Reserve returns to Fire Dept. captaincy

Andrew Edwards

After nearly two years traveling across the country helping soldiers

on the way to Iraq, Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Kirk Dominic is finally

home.

Dominic, 44, lives in Fountain Valley with his wife and three

children. He left home and the Costa Mesa Fire Department in April

2003 when he was called up by the Army Reserves. When he first

received his orders, he was only scheduled to be on duty for a year,

but it was still a tough time at the Dominic home.

“[It was] a very tearful moment for my family,” Dominic said. “I’m

a very family person. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve

done in my life.”

Dominic celebrated his return on Sunday with his family and

members of the Fire Department at a low-key get-together for lunch at

Fire Station No. 5, near Costa Mesa City Hall.

Dominic is one of two in the Fire Department who have been called

up to the reserves.

“It’s like one of your family members going off to college or into

the service,” Capt. Shawn Brosamer said. “You wonder where he’s at

and if he’s doing well.”

Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Bruce Pulgencio was called up in December,

Capt. Scott Broussard said. When he left, Pulgencio’s orders were to

fly dignitaries across Iraq in a Black Hawk helicopter.

When Dominic traded his Fire Department blue for Army green, he

served with the 63rd Regional Readiness Command, which has its

headquarters in Los Alamitos.

Dominic traveled to bases across the country, in Washington,

Georgia, Colorado and other states, helping reservists called up for

duty in Iraq.

“It’s very emotional,” he said. “You know where they’re going. You

know what they’re going to do.”

He also worked with troops returning home from combat. While he

was helping soldiers demobilize, he kept his mind on his current task

rather than looking forward to his turn to return home.

“I knew my time period would come, and I didn’t think about it,”

Dominic said. “If I think about it, it would distract me from my

mission.”

Dominic was able to keep in touch with his two sons and daughter

by phone and e-mail and was granted a few days during his deployment

to return home. Dominic said existing law prevents him from being

called back again, and now that he’s back home he can get back to

spending time with his family.

“When he comes back, I want to make cookies with him,” his

9-year-old daughter Karissa said. Karissa and her dad did just that

on Saturday night, baking a batch of chocolate-chip cookies.

Dominic’s sons, 12-year-old Jared and 14-year-old Joshua, both play

basketball, and Dominic wants to go to as many of their games as

possible.

“Our biggest plan, I think, is to focus on just doing everything

as a family,” Dominic’s wife Tamara said.