For Skillestad, military and law enforcement run in the family

It took less than six months for Samuel Skillestad to know he’d absolutely made the right decision.

It took even less time to realize he’d been well-prepared.

The strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” had barely faded when Skillestad, a 2022 graduate of Blooming Prairie High School, headed to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Eight weeks later, he graduated again – this time, from basic training.

And finally, a third graduation: Security Forces Tech School in San Antonio on Nov. 30.

Skillestad is back in Blooming Prairie for a few weeks, then will head to his new job as a military policeman at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, an Air Force base in New Jersey.

The work will involve guarding gates and patrolling the base, he said; “typical law enforcement work, just on a base.”

The decision to join the military wasn’t much of a stretch, Skillestad said: Both his grandfather – Don Samuel Skillestad, of Kenyon, after whom he was named – and his dad, Greg Skillestad, are veterans. Don also served in the Air Force; Greg was in the Army.

The law enforcement piece also seems genetic: Don worked at the Goodhue County Jail; Greg is the chief of police in Blooming Prairie.

“He definitely motivated me,” Sam said of his dad. “He’s inspirational.”

But something did come as a surprise, the 19-year-old said.

“I’m not saying it was easy-easy, but it was easier than I thought it would be,” Skillestad said of everything from basic training to security forces. “I’m glad I was ready for it.”

Skillestad played football, wrestled, ran track and spent plenty of time in the weight room at BPHS.

That paid off during his physical training, but what helped in the classroom?

“Work ethic,” he said, something else he honed in the Blooming Prairie School District.

“It does play a big role,” Skillestad said. “It just helps you focus a lot. I’m not the smartest guy; I’m really not that smart – it’s more about finding someone who can help you, then you help them out with your strengths.

“What we benefit from the smaller school is, we all know each other, which is really nice,” he said. “We can find more connections, and it just makes us better, over all. It’s super easy to find someone to fit in with.”

As he makes the rounds during this holiday leave, Skillestad said he’s seeing “civilian life in general is really different. It’s hard to explain, but you look at things differently now. It’s different from my old life.”

In that old life – before his decision to go into Security Forces, Greg and Allyson Skillestad “tried to guide me away from law enforcement,” their son said.

Taking another page from his grandfather – who served many years on the Kenyon Volunteer Fire Department – Sam was also looking away from law enforcement.

“I was going to do firefighting/fire protection in the Air Force, but it’s really competitive and I would’ve had to wait for it to open up,” he said. “I just wanted to get in and get going.”

And to his surprise – “I love it, I really do.”

That may change the trajectory of his future.

“So the plan was to do four years (in the military), then I can carry it on to civilian life, become a cop,” Skillestad said.

The career will be “law enforcement, no matter what, but it’d be nice to do 20 years in the service…”

Though the next 24 months are locked in at McGuire, Skillestad has his sights set on another course that trains there: The Phoenix Raven program.

He described it as a “higher security guard position, but it’s very competitive. I’d love to do that – you travel a lot, it’s better pay. You could be traveling with the president, possibly.”

The Air Force itself calls it “perhaps the most rigorous training program in the Air Force security forces world.” The specially trained airmen fly with and protect the Air Mobility Command aircraft around the world, to “guard the aircraft, protect the personnel and whatever else is on board.”

If that doesn’t work out, there are multiple other areas, from airborne to canine handler to SWAT to chemical, biological and nuclear readiness and more.

Skillestad’s first choice was New York “because I really like food” – but he heard there’s a higher deployment base from McGuire, something that doesn’t scare him.

“I’m not too worried about the ground” combat, he said. “It’s more cyber (concerns) now.”

As for those parents who didn’t want him to pursue law enforcement, “they accepted it, and now they’re super-supportive,” Skillestad said.

“As Mom, I’m witnessing Samuel’s transition to adulthood, and it’s admirable,” said Allyson Skillestad. “He’s taking initiative in responsibility, such as investing money, and is excited what that future holds. I asked what has changed him since being in the Air Force, and he said his thought process.

“He has a clearer understand how every choice he makes has a consequence, and what that means,” she said. “Someone once said, he will leave a boy, and change into a man. We got to see this change.”

It’s all been positive, her son said.

“I spent time away at wrestling camps, at Bible camp,” he said. “It taught me I can learn on my own – learn even better, sometimes.”