Soldier Welcomed Back To Taylors Fire Department

Scott Krawczyk's firefighter's helmet hung Tuesday morning where it had for more than a year inside the Taylors Fire Department. Next to it, a photo of Krawczyk and his fellow soldiers with the South Carolina National Guard was easily seen, as well as a plaque honoring his commitment to his country. 

After hanging up the helmet on July 2, 2011, Krawczyk took the helmet off the wall Tuesday and suited up for his first day back on the job after successfully making it home from his deployment to Afghanistan unharmed. 

Krawczyk, a member of the National Guard, left not only his brothers at the Taylors Fire Department when he went to fight for his country - he left the love of his life. 

"He's getting married in November, so it was pretty important that he get home on time," Battalion Chief Ricky Reed said with a laugh. "He's going from one battle to the next."

Avery Smith, Krawczyk's fiancee, said she knew watching her future husband ship off to war was a possibility from the get-go. 

"We were both kind of upset about it at first," she admitted. 

Her anxiety only got worse when three of his comrades perished in June in attack in Khost province. 

"It was the worst feeling I've ever had in my life," Smith said. "A friend's husband didn't make it, and I hadn't heard anything from Scott. The saying was always 'If you haven't heard anything, it's okay. If you didn't hear anything, he's alright,'" but you know that's not true. I was at the beach when it happened, and so if someone had stopped by my house, I wouldn't have been home." 

It wasn't until 5:30 a.m. the next day that she got confirmation that her husband was unharmed. 

"I lost three great friends, and five more were wounded. They're still in recovery," Krawczyk said. "You don't have time to be scared. Sure, it's a scary situation, you don't know what's going on - but you still have a job to do." 

Krawczyk was honored in a ceremony Tuesday at the fire department on his first day back on the job - another installment of his adjustment to civilian life. 

"It's definitely an adjustment," he said, adding that his battle plans today consist of planning a wedding and getting his newly-bought house ready. 

"It's good to be home," he added. 

"It was hard to see him go," Chief Bobby Baker said. "The wort part was when we got news out of him that three of his friends had been killed. That was the scariest part. It's great to have him home and safe."