In the past, active duty soldiers occasionally spoke lightly of reservists and guardsmen. "Christmas help," they were sometimes called, because they arrived for a two-week tour of duty before returning to their more comfortable homes.
Those days are long past. The Reserves and the National Guard shoulder a far larger burden than two weeks a year. And like too many of their number, the Department of Defense has announcedthat Sergeant Denis D. Kisseloff will not return to his home of St. Charles, Missouri.
Sergeant Denis Kisseloff, forty-five years old, died of the wounds he received when Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, was attacked with rocket propelled grenades. He was there with the 1141st Engineer Company (Sapper), from Kansas City, Missouri. Afghanistan was not even the first of the nation’s wars in which he had served.
Denis had originally served as a Marine, joining the Corps in 1981. He left the Marine Corps Reserve in 1988, but returned to the uniform as a member of the Missouri National Guard in April, 2007. Three months later, he was mobilized and deployed to Iraq, where he served until August, 2008.
His awards were many, and give a hint of the Marine and soldier that he was. He was awarded the Marine Corps Meritorious Mast four separate times. The Marine Corps Order that establishes this award says that it is appropriate
Whenever the performance of an enlisted Marine is considered noteworthy or commendable beyond the usual requirements of duty or the Marine demonstrates exceptional industry, judgment, or initiative...
He also received the Good Conduct Medal as both a Marine and a soldier, a driver’s and mechanics badge, and a bevy of awards to show the world that he had repeatedly served the nation in battle.
His governor marked his passage.
"Sgt. Kisseloff bravely served his state and his country in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and we mourn the loss of this courageous soldier," Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said. "The thoughts and prayers of the First Lady and I are with his loved ones."
Farewell, good and faithful Denis Kisseloff.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Denis Kisseloff
and ask for courage to bear it.
Helping Our Troops
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, which makes helmets safer, or Fisher House, which provides comfort homes for families near the treatment centers for our wounded veterans. Sponsoring a deployed service member at USTroopCarePackage can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here.
When our veterans come home, many will need jobs. Please look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT Series
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our U.S. troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, CalNM, and Wide Awake in KY. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.