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Hometown Hero
, Community Editor
09-02-2008
Local soldier returns from Iraq, presents flag to KJT
Staff Sergeant Tommy Kriska returned home from Iraq this week with a gift for a group of people he holds dear to his heart.
Members of the KJT club where he and his family have been members for many years were more than happy to accept a U.S. flag that had not only flown on Independence Day in Iraq to remind the soldiers of why they are dealing with the hardships war, it was also marched through the streets of Iraq and accompanied Kriska on three missions. He brought it home to present it to KJT president Joe Landsfeld as a sign of appreciation for the support he has received from organization’s members over the years.
“I have been a member of the KJT practically since birth,” Kriska said. “These people have been there for me and have helped me grow into who I am today.”
Kriska is a 16-year veteran of the Army and in the last three and a half years, he has spent 27 of those 42 months in Iraq participating in the campaign to gain freedom for the people there. He is humble about his service there and says his efforts are just another day on the job.
“We don’t spend a lot of time considering why we are there, we know why we are there,” he said. “We treat each day like another opportunity to do our jobs and we keep our heads focused on our missions. When we aren’t doing that, we are trying to keep morale boosted in the camps so being away from home and our families is a little easier to take.”
He considers the people he meets and the new recruits he gets to train among the best part of his job and the reason he pushes on despite rumors of opposition both at home and in Iraq.
“I have the utmost respect for all of the new recruits, but the people that signed up after we invaded Iraq knowing exactly what they were walking in to are the reasons I take my duties to teach them what they need to know very seriously,” he said.
“The nation of Iraq and the situation there will never get any better if we don’t help them and that is the reason we all stay, no matter what the people that oppose the movement say and no matter what we hear from back home.”
Kriska believes he can confidently speak of the importance of the Iraq mission because of the changes he has seen since being there and the difference in the people over the time he’s been there.
“We have trained the Iraq police to actually patrol and be a part of the community when before everyone knew they could do what they wanted with no repercussions from the police,” he said. We have been able to turn some of the castles and other facilities back over to the Iraqi people because we have been working with them and a marked improvement has been seen. There are constant changes for the better there and we are proud of all we have helped them do.”
Landsfeld says receiving the flag from Kriska is an honor and a tribute to all the community’s soldiers.
“I have known Tommy since he was a baby. His parents have always been involved here,” he said. “We respect all of the Iraq soldiers and keep them in our prayers as well as mourn for the heroes that have lost their lives. It is a patriotic moment for us to accept this flag and we are so proud of Tommy and what he does for his country and his community. We are especially proud that he is a member of the KJT club and we wish him well as he continues with his mission.”
While Kriska continues to enjoy the remainder of his month-long leave, he is also preparing for the training and upgrade in skill set he will be participating in over the next year before being sent back to Iraq. He will also be receiving a promotion with the extra training and plans to remain in the Army for the next four years when he can retire as a 20-year veteran.
He is glad to spend time with his parents Eugene and Debbie Kriska and his four children.
His advice for others thinking about joining the service are words of encouragement tempered with the wisdom of experience.
“I encourage anyone that believes they want to be part of the service to join, but to know that the chances of them being sent anywhere other than Iraq are slim,” he said. “However, if you want to be part of history and the movement for change, this is the place for you.”
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