12.04.2023 – John M. Kriesel

John M. Kriesel is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented District 57A, which includes portions of Dakota and Washington counties in the southeastern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.  Kriesel served in the Minnesota Army National Guard from 1998 to 2008, rising to the level of staff sergeant. He was stationed in Kosovo in 2004 as part of a NATO peacekeeping force and, later, at Camp Fallujah in Iraq. He lost both of his legs in military combat in 2006 in an encounter with an IED, or roadside bomb. He now has prosthetic legs. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal for his service to his country.  A Republican, he is a motivational speaker, veteran service officer, and contributor on KFAN-FM 100.3 radio during the “Power Trip Morning Show.”[1][2], Since leaving the Legislature, Kriesel has served as director of veteran services for Anoka County.