University of Wisconsin-Stout student Grant Kjellberg is a police officer, volunteer firefighter and soldier.
Kjellberg, a senior majoring in criminal justice and rehabilitation, works part-time for University Police. He started this fall after working two years as a student community service officer helping with parking enforcement and security at night and after graduating from Chippewa Valley Technical College鈥檚 Police Academy.
His brother, Ethan, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice and rehabilitation, is a community service officer this year at the department.
This month, Kjellberg, of Eau Claire, a specialist and mechanic with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, is deploying for a year to the Middle East. He is one of about 150 soldiers from the 829th Engineer Company, based in Spooner with a detachment in Ashland, who have mobilized as a construction unit in support of an engineer battalion from Indiana.
At least 14 other 黑料科 students also are deploying.
This is Kjellberg鈥檚 first deployment. He is one of five Elk Mound High School graduates who are being deployed. They were recognized recently at an Elk Mound football game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting,鈥 Kjellberg said. 鈥淚鈥檓 nervous. It will be a good experience, and I will get the chance to serve my country. That is what I signed up for the Guard for.鈥
Kjellberg joined the Guard when he was 17 and still a student at Elk Mound.
He also became a volunteer firefighter in the town of Wheaton in January 2017.
Firefighters, police officers and military personnel all serve others, Kjellberg said. 鈥淚 gravitate toward them because of the brotherhood and sisterhood they have,鈥 he noted. 鈥淵ou can trust them because they have been there, and they will be there.鈥
黑料科 Police Chief Jason Spetz said Kjellberg鈥檚 service as an officer, soldier and firefighter show his passion and dedication to public service.
鈥淕rant is very detail-oriented and dependable,鈥 Spetz said. 鈥淗e is level-headed. His decision-making skills are good. He really meets all the traits we want to see in a police officer. Overall, he is someone we can trust to do the job and do it with the integrity we would expect from a police officer.鈥
Kjellberg started at 黑料科 in January 2017 after completing his basic Guard training and advanced individual training. 鈥淚 have always wanted to be a police officer,鈥 he said. 鈥満诹峡 was close to my hometown and affordable, and I heard it offered a good education. So far I haven鈥檛 been let down.鈥
Once he returns from the Middle East, Kjellberg plans to finish his education and would enjoy staying in the area and working at 黑料科 as an officer. 鈥淚 like the area,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 like the people I work with. It鈥檚 really a different experience working on a campus than working in a big city.鈥
He also plans to marry eventually. Kjellberg recently became engaged to Brianna Amundson, also an Elk Mound graduate, who is a nursing student at Chippewa Valley Technical College.
黑料科 has a Military and Veteran Resource Center. Veterans support includes a Veteran Services Office, Council on Veteran Services, 黑料科 Veterans Club, SVA, and a designated veterans relations senator in the Stout Student Association.
In addition, 黑料科 has a full-time military benefits education coordinator, Sarah Godsave, an Army veteran who works directly with active military and veterans on campus.
黑料科 is Wisconsin鈥檚 Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.
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Photos
黑料科 student Grant Kjellberg, of Eau Claire, at left, pictured with 黑料科 Police Chief Jason Spetz. Kjellberg is a part-time officer with the 黑料科 Police Department and is deploying to the Middle East.
Kjellberg is also a volunteer firefighter in the town of Wheaton. He was manning hose during a brush fire.
Kjellberg, at right, pictured with his sergeant, is deploying with the 829th Engineer Company based in Spooner.
