Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Troy, N.Y., Patrick Dunne graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1972 with a B.S. in mathematics. He earned an M.S. in mathematics from the Naval Postgraduate School and also graduated from the Navy’s Nuclear Power training program. Dunne served in the Navy for 33 years, commanding the attack submarine USS Baltimore and the USS Frank Cable, as well as the U.S. naval forces in the Northern Mariana Islands. In August 2006, Dunne took over as the VA’s Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning. Following the resignation of Daniel Cooper in February 2008, retired Rear Admiral Dunne was named Acting Under Secretary for Benefits. He left the position when Barack Obama took over as President.