Hometown Salute: Kerner Kafka

Kerner Kafka was adopted into a loving military home, with a father who served honorably for 32 years with the United States Navy. His family moved around outside of the United States until his father retired from the Navy in 1999, settling in Pensacola, Fla.  Kafka attended middle and high school in Escambia County, graduating from the West Florida High School of Advanced Technology in 2004. While attending high school, Kafka received his first introduction to firefighting, serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Escambia County Fire Rescue. Following graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving for eight years as a diesel mechanic. “I worked on Humvees, seve