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CAMP TAJI, Iraq (March 27, 2008) - On Sept. 11, 2001, Nicholas
Pata was a volunteer firefighter in Rockland County, N.Y., who
assisted rescue efforts after terrorists attacked the World Trade
Center in Manhattan.
Pata, 25, no longer fights fires; he now is an Army private
first class and fights terrorism as a Multinational Division
Baghdad radio-telephone operator assigned to the 25th Infantry
Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion,
27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat
Team.
"After 9/11, seeing and losing friends that were firefighters, I
felt I owed it to them to jump into the fight," Pata said. "The
time I spent at ground zero made up my mind."
Pata joined the Army in January 2007. He completed basic combat
training at Fort Benning, Ga., and then was assigned to Schofield
Barracks, Hawaii. He joined the Wolfhounds in June.
Less than two months later, Pata left Hawaii with his unit to
conduct training at the National Training Center, in Fort Irwin,
Calif. There, he used his medical skills gained as a fireman and
emergency medical technician to save the life of a fellow soldier
who was suffering from a severe heat injury. As a result of his
actions and performance during the training rotation, he was
awarded the Army Achievement Medal.
After completing training in California, Pata took
pre-deployment leave to relax before a 15-month deployment to Iraq.
His leave was not all relaxation. He suited up and went back to
work as a firefighter. Pata answered the last alarm minutes before
he had to return from leave.
Greg Tobin, a fellow Rockland County volunteer firefighter, said
Pata told his fellow firefighters to keep his bunk warm and to
leave his gear alone until he returned. "Ever since he has been
gone, his gear is exactly like he left it," Tobin said. "No one
(has) dared to touch it -- not out of fear, but rather out of
respect for the man who wore it."
When Pata left in October, he had to say goodbye not only to his
biological family, but also to his other family, his fellow
firefighters, Tobin said.
"His passion as a firefighter to help his community is what Nick
lives for," he added. "He is a unique person that has risen to the
position of captain in the fire department. He feared no fire; he
was always the first into a fire and the last one out, and always
making sure he watched over the men he led. He is a brave man, very
respected, and very missed by us at home. The community will be
safer again when he comes home."
While in Iraq, Pata assists his unit and the Iraqi security
forces keep Taji safe. His experience under fire has helped him be
a calm presence here.
"Pata always maintains his composure under pressure, regardless
of the situation," said Army Maj. Patrick Aspland, a Fort Ann,
N.Y., native who is the executive officer for 1st Battalion, 27th
Infantry Regiment.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force
Iraq, recognized Pata on March 12 for his exemplary performance in
Iraq.
"Your great work is bringing new hope for the Iraqi people,"
Petraeus said during the award ceremony. "Keep up the terrific
work."
Army Master Sgt. Timothy Jackson, a native of Dryden, N.Y., who
serves as the operations sergeant major for 1st Battalion, 27th
Infantry Regiment, said Pata is one of the best radio-telephone
operators he's ever known. "Pata is a great asset to the
(battalion)," he said.
Pata has about a year left in Iraq before going back to fight a
different kind of fire. Pata said he looks forward to going back to
Hawaii and eventually returning to New York to continue to serve
the people there.
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