Marine, Musician, Firefighter: Josh Kennedy is Doing It All

No one could ever accuse Josh Kennedy of taking the easy road.

He’s not the type of person who will one day look back on his life and regret the dreams he didn’t chase or the life he could have led.

Josh Kennedy is determined to do it all, to follow his heart wherever it leads. So far it has led him to some pretty amazing places.

To far-flung corners of the globe as a U.S. Marine.

To burning buildings as a professional firefighter.

To recording studios and brightly lit stages as a rock musician.

To the digital screens of FDC fans as a regular in our videos.

Many of those who follow Fire Department Coffee have got to know Josh in stages, first introduced to him as the boyfriend of Rockford firefighter and longtime FDC social media personality Natalie Adasiewicz. It hasn’t taken Josh long to carve out his own identity as a talented and funny online presence with FDC.

But that’s only one piece of Josh’s multifaceted identity. 

The Marine

Born in Atlanta, Josh relocated with his family to Winnebago, Illinois, seven years later. Winnebago is a small town of about 3,000 people outside of Rockford. One great thing about the town is that its fire department has an outstanding Cadets program. Sixteen years olds are eligible to join — which Josh did — and there are very few limitations on what they can do. 

For those considering a career in the fire service, it gives an honest look.

“I was on a number of calls I probably shouldn’t have been on as a 16 year old,” Josh joked.

But the most life-changing part of his time in that program was that his chief in Winnebago was a military reservist, and he inspired Josh, at age 17, to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

His firefighting dreams were on hold while he pursued a military career that would take him around the world and teach him lessons that would prepare him for whatever might come next.

Josh served as a USMC infantryman for six years on active duty and two more as a reservist. 

“I got to travel all over the world and train with different companies,” he said, before rattling off a long list of destinations. “ Australia, Cuba, Spain, Germany, Portugal …”

By age 21, he was a squad leader in charge of fellow Marines who were, in some cases, a decade older than him. At times, he found himself in charge of leading multiple squads, sometimes 40 or 50 Marines. It’s a heavy responsibility for someone so young.

But it was a transformative time, and it taught him many lessons that would prove valuable in the next chapters of his life.

The Firefighter

Josh left active duty in 2018 and refocused on his original dream of becoming a professional firefighter.

He began taking college classes and working toward the various certifications he’d need for the next phase of his career. He got a full-time contractor job on an ambulance crew, while also picking up various part-time shifts along the way. He was a busy man.

Finally, he got the interview he’d been waiting for — a full-time position with the Rockford Fire Department. They asked him how his military experience prepared him for a career in the fire service.

“When I got interviewed for the job, I really nailed the question,” Josh said. “Something you’ll get in the military is you get used to working with people from all different backgrounds, cultures, religions. You learn how to work with different people.”

He also said that the military taught him how to function under high-stress situations, including moments that can become life-or-death scenarios.

“With the fire service, it’s relatively the same. You’re not getting shot at, but it is crazy,” he said. “You get scenes where it’s just complete chaos and you have to be able to think on your feet, not get flustered and stay calm so you can make the right decisions. With both, a decision you make not only can impact someone else’s life but it can directly impact your life and your buddies’ lives.”

Josh currently works at Station 6 on the west side of Rockford. He’s a firefighter EMT and soon will graduate as a paramedic. 

He’s living his dream.

One of many.

The Entertainer

Josh’s recruiter and main point of contact when he was hired by the Rockford Fire Department was Randy James. Randy has been a full-time firefighter paramedic in Rockford for nearly 25 years.

He’s also Fire Dept. Coffee’s Director of Brand Relations, and when FDC was looking for some additional help in the roastery and shipping center, Randy asked Josh if he’d be interested in picking up some extra work.

Josh agreed and began pitching in to help out whenever he could. Along the way, he began dating Natalie, herself a military veteran and Rockford firefighter. Natalie is a longtime member of the FDC crew and a regular in our social media videos. As Josh spent more time with Natalie, he naturally spent more time with FDC, helping with events and generally being around the media side of FDC more often.

At first, he was hesitant to appear on camera, not wanting to intrude on Natalie’s thing, but it all happened pretty naturally.

Because Josh was a natural. 

His mother is a playwright, and Josh had also spent much of his youth performing in community theater. In fact, after leaving the military, he’d joined an acting agency out of Chicago and spent a year in training. 

“Right when I was finishing up, I’d done a handful of auditions,” he said, mentioning “Chicago Fire” and a commercial for Screaming Sicilian Pizza. “Then COVID hit.”

The agency shut down for a long time, and Josh never went back. 

But he’s found his place with Fire Dept. Coffee. It started with attending video shoots and taking on roles as a side character. Along the way, he’s taken on more prominent roles and begun working with FDC Vice President Jason Patton on developing scripts.

‘I’m learning a lot from him. I’ve given him a bunch of ideas and written out scripts,” Josh said. “We did two scripts that I wrote on this last shoot. He just emailed me today asking for 10 more scripts for the next shoot.”

So you’ll be seeing even more of Josh on camera for FDC. And if you’re into music, you could be hearing more of him, too.

The Musician

Head to most music streaming platforms and search for the band “Monroe.” Press play on “Let It Burn.” Behind the raging guitar intro is a pounding drumbeat.

You guessed it, that’s Josh Kennedy. A drummer since age 7, his musical career is taking off now, too.

Josh and his bandmates have signed with a record company and have released a single and an EP. They’re also working on a full-length album, which is being produced by some of Josh’s musical heroes. That list includes SevenDust drummer Morgan Rose, Breaking Benjamin Drummer Shawn Foiist, and 3 Days Grace Guitarist Barry Stock.

“It’s incredible being able to write music with these guys who are all in bands I listen to since I was a kid,” Josh said. “We’ve learned so much from them, especially about the writing process and how to write a song.”

With new music in the works and shows planned throughout the year, things are looking up for Monroe and more opportunities could be headed their way.

For Josh, it’s one more adventure and one more way that he’s chasing all his dreams, wherever they may take him.

“I’m just riding it out, man. Right now, I’m doing everything I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid,” he said. “If one thing starts blowing up, I’ll go toward that but I’m not closing any doors. I’m getting to do what I do with some awesome people that I’ve become really good friends with. I’m incredibly grateful and blessed to have these opportunities. It’s not common.”