From the Battlefield to Biology: Patrick Geraghty

From the Battlefield to Biology: Patrick Geraghty

Let’s rewind to 2001. College wasn’t working out for Patrick Geraghty, so he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January and embarked on a new journey at Parris Island, S.C. During boot camp, Geraghty (pictured second from left) learned a lot about himself, gained organizational skills, and developed leadership skills, noting, “They teach you a lot, they break you down to nothing, then build you back up.”

Following his time at Parris Island, Geraghty completed additional training and education at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and Twentynine Palms in California. Despite being in the desert with no trees at Twentynine Palms, Geraghty still felt a nostalgic connection. Before the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center was a base, it was where his grandfather learned how to fly before serving as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

His time in the military took Geraghty around the world — from Okinawa, Japan to Al-Fallujah, Iraq. Over eight years (four active and four inactive), he served as an infantryman, a machine gunner, demolition expert, mounted heavy weapons to Humvees, and eventually worked his way up to the rank of sergeant.

“[Joining the Marines] was the best thing I ever did for myself without knowing it. It taught me skills for life and gave me the confidence to believe in myself and what’s right,” shared Geraghty.

Life skills and confidence weren’t the only things Geraghty gained while enlisted. At one point, he put his biology background to use when his unit caught a large desert lizard. Making the best of their situation, they put the lizard on a leash and kept it around for a while.

Geraghty noted he’s “one of the lucky ones who came home with no major injuries.”

Fast-forward to 2005, Geraghty found himself at a Chipotle with EnviroScience Vice President Greg Zimmerman interviewing for a job. Unbeknownst to Zimmerman, Geraghty obtained his diving certification before their meeting. Upon sharing the news, Zimmerman, without skipping a beat, said, “Okay, you’re hired. Do you want a burrito?”

Just as he acquired a vast range of experience in the Marines, for nearly two decades now, Geraghty has been gaining experience in every facet of EnviroScience’s services. He was hired as a diver, worked as a wetland ecologist, caught bats, managed oil spill clean-ups, served on restoration projects, and the list goes on.

Now, as a business development manager, Geraghty works across all of EnviroScience’s practice areas. He explained, “I’m able to dig in and see what kind of projects the company is looking for. It comes back to the accountability and communication that I learned in the military. It’s all about communicating with the practice area leaders, directors, and management to see where we can grow as a company and find opportunities.”

Learn more about EnviroScience and its team of biologists, commercial divers, environmental scientists, and environmental engineers like Patrick Geraghty.