Command Sgt. Maj. Paul M. Patterson

440th Civil Affairs Battalion

Command Sgt. Maj. Paul M. Patterson enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1995 in Saratoga, Wyoming. He attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and completed Combat Medic Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

In 1996, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment, at Fort Lewis, Washington, as a combat medic. From there he was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 168th Medical Battalion, Taegu, South Korea, as the NCO in charge (NCOIC) of the Taegu medical clinic.

After Korea, he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, with Echo Company, 4th Forward Support Battalion, as a combat medic.

He left active duty and joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2001 with the 1835th Combat Stress Control Detachment in Aurora, Colorado, where he held multiple positions culminating as the NCOIC of the Joint Base Balad Patriot Clinic in 2009. Following redeployment from Iraq in 2009, he was promoted and transferred to the 3rd Battalion, 316th Regiment, in Lakewood, Colorado, as an observer/controller trainer. While there he was the senior medic and culminated as the first sergeant of the company. When he was selected for master sergeant he was transferred to the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion and was selected to be the Headquarters and Headquarters Company first sergeant where he served four years.

In 2018 he was selected for promotion to sergeant major and was assigned to the 89th Special Troops Battalion, Kansas City, Missouri. After serving 30 months at that assignment, he returned to the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion as the command sergeant major where he serves today.

Patterson is a 2020 graduate from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in health care administration. His military education includes Sergeants Major Academy, Battle Staff NCO Course, Senior Leader Course, Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Observer Controller/Trainer and Field Sanitation Training.

His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with star, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Reserve Component Overseas Service Ribbon, Iraqi Campaign Medal with star, Expert Field Medical Badge and Driver/Operator badge with Operator-S, Driver-T and Driver-W bars.

Patterson is married and he and his wife have four children. In his civilian career he now serves the State of Colorado as a health services administrator for the Colorado Department of Corrections in Denver.