Prescott native Stan Goligoski’s two decades of active duty in the U.S. Army took him all over the country — from Arizona to Georgia, Texas, Alaska, Kentucky, Virginia, West Point — and across the ocean to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It was a very professional organization, is how I describe it,” Goligoski told American Veterans Magazine. “We all had a common mission; we’re honored to serve and treated people with dignity and respect.”
Goligoski said he sees his time in the Army in two vastly different phases — pre- and post-9/11.
In the first phase, he graduated from Northern Arizona University thanks to the Army’s Green to Gold Scholarship.
But it was during the second phase when Goligoski experienced the most gratifying time in his Army career, despite the 9/11 fallout uprooting him from Iraq, where he was a lieutenant, to Afghanistan.
When he was deployed to Afghanistan, he was promoted to company command, which meant he was in charge of the health, welfare and safety of not only the soldiers in his unit and on the Bagram airbase but 17 local villages in the Parwan province of Afghanistan.
“Not only do you have to win over the local population, but you also provide assistance for the overall health structure and ability to gain information in order to thwart a very possible enemy,” Goligoski said, “not only from foreign nations or foreign fighters, but also Taliban within the area.”
Goligoski was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions in that country. He also earned the Combat Action Badge, Airborne and Air Assault tabs.
Goligoski since returning to civilian life has continued to work in leadership roles as a member of the Prescott Unified School District Governing Board, Prescott Planning and Zoning Commission, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Coalition on Justice and Mental Health, Prescott Kiwanis, Prescott YMCA and Yavapai Region First Things First.
Goligoski was also a member of the Prescott Mayor’s Commission for Veteran Initiatives, where he was instrumental in efforts to honor Kayla Mueller, a human rights activist and humanitarian from Prescott who was captured by ISIS.
“It was ultimately believed that she was killed,” Goligoski said. “So, there was a raid that was sent in by the service to kill her captor.”
The 75th Ranger Regiment commissioned a painting of the raid, Into the Breach. Goligoski, working with then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, “ultimately got the painting up in our state capitol,” he said.
He added Brigadier Gen. Mark Milley — the eventual Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff whom he worked with in Afghanistan — wrote a personal letter to the Mueller family that is also framed at the state capitol.
Goligoski now works in the private sector and is a production manager for Milgard Window and Door company in Prescott. What he learned in service, he holds close to his heart.
“The most relatable or transferable skill is the leadership development mentoring that you receive from service,” said Goligoski. “To get to do this in manufacturing, it’s unbelievable how similar it is.”
Today, Goligoski continues serving on the Prescott Unified School District Governing Board and on the advisory committee for American Veterans Magazine. He said what drew him to join the committee was to highlight the success of veterans in Arizona.
“Instead of concentrating on that five to 10% that probably weren’t necessarily the most stellar in the service, let’s start highlighting all the success that our veterans are doing out here,” said Goligoski. “Veterans are considered the one-percenters that ever serve … let’s show how much that 1% of the population is contributing to every community.”
Goligoski said in the future he would like to see the veterans who are struggling after service take advantage of the resources provided to them, like the G.I. Bill. No matter what kind of soldier you were, if you were honorable, you deserve it, he said.
“Find your niche,” Goligoski advised. “If you’re getting out and you don’t know what to do and you’re feeling like, ‘I don’t have a purpose,’ there’s plenty of opportunity do so … Look for something that is fulfilling, where you’re helping out people and truly have something that you can do that kind of scratches that itch.”