Sparta Army National Guard Fire Fighting Team Deploys

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ A deployment ceremony is scheduled for approximately 10 Soldiers who are scheduled to deploy is support of Operation Enduring Freedom this winter. The ceremony for the 662nd Engineer Fire Fighting Team in Sparta will be Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Sparta armory fire station, 1803 N. Hillcrest Drive in Sparta.

The Soldiers will train for a brief time at Fort Bliss, Texas before deploying for approximately six months.

The 662nd will provide fire department emergency response services for deployed forces in the Operation Enduring Freedom theater of operations. Potential missions include, but are not limited to: fire prevention and protection, structural and aircraft fire fighting, vehicle rescue, emergency medical and hazardous materials incident response.

"We are extremely excited for a chance to do a job we have been trained for," said Staff Sgt. Chris Heiken of Mount Vernon. "This is a unique mission and we have a solid team of Soldiers prepared to help overseas and make Illinois proud."

Additionally, the team will be involved in the Rescue Air Mobile Squad (RAMS) mission, providing personnel rescue capabilities in tactical situations. During a RAMS mission, the team is transported via helicopter to a remote emergency incident and will perform rapid technical rescue and medical stabilization measures for U.S. and coalition personnel who are entrapped and/or otherwise injured as a result of enemy action.