FORT HOOD, Texas — Thousands of men and women join the military to defend our nation every year but for some of them, one uniform is not enough.
Staff Sergeant Kevin Burzesi is an Abrams Tank Master Gunner with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Hood.
When he’s not serving his country as a soldier, he is serving his community as a volunteer firefighter at Central Bell County Fire and rescue.
”I think it's fine I don't mind doing the overnights during the week and the 24 hours on the weekend,” said SSG Kevin Burzesi. “Usually when we're off, we're off. Unless the on-duty shift needs something in which case, I will always come because I know they need the help.”
Originally from New York, Staff Sergeant Burzesi has a history of firefighting in his blood and a grandfather who served decades as a New York firefighter.
Nevertheless, he chose to join the Army ranks instead.
”I was 18 and I felt I needed to leave and go try something different away from New York and that's where the Army brought me, but I still wanted to do this in some capacity because I do have a passion for this,” said SSG Burzesi.
Burzesi is a leader in the Army and Lieutenant at Central Bell where he gets to lead a team of firefighters.
Some of which are also active soldiers and happy to have him in command.
”He just has that leadership capability from the Army and now he's bringing it over to the civilian side and it just flows together,” SPC Dominic Smith, Fort Hood soldier and volunteer firefighter. “So, I would definitely go into a gunfight the same way I would go into a fire with him, I would have his back the entire time.”
Burzesi has spent nearly a decade in the Army and now calls Bell County his home.
”Bell County has been everything I've known for the past nine years of my life after, I picked up and left everything else behind,” said SSG Burzesi. “It's been nothing but perfect and spend nothing but rewarding to me and it's been lucrative to me.”
It's that community that he now spends his free time giving back to.
”It's giving me a family, it's giving me a home, it's giving me a place to call home, and if I could have a positive impact on this community, this is how I can do that,” said SSG Burzesi.
SSG Kevin Burzesi is both a staff sergeant in the Army and a Lieutenant at Central Bell County Fire and Rescue.
