At 26, Tristan Isoldi is committed to serving both his community and country as a police officer
with the NYPD and a sergeant in the Army Reserve.
Balancing these demanding roles requires dedication and sacrifice, a path he has pursued since starting his law enforcement career at the early age of 21. His desire to serve in the military as well led him to join the Army Reserve in 2020.
Isoldi’s commitment to service was inspired by his grandparents, both of whom served in the Army during World War II.
“They never really spoke about their time in the Army because I’m sure they don’t want to talk about those memories, [but] I have the most respect for both my grandparents,” Isoldi said. Isoldi told how determined one of his grandparents was to serve.
“My grandfather forged his enlistment paperwork,” Isoldi said. “He was 14 when he served in the Army—he lied to the recruiter just because the war was going on and he wanted to serve, and he wanted to earn money for his family.”
Isoldi, however, feels like that sense of duty is less common in today’s generation.
“I feel like our generation just doesn’t have the same patriotism as the generation before us,” he said. “Kids our age just don’t want to serve anymore.”
For him, serving in the military is not just about personal growth but about stepping up when needed.
“God forbid we do go to war, we’re definitely hurting for numbers right now, and I think people don’t have that same awareness,” he said. “You don’t want your country to have to rely on a draft… [because] serving alongside people that don’t want to be there [is] how people get killed.”
Although Isoldi joined the Army during the challenging period of COVID-19, he quickly
advanced to the rank of sergeant. He finds that the skills he develops in the Army complement his work in law enforcement.
“They’re pretty much the same in a lot of ways—high-stress environments, listening to orders, giving orders, making sure that this gets done, that gets done.”
However, balancing two demanding careers has not been easy, especially with the distance involved. Isoldi lives in Huntington, works in Brooklyn, and is assigned to a unit in upstate New York.
“It’s a lot to manage my time,” he said. “Sometimes my training with the Army is in New Jersey, sometimes Massachusetts. It’s a lot of moving around… packing, me being away from work, me being away from family.”
Isoldi has had to sacrifice missing many events due to his commitments, but the hardest moment came when his father passed away.
“Two summers ago when I was away with training in the Army, my father had passed away, so that was probably one of the hardest moments of me being in the Army,” he said. “I was all the way in Massachusetts when my dad passed away, and my grieving mom and sister had to deal with it while I was away because I was on orders, and it wasn’t easy for me to come home right away.”
Isoldi shared the regret he felt because of his circumstances.
“I feel like if I wasn’t in the Army, I would have been able to be there for my dad. But I knew that he really was proud of me being in the Army [and] being a cop, so I knew he would have understood me not being able to be there,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Isoldi stays dedicated to both roles, often finding the Army to be less stressful than his job as a police officer.
“When I go to drill it’s like a breather. It’s longer days but the stress is not nearly the same as the stress I deal with … as a police officer,” he said.
Looking ahead, Isoldi is not opposed to the idea of deployment, though he knows it would be tough for his family. “My family, my girlfriend, I’m sure they wouldn’t want me to deploy, but I’m not opposed to it because it’s one of those realities that logistically somebody has to do it,” he said.
As Isoldi reflects on his journey, he remains proud of his choice to serve in both law enforcement and the military and emphasizes the positives that come out of it.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have much money to put me through school so I kind of just went to community college, got my associates and then I went and became a police officer,” Isoldi said. “Later in life I decided, you know what, what the hell I’ll finish my degree just because it was pretty much gonna get paid for.”
He went on to earn a bachelor’s in criminal justice with a concentration in counterterrorism and homeland security from Southern New Hampshire University.
Isoldi hopes that more young people will consider military service, especially as he feels a growing disconnect between his generation and the idea of serving.
“I just feel like kids these days are just not stepping up to the plate,” he said. “It’s unfortunate because I feel like if kids were to realize all the positive[s] that could come along from serving … they could really benefit [from] getting health care for the first time or getting a paycheck for the first time.”
Mariam Guirgis is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s
School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
This series on Huntington veterans is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of Stephanie Bontempi.
Everyday Veterans: A Series About Our Neighbors Who Served
Everyday Veterans: Pandolf Finds Career With Service
Everyday Veterans: Vital Role in Logistics for Naval Reservist
Everyday Veterans: From Fighting Nazis to Living the American Dream
Everyday Veterans: Nursing Career Follows Navy Service
Local News
