The Firehouse Yak: AJ Kehl - Military Firefighting & Leadership
Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Peter Matthews is joined by AJ Kehl, who currently serves as fire chief of the Misawa Air Base in Japan. Kehl, a Master Seargent, is an author and speaker who has worked in 75 countries.
Kehl, talks about how military-trained firefighters manage their duties as both military soldiers and firefighters and how they manage training and duties for both roles. He also highlights skills and actions that the fire service has learned from the military, and attributes the military has picked up from the fire service over the years.
They talk about his instrumental role in connecting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation with the Department of Defense to death benefits to fallen members, but also an offering of firefighter safety, training, and leadership programs and how they introduce those programs around the world.
">As a veteran of the military who wanted to pursue education and seek promotional opportunities, Kehl talks about this book, “My Rich Uncle: An Informal Guide to Maximizing Your Enlistment.” He wrote the book to help members find the myriad benefits that they are eligible for. He also shares tips and advice for joining the military to find a career in the fire service, including obtaining needed training requirements.
Resources:
- My Rich Uncle: An Informal Guide to Maximizing Your Enlistment – link https://www.amazon.com/My-Rich-Uncle-Maximizing-Enlistment/dp/161121467X
- AJ Kehl on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkehladdsvalue
A.J. Kehl
SMSgt A.J. Kehl is the deputy fire chief at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. He is a Department of Defense advocate and Center for Public Safety Excellence chief fire officer who has 17 years of experience in the fire service. He holds a Bachelor of Science in fire science and a master’s degree in organizational leadership.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
