Harvey appreciated how the Army always kept him connected with UNG by working alongside fellow alumni, including at one point five people ranked colonel or higher in a division in Fort Drum, New York. From the beginning, his UNG training stood out.

"Going to the basic course at Fort Benning, for us, it was just another day at UNG. It was no different," Harvey said. "You take all those experiences, and they're easy to apply once you step into the Army."

He commanded an infantry platoon, two infantry companies, a Warrior Transition Battalion, occupied many staff roles, and helped train a Saudi Arabian motorized infantry brigade. He also trained many Army infantry platoons and companies at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk in Louisiana.

Throughout his career, he was decorated many times for outstanding performance and leadership.