Brigadier General Patrick Tiernan is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the Marine Corps via the PLC Program, was commissioned and designated a Marine aviator in January of 1999. Subsequently, Brigadier General Tiernan was ordered to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina to VMGRT-253 for training in the KC-130.
Brigadier General Tiernan served two tours at VMGR-352 and one tour with the 15th MEU(SOC). He held the billets of Adjutant, Avionics Officer, Flight Duty Officer, Aircrew Training Officer, and Operations Officer and deployed in support of Exercises Ulchi Focus Lens, Bright Star, Operation Enduring Freedom, and twice for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also participated in Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief missions in support of JTF Katrina and JTF Lebanon. He successfully graduated from MAWTS-1 as a Weapons & Tactics Instructor and converted to the KC-130J.
Brigadier General Tiernan joined the Selected Marine Corps Reserves and affiliated with VMGR-234 and MALS-11 for seven years. During this time, he was Aircrew Training Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, Executive Officer and Commanding Officer. During his tenure as Commanding Officer, VMGR-234 surpassed 153,000 Class A mishap-free flight hours and flew over 2,300 sorties while supporting combined and joint missions on six continents with maintenance contributing over 61,800 maintenance man-hours. The squadron was awarded the Chief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Award, the Henry Wildfang Award for Marine Aerial Refueler Transportation Squadron of the Year, as well as the Secretary of the Navy Safety Excellence Award. Also, during his tenure as Commanding Officer VMGR-234 received the first Marine Forces Reserve KC-130J.
Upon completion of command Brigadier General Tiernan attended the College of Naval Warfare and then joined the Individual Marine Augment program where he supported the CO, Kaneohe Bay and then the CG, 3rd MAW for duties as C-20G pilot and FOPSO supporting MEFEX, Summer Fury, Steel Knight and Pacific Blitz. Brigadier General Tiernan was then assigned to MAG-41, 4th MAW, where he served as Deputy Group Commander/Senior Reserve Advisor to one of the largest and diverse MAGs in the Marine Corps. He then served on the I-MEF reserve staff as LNO to C3F, attended NATO Defense College, and then joined 4th MAW as the Assistant Wing Commander.
Throughout his career, Brigadier General Tiernan has accumulated over 4,400 mishap-free flight hours in the KC-130F/R/T/J, C-20G, UH-1Y, AH-1Z, F-5 and the MV-22.