ORLANDO, Fla. – Caesar Mustelier received a warm homecoming from his fellow Orlando firefighters on Wednesday.
For the last year, he was serving for the U.S. Army as a black hawk helicopter pilot flying missions across Iraq.
“It’s good to be back, in the United States first of all, back with my family and then back here with my Orlando family and it’s just amazing,” Mustelier said.
Firefighters from OFD Station 2 wanted to give Mustelier a big welcome by making him breakfast and spending time catching up about his service overseas.
“It wasn’t as crazy as you would imagine, just a mission that had to be done,” he said.
Mustelier went into the U.S. Army Reserves to become a firefighter back in 2006 and has been with the Orlando Fire Department since 2017.
He said being part of the fire department allows him to continue to serve his desire to help others in the Orlando community.
"I'm sure he was in stressful situations there but again, willing to come back here and continue his career with OFD, means a lot," OFD Chief Benjamin Barksdale.
Chief Barksdale said firefighters are showing their support to military members by wearing a special red polo on Fridays in order to thank those who have served our country.