UNI Football Player Among ROTC's First Hall of Fame Class

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Former UNI football player Col. Patrick W. Williams was among the first class of alumni to be inducted into the inaugural UNI ROTC Hall of Fame.

Back in the early 1980s, Williams took the advice of his oldest brother to leave Boca Raton, Florida, after graduating high school and follow another brother to UNI.

He told my other brother and I "to leave the state and make it on our own, but you have to have something to link into, and this university did that for us," said Williams.
Williams joined the Panther football team at the end of the Stan Sheriff era when Darrell Mudra came aboard.

"You had a great foundation to tie into, and our coach had a Ph.D. – Darrell Mudra. So it was all about education," said Williams. "I wanted nothing to do with ROTC."
After working as a chef, he wanted a change and followed in the footsteps of his teammates who were entering basic training.

(10/3/2016) UNI Football Player Inducted in ROTC HOF

"I loved that Army thing," said Williams. "You know the leadership from playing football and in the Army, you know they are similar. The physical stuff – you got that, but I like the challenge of the mental piece of it."

Williams proved himself and earned an academic scholarship through ROTC while playing running back for the Panthers. He graduated in 1986 and pursued a full-time career in the military where he said he has learned a lot of life lessons from other officers that can be used in any career.

"The Army is all about service, being a selfless servant," said Williams. "Everybody has some God-given talent. We all do. Use that talent to serve others, and if you do that, life is great."

Williams and Capt. John Gallagher, a 1983 grad and fellow ROTC alum, were inducted into the UNI ROTC Hall of Fame Saturday morning. Williams and Gallagher were also the first two UNI ROTC alumni inducted into the U.S. Army Cadet Command's ROTC Hall of Fame at Fort Knox, Kentucky, this summer as part of the ROTC's 100^th anniversary celebration.

Williams was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps upon graduating UNI in 1986.

Col. Williams military education includes the Military Police Officer Basic and Advance Courses, Combined Arms Services School, Command General Staff College and the Naval War College. His civilian education includes a bachelor of arts degree from UNI, a master's degree in general administration from Central Michigan University as well as a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

Col. Williams' awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Medal, the Parachutist and Combat Action badges and many others.

From July 2006 to July 2008, Col. Williams commanded the 705^th Military Police Battalion in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. While in command, he deployed his battalion headquarters for 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During that deployment, Col Williams commanded the Theater Internment Facility (TIF) at Camp Bucca. In July 2008, following battalion command, Col. Williams served as the Deputy Commandant, United Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. During May – July 2009, Col. Williams was a member of the interagency task force tasked by the CENTCOM commander to assess U.S. Detention Operations and the Afghanistan prison system.

From July 2010-August 2012, Col. Williams commanded the 89^th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas. Simultaneously, Col. Williams served as the director of emergency services for the United States Army Garrison and Installation Provost Marshal, Fort Hood, Texas. From August 2012-July 2014, Col. Williams was assigned as the assistant commandant, U.S. Army Military Police School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. In August 2014, Col. Williams returned to Fort Hood to serve as the principle adviser for the Afghanistan Minister of Interior. In January 2016, Col. Williams assumed his current assignment as assistant chief of staff, G3, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.

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