Silver Star recipient selected as new FMTB-West instructor

Photo By Sgt. Joshua Young | Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick B. Quill, a Navy corpsmen with 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, speaks to a group of Field Medical Training Battalion West graduates following their final training exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Dec. 6. Quill, a recent Silver Star recipient, was selected to be an instructor for FMTB-West and the motivational speaker for the battalion’s final exercise.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

12.06.2012

Story by Cpl. Joshua Young 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Silver Star recipient Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick B. Quill, with U.S. Marine Forces, Special Operations Command, will take on a new assignment with Field Medical Training Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Quill, a corpsman who served with 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, is slated to take his place as an instructor for FMTB-West this summer.

Master Chief Harlan Patawaran, the command master chief for FMTB-West selects and screens potential instructors before they receive the assignment.

“There’s a screening process where I look at their evaluations and career track,” said Patawaran, 45, from San Fernando, Calif. “I just want to make sure I’ve got the right flavor of instructors here teaching the students. Teaching the course is easy, but it’s the experience that counts for these young sailors, and HM1 Quill has that experience.”

Quill received the Silver Star during an award ceremony Dec. 3, for extraordinary heroism exhibited during a combat mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan in 2011. “His crisis management skills and ability to perform under fire” allowed him to save lives and prevent injuries in a difficult situation, according to his summary of action.

“When HM1 Quill was chosen as an instructor, I didn’t know he was receiving a Silver Star,” Patawaran said. “It’s an honor for us to have a sailor to have received the medal and who’s now going to be teaching our folks before they go green-side.”

Sailors are not authorized to work with Navy units until they complete the training at FMTB-West. Instructors at FMTB-West are responsible for training Navy corpsmen on the West Coast as they prepare to enter the Navy-Marine Corps fleet and wear the Marine Corps uniform, which they refer to as “going green-side”.
Quill was also selected as the motivational speaker for a graduating class at FMTB-West following their final training exercise and last hike, Dec. 6.

Quill spoke to the students about going beyond the named duties of a corpsman while being a friend and mentor to the Marines and sailors they will work with.

“It’s a true honor to speak to corpsmen as they’re getting ready to go out into the fleet,” Quill said. “It’s a real pleasure to get to affect so many people just coming into the Fleet Marine Force to pass on experiences and lessons learned. Hopefully they can learn from my mistakes.”

The Silver Star recipient walked around and engaged in conversations with the corpsmen following their final hike and his motivational speech. He offered advice and expressed his excitement to teach the newest Navy corpsmen.

“My advice to you is to keep your ears open and learn all you can,” he said during his speech. “Know your place and where you fit into the machine and make sure you stay mission oriented.”

I thought his speech was inspiring,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Mike Flury, an FMTB-West student from Twin Falls, Idaho. “He was easy to relate to. He’s definitely a role model young corpsmen should strive to be like.”

Quill is scheduled to check in with FMTB-West July, 2013.

• Date Taken: 12.06.2012
• Date Posted: 12.14.2012 12:07
• Story ID: 99315
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US