Dr. Patrick Sweeney

Dr. Patrick Sweeney

Adjunct Professor

Dr. Patrick Sweeney has an extensive background in national security planning, execution, and education. He has twenty-three years’ experience teaching a range of national security topics and U.S. military history at graduate and undergraduate levels. He graduated from The Citadel in 1973 and served twenty-nine years in the Army in a range of Field Artillery and war planning positions throughout his career. He has an extensive background in national security planning, execution, and education. His last position was as a Professor of Joint Military Operations at the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI. In that role, he taught and developed national security curriculum for U.S. and international students in support of a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies program. Upon recent retirement from the resident War College faculty, Dr. Sweeney continued teaching the Naval War College course of study via distance education.

As an experienced operational planner, Dr. Sweeney represented the U.S. Naval War College in the following:

  • Annually led seminars to familiarize new NATO senior leaders with the NATO crisis action planning system.
  • Assisted the nation of Bulgaria in the development of its strategic planning system.
  • Interviewed by NPR “On Point,” New England Cable News, and GovExec magazine.
  • Supported U.S. military planning for the Pacific region.
  • Supported Homeland Defense planning immediately after 9/11.

Dr. Sweeney also provided strategic planning seminars to industry executives, to include:

  • General Dynamics
  • IBM
  • Young Presidents Organization (YPO)

During his military career, Dr. Sweeney served as a combat arms officer and planner for U.S. Army, joint, and multinational commands. Highlights:                                                             

  • Lead NATO planner for operations in Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina.
  • Joint Task Force operations officer for returning President Aristide to Haiti.
  • Army planner for operations in Somalia.
  • Operations officer for three Artillery Brigades in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
  • Served in a full range of Field Artillery staff and command positions in the U.S., Germany, and Korea.

Degrees

Ph.D. Humanities (Salve Regina University)
M.A. Military Arts & Sciences (School of Advanced Military Studies)
M.A. Public Administration (Western Kentucky University)
B.S. Business Administration (The Citadel)