A South Dakota National Guard unit based in the Northern Hills has been notified to prepare for a possible deployment to Afghanistan.

The 842nd Engineer Company of Spearfish, Belle Fourche and Sturgis has received a notification of sourcing, which gives the unit time to train for mobilization and deployment, according to Capt. Anthony Deiss of the Guard's public affairs office.

The sourcing notice gives the unit time to take a closer look at individual and collective training, Deiss said.The notification does not constitute an official alert or mobilization, and the decision to deploy has not been made, he said.

"The notification of sourcing gives the unit a heads up they're being looked at for possible mobilization," Deiss said. "When they get the alert order, they're ready to go."

The 842nd has about 160 members. It specializes in engineering operations that include repairing and constructing roads and ground lines of communications, along with developing airfields and limited clearing operations.

The 842nd is equipped with heavy machinery such as bulldozers, scrapers, cranes, loaders, graders, excavators and dump trucks.

The unit deployed to Iraq in March 2003 to provide engineer support and returned in November 2004.

Deiss said sometimes units that receive notices of sourcing are not mobilized. Just last week, the 200th Engineer Co. of Chamberlain, Mobridge and Pierre received notice it had been pulled from the sourcing list. It had received a sourcing notice in April. He said there is no set schedule but that alert orders typically come within six months of a sourcing notification.

Deiss said once a unit is alerted, it would determine which of its soldiers are qualified to deploy, particularly those medically fit.

If there are vacancies in the force to deploy, the Guard would open up the unit to volunteers from around the state.

Most recently, the 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade based in Sioux Falls, a headquarters unit, was notified it will be deployed to Afghanistan. The nearly 200 soldiers in the brigade are expecting to report to Fort Hood, Texas, next May.

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8415 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com.

South Dakota National Guard overseas

Currently, more than 350 soldiers and airmen from the South Dakota National Guard are serving in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations throughout Southwest Asia and Europe.

More than 4,000 National Guardsmen are available in South Dakota to provide support for state and national emergencies and homeland defense.

Since the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, the South Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,500 soldiers and 1,000 airmen for overseas deployment.