(INDIANAPOLIS) - Members of the Indiana National Guard have deployed overseas, heading to Romania as part of a multinational security mission in Eastern Europe.
About 10 Indiana Guard soldiers departed Tuesday from Indianapolis International Airport, where a departure ceremony was held before their flight. The soldiers specialize in firefighting techniques designed to protect lives, military equipment, and critical infrastructure.
The deployment is part of Operation European Assure, Deter and Reinforce, a U.S. military mission focused on deterring aggression and maintaining stability across the European theater. Officials expect the Indiana Guard team to complete its mission in roughly nine months.
The Indiana soldiers will serve alongside National Guard members from Nebraska, Puerto Rico, and Montana. Units from all four states and territories have spent about a year preparing for the deployment. In recent weeks, the teams completed final training and readiness exercises at the Muscatatuck Training Center.
According to the Guard, four of the deployed soldiers also work as civilian firefighters. Two others recently returned from advanced training exercises and have prior overseas deployment experience.
This marks the second overseas deployment for the 819th Firefighter Detachment, which is based at Camp Atterbury. The unit's first deployment was to Afghanistan in 2011.
Indiana Guard officials say the mission highlights the state's continued role in supporting U.S. and NATO operations abroad.