AllMilitary.com

Capt. Samuel Carlson, an intelligence officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Task Force Spartan, is on his second voluntary tour to Afghanistan. For a soldier to volunteer to come to a combat zone twice is one thing; but to voluntarily deploy after being retired for more than 20 years is quite another.

Carlson came into the Army on May 9, 1967 as an infantryman and later transitioned to intelligence operations. He served in various conflicts until he officially retired on Oct. 1, 1987.

“I was an infantryman that could type,” he said. “I was sent to work for the personnel sergeant major of my unit, but made the mistake of pronouncing his name wrong when I went to report for my new job.”

The sergeant major, apparently very sensitive about the pronunciation of his name, sent Carlson away to work for the intelligence officer, where he began to foster an interest in intelligence. His small mistake led to a long career in the intelligence field.

In 1991, Carlson volunteered to return and serve in Operation Desert Storm. Although his mission to Kuwait was canceled due to the short duration of the fight, he chose to stay on active status.

Carlson served with the Texas National Guard from 1992 to 1995, working as the executive officer of the 502nd Military Police Battalion out of Fort Worth, Texas. He commanded the unit after it reorganized until his second retirement. He volunteered to come into the service again after the attacks of 9/11.

“That [ticked] me off,” Carlson said. “I took that personally. I had family that worked in the World Trade Center, so that made it personal.”

Carlson served with the 308th Military Intelligence Battalion, 902nd Military Intelligence Group, on his first tour in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2006. He returned to the United States for a short period before serving with Task Force Spartan with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan’s Logar province this time around.

Carlson’s love of the service is based on simple principles, he said, but it keeps him going.

“I missed soldiers,” Carlson said. “In the civilian world, it’s hard to find the same camaraderie, teamwork and sense of brotherhood that you find in the Army.”

Carlson’s conventional military career spanned the globe. He served in El Salvador, Honduras, Germany, South Korea, and a short stint in Vietnam.

Carlson’s call to duty was passed down through a legacy of soldiers, starting with his grandfather, a Norwegian immigrant who joined the American military in World War I. Too old to attain the position he desired, he lied and said he was younger, allowing him to receive his desired position.

“Grandad was not of military age when he came to America from Fredrikstad, Norway,” Carlson said. “So to join, he indicated that he had been born in 1891, as opposed to his real birth date of 1889. He registered for the draft in 1917 and served in the Air Service, Signal Corps. He went to France for World War I in 1918, and was still on the front lines when the Armistice was signed on Nov. 11 [of that year].”

Carlson’s father joined the Army in 1937, received his commission in 1942 and fought in Normandy in 1944 during the invasion of France.

“Dad was on the northern edge of the bulge during the Battle of the Bulge,” Carlson said. “He was also involved in the crossing of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, as well as the encirclement of the Ruhr industrial region.”

Carlson’s father left the Army as a first lieutenant in 1946, but, much like his son, missed the service and re-entered as a noncommissioned officer a few months after his initial departure. He was recommissioned shortly thereafter, and took off to serve in the Korean War. He retired in 1963. Still harboring the desire to serve, his father now is a volunteer deputy sheriff in his community.

Not only have Carlson’s ancestors served faithfully, but his son and now his grandson have answered the call of their country.

“My son will soon come to Afghanistan to be the first sergeant for the Laghman provincial reconstruction team,” Carlson said. “He is finishing up training at Camp Atterbury [in Indiana].”

Carlson’s son will be in Afghanistan at the end of June, to serve in the same war at the same time as his father. Carlson said he is proud to be a part of the struggle in Afghanistan, as he hopes his son will be as well.

“I can understand this war,” Carlson said. “It makes sense to me. It’s well thought out as opposed [to] the other conflicts I have been a part of.”

Carlson said he hopes he will be able to see him while both are in Afghanistan. “It may be a little difficult, but I’d like to make it happen if I can,” he said.

To cap the long line of Carlsons serving in the military, the captain’s grandson, Army Sgt. David Carlson, is stationed in South Korea.

The Carlson tapestry of military service is tightly woven. Throughout the ages, the men of Carlson’s family have served in the armed forces.

“My Norwegian grandfather came overseas and joined the American Army, but my Swedish grandfather and forefathers also served in the Swedish military, which is mandatory there,” Carlson said. “It was never anything planned, but for as long as we can trace back, the men of our family have served.”

Carolson has been referred to as the “OCITA,” or, “Oldest Captain in the Army.” He smiles warmly at the jokes.

“I may be old, but the soldiers I work with help me to feel much younger than my age,” he said.

Carlson plans to retire for the third and final time when Task Force Spartan completes its deployment at the end of the year. He said he hopes to settle down and take some time to catch up with his family and engage in some of his favorite pastimes, such as playing music in his rock band.

“It’s been a long career, but I’d do it all again,” he said.

(Army Sgt. Amber Robinson serves in the Task Force Spartan public affairs office.)

You may remember this post about the Krissoff Family. Nathan and Austin are both Marine officers. Nathan was killed in Iraq on December 6, 2006. At that time, his father decided to close his Orthopedic practice and join the Navy to deploy and help on the front lines of terror just as his sons have.

Over two years later, Lt Cdr William B Krissoff is serving in Iraq. Here is the follow-up story.

Navy Doctor, 62, Serves on First Deployment to Iraq in Honor of Two Marine Sons

Story by 2nd Lt. Michele Perez, 2nd Marine Logistics Group Public Affairs

CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq - There has been one Medal of Honor, 23 Navy Crosses, and 92 Silver Stars awarded to Marines and Sailors serving with Marine units since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

Some of the recipients are alive to tell their story while the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice will live on through history books and their surviving family members.

For Lt. Cdr. William B. Krissoff, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) orthopedic surgeon and a father of two Marine officers, the inspiration to join the Navy Medical Corps at age 60 stemmed from his sons’ bravery and commitment to duty. In particular, his service is a legacy to his oldest son, 1st Lt. Nathan Krissoff, a counterintelligence/human intelligence officer with the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion who was killed in Iraq on Dec. 9, 2006.

Both of Krissoff’s sons, Nathan and Austin, were deeply affected by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Like many Americans, they wanted to show their support for the thousands of lives lost that day, but they didn’t simply raise an American flag on their lawn or put a bumper sticker on their car showing support for the troops. Instead, the Krissoff brothers took it one step further when they decided to join the Marine Corps, knowing that going to war may be inevitable. Krissoff knew very little about the Marine Corps then, but he knew that he could not be prouder of their decision to serve their country.

“In the natural order of things, sons are inspired by their dad,” Krissoff said. “In our family, I’ve been inspired by my sons and their commitment and dedication to service and Marines.”

Krissoff’s final push to join the Navy Medical Corps came from a visit their family received from the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion commanding officer, Lt. Col. William H. Seely, and battalion sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Kenneth C. Pickering. Both traveled across the country visiting the families of fallen Marines and those recovering from wounds, when they stopped in Nevada to visit the Krissoff family. They discussed the possibility of Krissoff serving as a doctor in a Marine unit and that’s when the future Navy doctor was convinced that he wanted to pursue his commission.

“I’d like to do that,” Krissoff thought. “That was the moment that I got in my head that was something I could do.”

However, the road to earning his Navy Medical Corps commission was not easy.

In order to apply for the Navy Medical Corps commissioning program, Krissoff had to apply for an age waiver to even be considered as a candidate. Prospects of receiving the waiver had appeared to be dwindling until the Krissoff family came across a unique opportunity to speak with then-President George W. Bush during a private meeting with several families of fallen service members in Reno, Nevada, August 2007.

The meeting was nearing its end when the President asked one last question: ‘Is there anything else I can do for you?’ Not letting this prime opportunity pass him by, Krissoff told the president about his desire to be commissioned as a Naval Officer. Two days later, Krissoff had his age waiver.

Krissoff closed his private practice in Truckee, Calif., and he and his wife made the move to San Diego where he checked into 4th Medical Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve. On arrival, he got started on the standard Navy medical training. He attended the Combat Casualty Care Course, the Navy Trauma Training Course, the Field Medical Service Officer’s Course and later attended the Joint Forces Trauma Management Conference, among other schools. In addition, in July 2008 he went on a month-long deployment to Morocco where he served as part of a Forward Resuscitative Surgical System to support a reserve Marine weapons company; they partnered with the local military and became familiar with operating in an austere and remote location.

Following the standard medical training, he had to get ready for a future deployment where he would serve as an augment to Combat Logistics Battalion 4, which was slated for a seven-month deployment to Iraq beginning in March 2009. He temporarily transferred to Camp Schwab, Okinawa to conduct his pre-deployment training - a place that the Krissoff family had a close, emotional tie to.

“Very ironic of all places, that I would be doing my training where Nate trained up with 3rd Recon,” Krissoff explained. “It was great to be there because of my many connections with the staff of 3rd Recon.”

On the last day of Krissoff’s training on Camp Schwab, there was a memorial service for a recon Marine who had been killed while participating in combat operations in OIF August 2008. Krissoff had made prior contact with the Marine’s family and was able to meet them when they traveled to Okinawa for their son’s memorial service. Krissoff knew too well what the Marine’s family was going through and was glad he was able to officially meet them that morning, helping to validate his decision to become a Navy doctor who could help save the lives of future young service members going into harm’s way.

Today, he is wearing the Marine Corps’ desert digital camouflage uniform while serving as an orthopedic surgeon with Surgical Company, 2nd MLG (Fwd), aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq.

Initially, Krissoff expected to see Marines, soldiers and sailors with routine orthopedic injuries from work, sports or training exercises. With a slight increase in combat-related injuries, Krissoff and the rest of the medical staff aboard TQ continue to be prepared to handle any medical issue that may arise.

“We have a very capable team of trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists, corpsmen, nurses and support staff available to handle any surgical emergency,” Krissoff said. “I am honored to be serving with them [in] taking care of our troops… our goal is to give the best possible care at all times to our soldiers, sailors and Marines.”

Aside from seeing patients, Krissoff has also had the opportunity to teach orthopedics to young Navy corpsmen, as well as battalion surgeons and flight surgeons.

“This has been very fulfilling for me to work with the staff at TQ Surgical,” Krissoff explained as he nears the halfway point of the deployment.

Krissoff didn’t join for the glory. He didn’t join for the fame. He did it as a tribute to his son and all of the service members who have and continue to go in harm’s way serving their country in forward-deployed environments.

“I’m just a doc doing what I’m trained to do,” Krissoff emphasized.

“We’re just here to support our Marines and sailors… they put themselves on the line and they deserve our best care, I’m just happy to be able to do it.”

Currently Krissoff is working on gaining his active duty status, so that he can lock in future deployments in direct support of U.S. service men and women.

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Sandra Quaschnick, right, and U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jennifer Bailey, left, render salutes during the “Flags In” ceremony to honor fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., May 22, 2008. Quaschnick and Bailey are assigned to the the Fife and Drum Corps of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, “The Old Guard.” Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti Jr.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Andres Yanez renders a salute during the “Flags In” tribute honoring fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, VA., May 22, 2008. Yanez, who regularly supervises funeral details at the cemetery, said it is an honor to participate in the tribute. Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti Jr

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stephen Kuhne, places the fourth flag in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns during the “Flags In” Tribute yesterday evening at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., May 22, 2008. Kuhne is the commander of the relief for the 3rd U.S. Infantry, “The Old Guard.” Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti Jr.

(Click on pictures to enlarge)