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10 // SEPTEMBER 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM W hether he's serving in the National Guard or working as a high-level offi- cial, Joseph Stallone has always been part of a peacekeeping force. Both missions fit the mold for the 37-year- old Anchorage, Alask, native. "I'm big on the whole regulations thing," he said. "You've got a million regulations in the military, and I treat the rule book like my set of regulations." Stallone joined the National Guard when he was 24 years old after someone suggested that military service would look good on an application for the Alaska State Troopers. He became a combat medic and medical service corps officer serving out of Fort Richardson. Before long he found himself in Kuwait on a yearlong deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While there he served as the medic for three platoons, and made several forays into Iraq alongside Navy and Army engineers tasked with rebuilding roads. The life of a medic seemed to suit Stallone, who dedicated himself to the safety and welfare of his fel- low service mem- b e r s . W h e n h e returned home he went through the ROTC program at the University of Alaska Anchorage and was commis- sioned as a second lieutenant. " I a t t r i b u t e m y l o v e o f t h e m i l i t a r y t o m y p a r e n t s , w h o were disciplinar- i a n s , " s a i d t h e fifth g eneration A l a s k a n w h o s e great-great-grandfather headed to the last frontier during the Klondike Gold Rush. His stepfather also instilled in him a pas- sion for the game, starting from the first time he attended a college hockey game. From there he began playing all the way up through high school and into adult leagues. "After seeing that first hockey game I couldn't get enough. I was playing whenever I could, outdoors, indoors, and even went to a couple of camps," he said. Once he discovered the joys of officiat- ing, Stallone ditched his playing gear and immersed himself in that side of the game. "It's the same story that you hear a lot. I was looking for a part-time job and figured I'd try that out," said the Level 3 referee. "We have some pretty high level referees in Anchorage and they took me under their wing, and I've kind of grown from there. Now I ref anywhere from 300 to 400 games a year." D e s p i t e h i s c o m m i t m e n t s o n t h e i c e , Stallone remains close to the military as a member of the Guard in addition to working in the safety office at Fort Richardson. He said the camaraderie that you have in the military is similar to being involved in hockey, and particularly when you're working as an official. "There's definitely the teamwork aspect, whether it's serving in a military unit, playing on a team or being a referee working in either a three-man or four-man system," he said. "I've started mentoring younger officials and I'm very protective of new officials, especially the young ones. You have to be. It's all about teamwork, both in the military and officiating. That's what I like about both of those jobs." P Stallone Dedicated To Service On The Ice And With The National Guard Joseph Stallone recently attended the first USA Hockey Advanced Officiating Symposium. STICK TAP FOR SERVICE O F F T HE D R AW By Harry Thompson O F F T HE D R AW PHOTOS BY Norman Hayward; Jim O'Toole (2017)