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When Airman Gregg Magi was promoted to FDNY lieutenant in Iraq on Wednesday, he could hear the applause from 6,000 miles away — over a phone line.
For Magi, it was a warm reminder of why he joined both the Fire Department and the military.
"I've always wanted to be involved in public service," he said.
"It was humbling to hear the applause."
Magi, 43, on military leave from his Manhattan firehouse, has served since May with the 105th Civil Engineer Squadron of the Air National Guard, which he joined after 9/11 in memory of his fallen comrades.
"New York City was hit hard by 9/11, and it destroyed a lot of lives," he told the Ali Times, a military publication.
"I wanted to step up and do something positive for the memory of the [people] we lost and their families who were affected."
Magi said he had no idea he was going to be promoted over the telephone.
"There are more than a 100 New York City firefighters that I know of deployed in the Southwest Asia area of responsibility," Magi said. "They all deserve the same amount of recognition."
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