My name is Patrick Shrier and I am a former career soldier in the US Army. I was a 19D4XP5 Armored Cavalry Scout by Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). I spent most of my career in Divisional, Heavy Cavalry Squadrons with assignments as a Drill Sergeant and in Weapons Testing as well. I am currently retired from the military after 23 years and plan on opening my own business, writing books, and getting filthy rich. (I can dream can’t I) 
A friend, my wife, me, and my son in Greece summer, 2009
I am married with one son, who is sixteen, and my wife is German. I have spent a total of 13 years in Europe and have dragged my family along to as many battlefields as I could.
My main interest is Prussian History from the 16th Century to 1918 with particular emphasis on the Wars of German Unification and World War I. My MA thesis, was a reevaluation of the Battle of Königgrätz between Prussia and Austria in July 1866 during the Austro-Prussian War. I became interested in the battle during my undergrad studies because the explanations for Prussia’s victory seemed too simple to me. I now have almost an entire bookcase in my office full of German and English books about the battle and campaign leading up to it. I have been to both the German archives and Austrian Imperial archives conducting research. I have visited the Königgrätz battlefield twice, the first time in September of 2009 and the second in October of 2010 to look at some places that accounts of the battle are unclear about. I also think that the only way to truly understand the course of a battle is to actually look at the terrain on which it was fought. I am also floating the idea of trying to get my thesis published after I expand on some points. That is for the future right now though.
I completed my BA in World Military History in June of 2007 and an MA in European History in May 2011. I am currently working towards the completion of a Second Bachelor’s in Information Technology with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. I completed both history degrees with American Military University (AMU) in Charles Town, WV.
I am a member of the Society for Military History, and the Heimatkundlicher Arbeits- und Förderkreis Kemnath und Umgebung e. V., my local historical society.
I have been a lifelong history fanatic and my wife tells me I am a geek. I travel quite often with family and they are now used to me dragging them to at least one battlefield or historical site per vacation.