December 12, 2005
Camilla-- Tens of thousands of servicemen and women are in Iraq right now but many civilians put their lives in danger there as well. Some south Georgia firefighters are overseas to provide fire and protection services in the combat zones.
A weathered firefighter uniform sits at the Brock home but the man who fills the boots is missing. "He's been for almost, today makes two weeks," says his wife Cindy Brock.
Camilla fireman Greg Brock has been fighting fires for more than 15 years. "Ever since he was 17-years-old, firefighting has just been him," says Brock.
He decided to take his lifelong passion overseas for the Department of Defense as part of the WSI Fire and Protection Service. It was an easy decision for him but a hard one for his wife Cindy to face because of fears. "That he isn't going to come back. That's the biggest one. He's just not going to come back," says Brock.
Emails and phone calls from him alert the family of everything he's seen and heard in just two weeks. "The insurgents were shooting their guns off and they could hear that. He's heard mortar blasts around the camp," says Brock. It's enough to keep any family on pins and needles. Brock hasn't fought a fire in Iraq yet but braves the wind and dust as he works 16 hour days, 7 days a week.
"They're not the military service but they're over there behind them. They get to do everything that the military service gets to do basically except they fight with a two inch water hose or half inch hose," says Cindy.
Cindy now fights to stay calm and supportive especially during the holidays. She says, "I'm not going to have him here with me and I don't like that." What she does like is his reason for taking the position. She says, "It's his way of serving their brotherhood as you've always heard. Firemen have this brotherhood and they keep it strong."
His firefighter spirit is still at home. While he's in Iraq, his boots are waiting at home to be filled. "He's definitely missing home now," says Cindy.
Firefighters from all over the United States are in Iraq providing protection. They do everything from fire suppression and prevention to basic life support. Every four months, those firefighters get to come home for a 10 day leave.
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