Throughout his military career, General Patrick O’Reilly willingly accepted and excelled in difficult jobs as a result of his leadership, hard work, vision and determination. Retired General O’Reilly was pleased that throughout his career, his success was rewarded with increased responsibility and greater opportunities to serve our nation.

“It was always an honor to be selected for a leadership position. It was never simply par for the course. I know what goes into the process of selecting leaders and did not take it lightly,” said retired General Patrick O’Reilly. During his tenure, Retired General Patrick O’Reilly received the following awards: Defense Superior Service Award (received two times); Legion of Merit (received two times); Defense Meritorious Service Medal; the Meritorious Service Medal (received seven times); and other awards. He feels truly honored to have been placed in positions of great responsibility that resulted in these awards.

“General Patrick O’Reilly was almost always a candidate for leadership positions as he consistently excelled in all assigned missions. In virtually every aspect of every position he held, he could be counted on for his consistency” stated one of his superiors. It was always clear to anyone who worked with him, though, that he was never working for promotions, but was focused on accomplishing his assigned missions to the greatest extent possible. The way he approached is military career was with commitment, energetic pursuit of excellence and inspirational motivation of his teammates.

“The way I worked in the military was a reflection of my work ethic engrained in me while growing up and working on my relatives’ farms in Nebraska. I was given the room to grow and expand my personal horizons. I did not need the recognition but always appreciated it when it was received,” stated General Patrick O’Reilly. He also acknowledges that not everyone has had his good fortune of a career either in the military or in the civilian world. “I was often in the right place at the right time. I made defending the United States my number one priority. How could I go wrong?” asks General Patrick O’Reilly with a smile.