Indiana National Guard Firefighters Deploy to Romania

INDIANAPOLIS — About 10 Indiana National Guard soldiers are heading to Romania for a nine-month mission. They flew out of Indianapolis International Airport on Tuesday after a short send-off.

The team specializes in military firefighting, protecting lives, property, and equipment. They’re joining Operation European Assure, Deter, and Reinforce, a mission to deter aggression and keep the region stable.

Staff Sgt. Tyler Putnam, who leads the team, says they’re ready to represent Indiana and work with soldiers from other states.

Troops from Indiana, Nebraska, Puerto Rico, and Montana make up the deployment. The team spent the past year preparing, including final training at Muscatatuck Training Center in Butlerville.

Four Indiana soldiers also serve as civilian firefighters, and two recently returned from overseas missions. This is the 819th Firefighter Detachment’s second overseas deployment; their first was in Afghanistan in 2011.