Colonel Victor Trujillo II graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point in 2000 and was commissioned as an Engineer Officer. After graduating from the Engineer Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 299 Engineer Battalion, 1 Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), 4 Infantry Division (Mechanized), at Fort Hood, Texas where he served as a Mechanized Combat Engineer Platoon Leader and deployed as an Engineer Scout Platoon Leader and Battalion Adjutant in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Following graduation from the Infantry Captain Career Course in 2004, he was assigned to the 20 Engineer Brigade and served as a Plans Officer in the 18 Airborne Corps, Staff Engineer Section (CSES). During this period, he deployed to Iraq and served as the Executive Officer of Multi-National Corps – Iraq C7. Upon his return to Fort Bragg, he served as the 30 Engineer Battalion (TOPO) Assistant S3 before taking command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 30 Engineer Battalion.

As a Major, he served as an Assistant Professor/Instructor at USMA in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Following this assignment, he immediately served as the Battalion S3 and Battalion Executive Officer for the 1 Engineer Battalion, 555 Engineer Brigade at Fort Riley, Kansas. He also served as the Assistant Brigade Engineer and then the Battalion Executive Officer for the 82 Engineer Battalion, 2 Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1 Infantry Division. COL Trujillo completed Command and General Staff College and served as the J3 Chief of Deployment at NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Turkey in Istanbul, Turkey.

His last operational assignment, prior to returning for a second tour as an Assistant Professor, was Battalion Commander of a 1-410 Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky. His research interests include edge computing, machine/deep learning, high energy laser propagation, and military applications.

COL Trujillo earned a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research from the U.S. Military Academy. He also holds a Master of Science in Mathematics and Statistics from Georgetown University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Science at the College of William & Mary.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, two Distinguished Meritorious Service Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals, Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, Master Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge.

He is married to Army Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Elizabeth Mason and they have a thirteen year-old son, Victor III.

Master Sergeant Victor A. Alarcon is a native of La Puente, California. He enlisted in the United States Army on September 5, 2002 and attended One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia as an Infantryman (11B).

MSG Alarcon has served in a variety Infantry leadership positions to include: Team Leader, Squad Leader, Bradley Fighting Vehicle Section Leader, Mechanized Infantry Platoon Sergeant, Observer, Coach, Trainer (OCT), First Sergeant and currently serving as the Fighting Saint Battalion Senior Military Science Instructor (SMSI).

His assignments include 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany (2002-2008); Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion, 6th Brigade, U.S. Recruiting Command (2008-2012); 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado (2012-2016); Tarantula Team, Operations Group, Fort Irwin, California (2016-2019). HHT, 3-4 Cav, 3IBCT, 25ID (2019-2020). HHC, 3IBCT, 25ID (2020-2023). His overseas deployments include two tours in Iraq (OIF II 2004-2005and OIFVI-VII 2006-2007) and one tour in Kuwait, one tour in Bosnia, and Pacific Pathways Thailand deployment.

MSG Alarcon’s military education includes Combatives Level one, two, and three, Army Recruiter Course, SHARP Course, Master Fitness Trainer Course, Basic Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Senior Leaders Course, Observer Controller Academy, Airborne School, and Master Leaders Course.

MSG Alarcon’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (4 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), Valorous Unit Award (1OLC), Army Good Conduct Medal (5th Award), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (2CS), Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 4), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist Badge, Drivers Badge (Track), and Recruiter Gold Badge with three Stars.

MSG Alarcon is married to his lovely spouse Lina Alarcon and has one child.

Major Adam J. Stock enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard and graduated from Sartell High School in 1999.  As an enlisted Soldier he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2003-2004 as part of the NATO Stabilization Force and Operation Joint Forge for SFOR 14.  He was activated with the MN National Guard in 2005-2007 and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.  He was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant.  While enlisted, MAJ Stock was activated for four State Active-Duty missions which included tornado response, flood response, a missing person search, and protecting critical infrastructure.

After completing his second deployment, MAJ Stock graduated from Saint Cloud State University with a B.S. in Social Studies Education and commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 2008.  Upon commissioning he attended IBOLC and was assigned to 2-135 IN where he was a platoon leader, company executive officer, Assistant S3, and S4. He then commanded HHC/2-135 IN and C/2-135 IN.  While in 2-135 IN, MAJ Stock deployed in 2011-2012 to Iraq and Kuwait as part of Operation New Dawn where he was a company Executive Officer and Assistant S3. After that deployment he attended Maneuver Captains Career Course and was promoted to Captain in 2013. He then deployed in 2016-2017 to the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt as part of the Multi-National Force and Observers as the Commander of C/2-135 IN.

MAJ Stock then spent time on the staff of 1/34 ABCT as an Assistant S3 before selection to be S3 of 2-136 IN.  He was then promoted to Major in 2019. Additionally, he was the S3 of 175^th Regiment Regional Training Institute and Assistant S3 of Camp Ripley Command. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff Officer College at Fort Leavenworth, KS Intermediate Level Education-Advanced Operations Course.

Parallel to his time in 2-135 IN and other military assignments he taught both history and geography at the middle and high School level for six years.  He started full time employment in the Minnesota National Guard in 2014 as an Assistant Operations Officer for Camp Ripley Command.  MAJ Stock was also the Range Control Officer and Director of Plans Operations and Training for Camp Ripley where he oversaw the daily operations and training of the 52,000-acre training facility.  He has been the Executive Officer and Assistant Professor of Military Science of the Fighting Saints Battalion since 2023.

Major Stock lives in Holdingford, MN with his wife Anita, and three kids Joseph, Cora, and Elsie. 

Captain Matthew Howell was born in Clarksville, TN and raised in Big Lake, MN. He graduated from West Point in 2016, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Engineering and commissioning as an Armor Officer. Immediately following, CPT Howell attended Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course (ABOLC) and Army Reconnaissance Course (ARC) at Fort Benning, GA. He was first assigned to 2-34 AR “Dreadnaughts”, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, KS.

CPT Howell served at Fort Riley, KS from 2017-2020. CPT Howell was first assigned to B “Bulldawgs” Company, 2-34 AR as a Tank Platoon Leader from 2017-2018. His second assignment was the Executive Officer for HHC “Hoplites”, 2-34 AR. CPT Howell rotated to Camp Humphries, Republic of Korea in 2017 and Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland in 2019 while serving with 2-34 AR.

CPT Howell joined 2-5 CAV “Lancers” 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division in October 2020 after graduating Maneuver Captain’s Career Course (MCCC) and Cavalry Leader’s Course (CLC). He immediately joined the battalion in Europe serving as an advisor on the Georgian Defense Readiness Program – Training (GDRPT) team at the Vaziani Combat Training Center in the Republic of Georgia from December 2020 to March 2021. CPT Howell served as the BN AS3 as his second assignment in 2-5 CAV with the 2-5 CAV HQ at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania for the remainder of the battalion’s rotation to Europe. He took command of the battalion’s tank company, C/2-5 CAV “Crazy Horse”, shortly after redeploying from Europe.

CPT Howell’s schools include Maneuver Captains Career Course, Cavalry Leaders Course, Basic Officer Leaders Course, Army Reconnaissance Course, and Airborne School. CPT Howell’s awards include: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Medal, and Overseas Service Medal.

CPT Howell and his wife, Courtney, currently reside in Monticello, MN with their three daughters, Eleanor, Ruth, and Mabel.

Sergeant First Class Joseph M. Dupee is from Adams, New York and has served over 14 years in the United States Army. He enlisted as a 14G – Air Defense Battle System Operator and was awarded the Military Occupation Specialty 14G following graduation from Advanced Individual Training in June of 2009. Upon completion of Advanced Individual Training, he was assigned as an Early Warning System Operator to Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany from July 2009 to August 2012 and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2010.

After completion of Basic Leader’s Course in 2012, SFC Dupee served as a Battle System Operator in the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Benning, GA from August 2012 to January 2015. He then served as the Operations Sergeant in 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Osan Air Base, South Korea from January 2015 to January 2016. SFC Dupee next served as an Operations Sergeant at 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Fort Sill, OK from January 2016 to October 2016 and deployed with 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel in October 2016.

Following Afghanistan and completion of Advanced Leader’s Course, SFC Dupee was assigned as a Basic Leader’s Course Instructor at the United States Army Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in Fort Sill, OK from July 2017 to April 2019. He then served as a Section Sergeant, Liaison Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant and Battle System Manager with the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment in Ansbach, Germany from April 2019 to January 2022. SFC Dupee currently serves as a Military Science Instructor for Saint John’s University, College of Saint Benedict, and Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (with Combat device and 3 oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 2 oak leaf clusters).

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.

Sergeant First Class Anthony D. Sieben is from Beaver Lake, Nebraska and has served over 13 years in the United States Army. He enlisted as a 11B – Infantryman and was awarded the Military Occupation Specialty 11B following graduation from Advanced Individual Training in February of 2012. Upon completion of Advanced Individual Training, he was assigned as a Squad Automatic Rifleman to Alpha Company, 4^th Battalion 9^th Infantry Regiment in Ft. Lewis, Washington from March 2012 to June 2014 and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2012.

After completion of Basic Leader’s Course in 2016, SFC Sieben served as a Team Leader in the 1^st Battalion 4^th Infantry Regiment, Combat Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany from June 2014 to November 2016. He then reclassed to 42A – Human Resources Specialist and graduated from Advanced Individual Training in February 2017 in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. Upon completion he was station at Ft. Riley, Kansas and assigned as the Essential Personnel Service Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge from March 2017 to October 2019 and deployed in support of European Operational Force Deployment to Poland in 2019.

Following Poland and completion of Advanced Leader’s Course, SFC Sieben was assigned a Battalion S1 Non-Commissioned Officer Charge in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina from October 2019 to March 2023 and deployed in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel in 2021. SFC Sieben currently serves as a Military Science Instructor for Saint John’s University, College of Saint Benedict, and Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Mr. Steven Winkler is a contractor with the Fighting Saints Battalion as a Senior Military Science Instructor. He came to the Department of Military Science after 20 years of Military Service and is still serving in the US Army Reserves.

Mr. Winkler enlisted in the Army in 2004 and attended Basic Combat Training at Ft. Jackson, SC. Mr. Winkler attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where he enrolled in ROTC. In 2009 Mr. Winkler commissioned as a 2LT in the MN Army National Guard as a Military Police Officer and transferred to the USAR in 2011. From 2009-2017 Mr. Winkler served in multiple roles as an MP. In 2018 Mr. Winkler reclassed to Psychological Operations (PSYOP) and is currently assigned to the 13th PSYOP BN in Arden Hills, MN.

Mr. Winkler has one stateside Mobilization from 2019-2020 to Tampa, FL where he served as a PSYOP Officer for US Central Command WEBOPS. He also has one overseas deployment to the Horn of Africa from 2022-2023 where he Commanded a Detachment under Special Operations Command-Africa conducting PSYOP supporting Counter-Terrorism efforts across the continent.

Mr. Winkler was born and raised in Minnesota and currently lives in St. Michael, Minnesota. He is married to Danielle Winkler, and they have one son (Wyatt) and two daughters (Josephine and Carolyn). He has a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Business Security Management. During his free time Mr. Winkler loves to hunt, fish, downhill ski, and just generally spend time in the outdoors with his wife and kids.

Mr. Lucas Dahl is the Fighting Saints Battalion Scholarship and Enrollment Officer. He came to the Department of Military Science after 13 years of service in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Dahl enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2004 as a Cryptologist (Russian) Linguist. While studying Russian at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, Mr. Dahl was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from West Point in 2010 and was commissioned as an Ordnance Officer.

Some of his previous assignments include 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, FL, the Joint Special Operations Air Component – Central (JSOAC-C), Al Udeid Airbase, Qatar, and the 45th Sustainment Brigade, Schofield Barracks, HI. He culminated his career serving as the Southeast Regional Commander for West Point Admissions. Mr. Dahl deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom (2012) and Inherent Resolve (2015).

Mr. Dahl is from Hastings, Minnesota. He is married to Kellie Dahl and they have one daughter, Scarlett. During his free time, Mr. Dahl loves to travel, read, and play disc golf.

Mr. Steven Gould is the Fighting Saints Battalion Human Resources Assistant. He came to the Department of Military Science after retiring with over 20 years of active duty with U.S. Army.

Some of his previous assignments include the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC, the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, NC, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy.

Mr. Gould has 27 months of combat experience with multiple deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom (04-05 and 07-08) both with Stryker Brigade Combat Teams.

Mr. Gould is from Bellingham, Washington and is married to the former Melissa Barclay of Hillman, MN. They have two children (Isaac and Imogen) and currently reside in Elk River, MN. During his time away from the ROTC program he enjoys traveling, life at the lake, spending time with his family, and taking care of their German Shepard, Smadge. His favorite football team is the Seattle Seahawks. Go Hawks!

Mr. Ross Sweat (Sergeant First Class, retired) is the Fighting Saints Battalion Supply Technician. He joined the Department of Military Science after retiring with 26 years of active duty and four years reserve time with the U.S. Army.   Mr. Sweat served as a vehicle maintenance technician his entire career; 20 years of that being a Motor Sergeant managing motor pools.  

Some of his previous assignments include the 615^th ASB 1^st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX, the 1/25 Aviation Battalion 25^th infantry Division, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, and the 61^st Combat Engineer Battalion 10^th Mountain Division, FT Drum, NY. He then spent the rest of his career as an AGR Maintenance NCOIC for multiple Army Reserve Units. 

Mr. Sweat is from Ripley, West Virginia, and is married to Samantha Sweat of St. Paul, MN. They have one daughter (Amelia) and currently reside in Clear Lake, MN. During his time away from the ROTC program he and his family enjoy traveling, fishing, gardening, and playing with their three dogs Max, Miley, and Minnie.