Crooked Can to host homecoming for Winter Garden fire lieutenant

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ken Moisan recently returned home from a six-month deployment in Kuwait.

By Danielle Hendrix
| 2:45 p.m. August 8, 2016

Moisan during a deployment to Iraq in 2007.

West Orange Times & Observer
News

WINTER GARDEN There’s no place like home — that’s something U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ken Moisan can attest to.

Back on U.S. soil after having spent six months on deployment in Kuwait, Moisan is looking forward to celebrating his homecoming with friends, family and coworkers Thursday, Aug. 11, at Crooked Can Brewery in downtown Winter Garden.

Moisan, a U.S. Air Force Reserve and Winter Garden Fire Rescue fire lieutenant, was deployed to Kuwait Jan. 21, where he served as a fire protection specialist and first-responder on base. As part of his duties, he responded to fire and medical calls and dealt with special-operations incidents. He officially returned to the States Aug. 3, but arrived home to Winter Garden Friday, Aug. 5.

It was a decent assignment, Moisan said, and although it was challenging at times he had a good group of people to work with.

“(The) base was a little frail (but) we stayed very busy at work (and) also worked on some career-development courses (and) lots of training,” Moisan said of his assignment. “Operations tempo was high, (and we) served with some coalition partners, as well.”

Coming fresh off deployment, he will enter into a reintegration period before returning to his duties at the fire department a few weeks from now. He will also return to doing his monthly reserve duty and shouldn’t be deployable for another three to five years.

A lot has changed here at home since his deployment, and he is looking forward to seeing the new improvements, changes, construction and growth that has been in the works during his absence — a few notables for Moisan include the new hospital, downtown parking garage and Plant Street Market, as well as the development in the Marsh Road area.

“It means the fire department is going to grow, we will have to put a fire station out that way in the future,” he said of the Marsh Road area. “The city growing is a great thing.”

The community is invited to come out to Crooked Can at 7 p.m. Thursday to join the Winter Garden Professional Firefighters in a homecoming celebration honoring him. Food, fun and camaraderie are the main events on the agenda for the evening, exactly what Moisan is most excited for.

“(I’m looking forward to) seeing and reconnecting with family, friends and coworkers, good times, laughter, good conversations and of course some Crooked Can beverages and coal-fired pizza,” he said. “(I) can’t wait.”