Military Science Instructor

SFC Dustin Katsilas
[email protected]
320-308-3930

Sergeant First Class Dustin Katsilas was raised in Centerville, Utah. Throughout high school he competed in swimming and focused on trades in woodworking and automotive while working as a lifeguard and swim instructor. After graduating high school, he worked in a cabinet shop building cabinets commercially before he enlisted in the US Army as an Infantryman. After completing One Station Unit Training in Fort Benning, Georgia in 2005, SFC Katsilas was assigned to the 1^st Infantry Division (Big Red One) in Fort Riley, Kansas where he served in a Reconnaissance Surveillance Target Acquisition Company as part of 4th Brigade, 1^st Battalion 4th Cavalry. During his five years at FT Riley, SFC Katsilas served in numerous positions including Automatic Rifleman, Radio Telephone Operator, and Operations NCO.

Moving to FT Bliss, Texas, SFC Katsilas became a part of a 3^rd Battalion 41^st Infantry Regiment where the Stryker fighting Vehicle became part of daily operations. Here SFC Katsilas served as a Team Leader and Squad Leader, deploying and testing the Stryker in various environments such as FT Irwin, California’s National Training Center and White Sands Missile Range, NM.  In 2012, he served in FT Wainwright, Alaska in 3^rd Battalion 21^st Infantry Regiment as a Weapons Squad Leader and Platoon Sergeant implementing the Stryker Infantry in arctic environments. SFC Katsilas conducted numerous operations in arctic conditions that required snowshoeing, skijoring and cross-country skiing to conduct full spectrum operations as the world’s dynamic of war changed from counter insurgency to a near peer threat.

After a three-year term where SFC Katsilas fulfilled duties in Bangor, Maine as an Army Recruiter, SFC Katsilas returned to Strykers, this time in FT Lewis, Washington in 2019.  It was here that he continued to serve as a Platoon Sergeant in the 1^st Battalion 17^th Infantry Regiment. Following this assignment SFC Katsilas moved to St. Cloud, MN to serve in his current position as a Military Science Instructor.

SFC Katsilas deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom twice while assigned to the Big Red One. First, in 2007 to Iraq during the Surge where he focused on counter insurgency operations in the Al Daura district in Baghdad. This was followed by a second deployment in 2009 to Sinjar, Iraq securing the border between Iraq and Syria. SFC Katsilas also conducted a rotation to South Korea serving as an adviser to Republic of Korea Army Officers for security force operations with 1^st Battalion, 17^th Infantry Regiment.

SFC Katsilas completed his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University. SFC Katsilas’s military achievements include Expert Infantry Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, Air Assault as well as many other awards and schools. SFC Katsilas is married to Amanda Katsilas and has three kids: Zoey, Paige and Hazel. They all love the outdoors with activities like camping, kayaking, hunting and fishing.