The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Insurance paid special tribute to U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Stamm during Monday's Packers-Falcons game for 'Operation Fan Mail.'
Stamm, whose family is originally from Markesan, Wis., grew up in a military family, as his father was an F-4 fighter pilot in Vietnam. Stamm was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1993, and served in both Germany and Bosnia. He re-entered civilian life in 1999; however, after 9/11, Patrick decided to rejoin the military and work as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer.
Following graduation from EOD School, he served in multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. His final tour in Iraq was an exceptionally challenging 15-month deployment in which he coordinated U.S. efforts to counter improvised explosive device attacks.
Stamm has received the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal, both with one oak leaf cluster, as well as the Master EOD Badge and the basic Airborne Parachutist Badge. Stamm is currently stationed at Fort Lee in Virginia, where he serves as the Deputy Director of the EOD Directorate.
Next year, after 22 years in the military, Stamm plans to retire. He and his wife, Marcia, have been married for 22 years and have two sons, Zachary and Jacob, and a daughter, Sophia.
Operation Fan Mail, which debuted in 2007, is designed to recognize families with a member who is on active duty. The Packers and WPS Health Insurance will host a family at each 2014 home game and recognize them on the field during pregame activities. A total of 72 families have been recognized through the program thus far.
To choose families, the Packers and WPS Health Insurance are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular fan should be saluted. Essays can be sent to: Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628. Essays also can be submitted to the Packers online at packers.com/gameday/gamedaypromotions/operationfanmail.
In addition to being recognized on-field prior to the game, selected families receive four tickets to the game and a care package from WPS.
Families intended for recognition are those that have a member serving on active duty. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter or sibling.
