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Staff Profile: Mike Pate, military liaison for Sen. Brian Nieves

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Mike Pate is a colorful character.

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Mike Pate

One of his passions is convincing veterans to sign up for Veterans Affairs benefits, impressing upon them that the services are free, regardless if the veteran served during peacetime; the vets don’t even have to fill out the forms, VA officials providing that service for free.

“Some of the (American) Legion guys, they’re not even registered,” he said. “I tell them, ‘let me see the back of your hands, you knuckle dragging fool.”

Pate works for Sen. Brian Nieves of Franklin County part time as Nieves’ veteran liaison. Although he enjoys the sometime controversial Senator, the former enlisted Marine does not hesitate to bust the chops of his employer, a Navy man. Nieves will point out that the Marines are a department of the Navy.

“Yeah, the men’s department,” Pate replies.

With this type of banter commonplace, it’s only appropriate that the two met at a radio station, KWMO in Washington. Pate wanted to deliver a public service announcement for his local American Legion Post; Nieves noticed the military insignia pasted on the back of Pate’s vehicle. Soon the pair appeared on a show called Warrior Wednesday. For the past two years, Pate has worked for Nieves in a position unique amongst Missouri legislators.

“I’m sort of like a stray dog, wandering around,” Pate joked.

Really, Pate’s mission is clear. His primary objective is to help homeless veterans, any way he can. Although he spent four winters in Russia, he can’t imagine being out in the single digit temperatures in Missouri. Even for his sheltered comrades, he has offered to buy a set of tires or help get legal services for a will.

“I’ll try to guilt some lawyer to help me,” he said.

His other goal is to sign up veterans He said he has struggled at times with veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, not wanting to sign up. He’s happy that the Marines has made the practice mandatory for soldiers leaving active service.

Most people listen to Pate because he has as much military experience as one person can acquire over a lifetime. He enlisted in the Marines. He served as one of four Marines at the White House. He fought in Vietnam during the 1960s. He transferred to the army in 1966, working as a weapons expert in Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. He retired as an Army Major in 1989, but quickly joined the private sector, employed by such companies as McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, and Conley & Associates.

Military service runs in the Pate bloodline. Pate’s three sons Michael, Ted, and Matthew all served. Michael and Ted both work as defense contractors. Michael finds mines in Afghanistan, disarming millions of explosives. His work has earned a price of more than $250,000 on his head from insurgents. Ted works in bomb disposal for the Navy.

With all of his accomplishments, Pate isn’t quite done. He wants to be more influential in suggesting policy changes. He’s been biding his time.

“I’ve been keeping copious notes,” he said. “That’s the old sergeant in me.”