Patrick came home from the Philippines on  Wednesday, August 8th! He was in the Phillipines for about 5 months, and though the bike trip kept me busy, I couldn’t wait for his return. Right before he left the Phillipines to come home, he was awarded the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his service overseas.  It states:

“First Lieutenant Patrick C. Sullivan, United States Marine Corps, distinguished himself by meritorious achievement as Third Radio Battalion Detachment Platoon Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force- Philippines, Special Operations Command, Pacific, from 18 March 2007 to 6 August 2007. First Lieutenant Sullivan led his Signals Support Platoon in direct support for the United States and Philippine forces during Operation ULTIMATUM and offensive operations within Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. He planned and supervised Signals Intelligence Support Team operations and ensured that his Marines reported accurate, actionable intelligence on enemy disposition, locations and intentions to Joint Special Operation Task Forces-Philippines and Armed Forces of the Philippine units. His aggressive leadership and persistence facilitated maximum force protection for all friendly forces and ensured enemy threats were adequately mitigated. His signals collection effort drove operations and significantly disrupted transnational terrorist groups operating on Mindanao, Sulu Island and other islands throughout the Sulu Archipelago. Through his distinctive accomplishments, First Lieutenant Sullivan reflected credit upon himself, the United States Marine Corps, and the Department of Defense.”

I can’t tell you how proud I am of him! Reading that made the time away from him seem worth it– he really is making a difference in the war on terror. He’ll be returning to the Philippines in January with a new platoon to continue his efforts there. Below are some pics of his time there.

Hi everyone– i really enjoyed blogging about the cross country trip, so I’ve started this one for everyday life. Patrick comes home in a couple of days, so i’ll post some pics of that, as well as our New Zealand trip once we get back.