Padrick has covered some of the Navy's more important events, such as the rescue of Air Force pilot Capt. Scott O'Grady and the rescue of thousands of refugees in then-Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in what was called Operation Noble Obelisk. His journalism and photography have been cited as some of the best examples of military journalism. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Award for Excellence in Journalism (multiple times), and various newspaper and magazine awards. He was honorably discharged from the Navy after eight years of service in 2002.

Padrick began to develop his singing and acting abilities at an early age, and began performing in school and community productions in middle school. His stage debut was in 1989 in the production The Sound of Music. In high school and college, Padrick continued his performances in various roles, including: The Wolf/Prince Charming in Into the Woods; Freddy Einsford Hill in My Fair Lady; The Boatman in Sunday in the Park with George; Porter Milgrim in Deathtrap; and Dr. Neville Craven in The Secret Garden.

In December 2009, Padrick was cast in the independent film Time Served, produced in Florida. In October 2010, Padrick played an FBI Special Agent in Randy Noojin's play The Knife Trick. In March 2011, Padrick was awarded the role of Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello. The play opened May 13, 2011. Padrick played the role of Juror #3 in Twelve Angry Men in January 2012.

He has four children and was married to his second wife on August 15, 2010. She has four children, and together they have seven boys and one girl. They currently live in Titusville, Florida.

• Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Awards page