Pat Rogers, brother, mentor and friend to great many passed away on Wednesday May 4th 2016.
I was at work at my clients site in WV and a friend messaged me telling me that brother Pat Rogers had passed away. At first I was in disbelief and utter denial…. There had to have been a mistake, someone is spreading a bad rumor or read something wrong. A short while later I received definitive confirmation from one of my closest friends nicknamed “Starbuck”. There was no mistake, he indeed had passed away and it hit like a ton of bricks. I was disheveled and though I was physically at work my mind was elsewhere thinking of Pat’s wife and the friends I knew who were closest to him. If I was hit this hard, they must be floored and completely devastated….
I was extremely saddened and shocked by this news. I was registered to take a class with Pat this June 18th and June 19th at Echo Valley training center in Winchester Virginia.
Pat helped countless people and enriched our community. In Pat’s own words “we are greatly diminished”. May God rest your soul brother, thank you for everything.
Pat was the nucleus of the training community here in Northern Virginia and for many, across our great country. There are many great things that I could say about Pat Rogers but my friend Jimmy Smith/co-owner of F3 Tactical Inc. has already done a great job expressing what a great many of us think and feel.
“If you are scrolling through your news feeds today and seeing the plethora of pictures and memories that your friends have shared with Pat Rogers, then you are blessed. You are blessed because you are part of a warrior culture and community that only a man like Pat could inspire. Take a second to look at every one of those pictures, and read every shared memory because they are pieces of a legacy that one exceptional man has left behind for us in this life. They are snapshots of a very selfless gift that Pat gave to all he touched, the gift of the fighting spirit.
Pat, I know you are watching, I want you to know we love you. I want to share with everyone how happy you made us, how Chief’s eyes would light up every time you visited or called, she absolutely adored you brother. Also, how Bolt would literally be snoring when you walked in, and as soon as he heard your voice he would try to jump over the counter for hugs and kisses. My God, we are going to miss you.
At rest now Pat, you extraordinary Warrior. THANK YOU, for all that you have done for our country and our community. There will never be another like you, not even close.
Goodbye for now, my friend.” -Jimmy Smith/co-owner of F3 Tactical Inc.
Thank you Jimmy for helping so many people in our community get to know Pat through these events you and Chief hosted for us all at your store because without them many would have never had the pleasure of meeting him and getting to know him including my wife and I.
Below are two of F3 Tactical Inc’s photo albums (links in blue below) where a great many of us here at MASF and other members of our local community got to hang out with Pat and get to know him:
Customer and MASF Member Appreciation Day at F3 Tactical Inc.
Chappy Comes To Visit F3 Tactical Inc.
Pat Rogers BIO by Paul Buffoni of Bravo Company
“Pat was born in Brooklyn NY in 1946.
He has worked shining shoes; delivering newspapers; pumping gas; working on a ride in Coney Island; driving a taxi; a sport parachute instructor, a photographer, and for an airline company that serviced the Far East.
He served in the active and reserve components as a United States Marine starting in 1963.
He served in the former Republic of Vietnam with 3rd Marine Division.
He was an 1811 Tank Crewman; 0311 Rifleman; 0369 Infantry Unit Leader; 8531 Primary Marksmanship Instructor; 8662 Parachutist; 5702 NBC Specialist; 5702 NBC Officer.
He served for 5 years in the Foreign Material Acquisition Exploitation Unit, and finished as Chief Warrant Officer 2.
He was a NYC Correction Officer; a NYC Police Officer, serving in Patrol; Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit; Anti-Crime; investigator in Manhattan Robbery Squad, Central Robbery Division.
As a Sgt he served in Patrol; Anti-Crime; in the Chief of Detectives Office; as a supervisor in the Technical Assistance Response Unit, and as a Hostage Negotiator.
He was decorated 54 times, to include the Medal of Valor.
He worked as an IC with the Counter Terrorism Center of OGA.
He was an SME evaluating the DOS Anti-Terrorist Assistance Program.
He was a Rangemaster at Gunsite for 12 years.
He been the principal at EAG since 1989.
He was the 464th person in the US to accrue 1000 Free Fall Parachute Jumps (USPA Gold Wings #464), the 203rd to accrue over 2000 Free Fall Parachute Jumps (USPA Diamond Wings #203) and the 131st person in the US to accrue over 12 hours
in freefall (USPA Gold Free Fall Badge # 131)
He is an NRA High Master Rifle, and CMP Distinguished Rifleman.”
Read Paul’s entire tribute here -> http://us11.campaign-archive2.com/?u=097f8e03b1a7790c20791c79d&id=0d39b19772&e=5a43ee0a75
In memory of our dear friend Pat Rogers by Panteao Productions:
Pat Rogers for the NRA – Panteao Commercial:
May 4th 2016 will forever be etched in my memory for the day that my friend, mentor, and brother warrior, CWO2 Pat Rogers, USMCR(Ret) passed away. My phone began ringing shortly after 0700 PST and continued for the entire day. When I wasn’t receiving calls, I was notifying mutual friends, lovingly known as “Friends of Pat.” Pat frequently claimed that he didn’t like people and preferred the company of animals, preferably dogs and in particular Rotties. However, within the firearms training community Pat had numerous friends – military, LE, and civilian alike. He was extremely beloved by all of those that trained with him, except maybe for those that made his “NFE” list. We appreciated the depth of knowledge that he taught on the subject of fighting with firearms, as well as on life. Pat was more than instructor, he was a teacher – nay – a Professor on those subjects. Jeff Cooper considered Pat one of the top five Masters at teaching others how to fight with firearms. Pat had the unique ability to critique a student’s failure in a way that was not only humorous to everyone in the class, but to the student as well, so that everyone learned. However, I must have been a bad student, because it took me six classes to finally earn the coveted “MooseCock” award.
I met Pat through Col Bob Young, USMC(Ret). Col Young was charged in 1988 by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, then General Al Gray, USMC with converting the Marine Corps’ old Barracks and Sea Duty Battalions to the Marine Corps Security Forces, which meant that it wasn’t just a name change, but a change in training and mindset. Col Young and several other Marines attended numerous shooting schools around the country and found that the curriculum taught at Gunsite was the most relevant. Col Young became the VP for Operations at Gunsite and I met him when I attended a Gunsite 250C course taught by Jeff Cooper in July 2001. We became friends due to our being Marines, as well as having served in the Marine Corps Security Forces. After 9/11, I was the Operations Officer for a unit that was training up for what was to become Operation Iraqi Freedom. I called Col Young and told him we needed to get some Staff NCOs up to Gunsite for a “train the trainer” class on handgun, carbine, and shotgun. His response was, “No problem, I’ll get Pat Rogers to instruct them.” Pat did just that! After we returned from OIF I and started work up training for subsequent deployments, I knew that I needed to attend a Gunsite 223 Carbine class and the RangeMaster had to be Pat.
Having qualified Expert as a Marine with the M16A2 over 10 times, I thought I knew most everything there was about manipulating a carbine. Pat smacked me aside the head with a heavy dose of reality. He even pulled my head from my arse regarding combat optics on carbines, especially Aimpoint sights. Armed with the knowledge taught by Pat, we began implementing sweeping changes in how we trained to fight with carbines, as well as equip our Marines. I returned for a 556 Carbine Class at Gunsite the following year knowing that it would be Pat’s last class there. As with all things “Pat” – it proved to be epic!
Later as a Commanding Officer I brought Pat back several times to train my Marines prior to deployment. His influence was demonstrated one day when I overheard several NCOs discussing how they would solve a tactical problem. One them quickly asked, “What would Pat do?” I called Pat and told him. He was “tickled” as he liked to say, because he was helping Marines “Kill Bad Guys like Champions!”
Pat had a genius for helping connect individuals in the warfighting community with worthy industry professionals, new and experienced alike. There are too many companies to name that owe their success to Pat’s blessings. He had a knack for identifying great young warfighters, as well as sharp young companies/products, and helping them succeed. His After Action Reviews drew the ire of many companies that manufactured sub-par products, but he never compromised his ethics because of his love for the warfighters. If a product performed, he wrote about it, if it sucked he said so. In both cases, he backed it up with quantifiable information as to why. Something our industry needs to see more and we need only to look to what Pat did as our example.
Little did I know that the Gunsite 223 Carbine class that I took with Pat, in April 2004, would begin a 12 year friendship, mentorship, and brotherhood. Much of my success in the firearms industry, to include being a Gunsite Instructor, I owe to CWO2 Pat Rogers, USMC(Ret). This is not only true for me, but for so many others in the firearms industry. We are diminished as a nation, as warfighters, and as a firearms industry, especially the tactical side, by Pat’s passing. There are no words for me express my sorrow.
In closing, Pat lived and taught the Marine Corps’ mindset, “Do unto others before they do it to you.” Or as Pat said, “See the Mother F’r, shoot the Mother F’r. Quit thinking about it.” I am convinced that when he reported for duty to guard Heaven’s Streets, St Michael assigned him to training God’s Angels on how to fight. I am also certain that they have never heard such colorful language with such a think New York Irish accent, nor have they ever laughed so hard while being humiliated by a “warrior sized” Chief Warrant Officer of Marines.
Pat, my brother, Bravo Zulu. Until Valhalla!
Semper Fidelis,
Freddie Blish
LtCol USMC(Ret)
President
ROBAR Companies, Inc
Here are three must watch videos about Pat Rogers:
Pat Rogers Uptown Girl Video https://youtu.be/_J3TuZbVz34
Pat Rogers Pro-Tip: Load Procedures aka How to Earn a MooseCockhttps://youtu.be/lUHm34hksac
“My friend, my mentor. I miss you greatly” -Steve Fisher
“First time I met Pat at F3 w/Heidi we chatted a few minutes about guns, dogs and training. He was one of kind and will be missed by all that knew him and those who have heard of him.” – Joel Townsend
“Pat Rogers will always be remembered as a Marine’s Marine and someone that gave selflessly. The man pushed the Marine Corps as well as countless students into better training, and it’s beyond doubt that he helped many increase their combat survivability. My regret is not getting to spend more time with him, he gave so much to so many. You will be missed Sir. Semper Fidelis brother.” — Nathan Murr
“TD1 at my first EAG class, I was instructed to redo a drill in front of all to see. I was all set….then Pat said “Don’t fuck up!” I fucked up. And was quickly told to “Unfuck yourself!” -Patrick Tarrant
“I first met Pat Rogers at an EAG Basic Carbine Course back in early 2012. I had come back from a deployment in 2011, and had just moved to NOVA in the fall. I had been on Lightfighter for a while, and had wanted to learn more about shooting rifles than the very limited amount I learned in the military. Pat made it clear online that there was a wealth of lessons in the AAR’s, and he wasn’t kidding. I tried to do my homework as much as I could for that class….I was a Navy Reserve intel puke…that was bad enough, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to be THAT GUY, too!
TD1 (Training Day 1) comes along, and I pulled up to the gate at the range along with several other students. Some had already known Pat and trained with him before. Then Pat pulled up in the Death Star. And he go out. And his fly was hanging wide open.
I was pretty damn sure it was a trap, and hell if I was going to charge head long into it. Neither did anyone else, and a little later, he was all zipped up, cussing, teaching, mentoring, yelling, sharing, cussing some more, bestowing several lifetimes worth of knowledge on those lucky enough to be there. Pat really did treat everyone like family, if you kept moving and learning. He knew my name when I ran into him once or twice after the class. He liked the pictures of my kids up on Facebook. I read on a post somewhere on the 4th that Pat wasn’t an instructor. He was a teacher of men. Uncensored, unfiltered, not giving a damn about those who didn’t care for him, but giving the world to those who did.
Yes, Pat.
Until we meet again, thanks.” -Patrick Tarrant
“TD1 at my first EAG class. A COC in Columbia, TN 2009.
I was on the first relay not even ten minutes onto the firing line portion. Made ready to shoot the first drill, when I pulled the trigger, I saw the mag fall to the deck.
I got the whole “I must be a bad instructor…..”
I told Pat that I knew “someone” was going to do it, so I thought I’d step up and take one for the team so that it would take the pressure off of everyone else.
I got a “WTF” look from him and he just started laughing his ass off.
I proudly accepted my M/C from him that afternoon.
He also never let me forget that.” -Harvey Scobie
I think that everything that could be said about this great man has by all of our community, his students, friends and loved ones. I want to leave off with something that Pat did that brought a laugh and great joy to us all. Please have a great day and remain vigilant. Godspeed -B
SOURCE ARTICLE: http://masf.co/2017/05/03/pat-rogers-brother-mentor-and-friend-rest-in-peace/
