Firefighters: Training to Protect

Story by Sgt. Raquel Birk March 31, 2023 at 08:13PM WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. – Members of the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves, trained for the past year to ultimately team up with 5th Armored Brigade observer, coach, trainers and WSMR firefighters for their final validation, a culminating training exercise here March 17-28. “We’re deploying with the 216th Firefighter Command,” said 1st Lt. Christian Trainor, firefighter with the 216th Firefighter Engineer Detachment (Firefighter Team), South Dakota Army National Guard. “We’re going to be overseeing three units from [Houston] Texas and one from Boston. We do everything from firefighting to making sure everything’s up to code for buildings and electrical.” As tactical experts in firefighting operations, first aid and rescue procedures, soldiers with the 216th FED, ARNG, and firefighter engineer detachments with the 416th Engineer Command (Firefighter Team), USAR out of Houston, Texas, will assume the fire protection of aviation assets, facilities, and installations mission throughout the European Theater in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.