Orgaard, Tyler John
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Tyler John Orgaard, 20, of Bismarck, North Dakota, died in a hostile incident in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, on December 3, 2012.
Their Story
Tyler John Orgaard was a 20-year-old soldier from Bismarck, North Dakota. He served as a Specialist (SPC) in the North Dakota Army National Guard, assigned to the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper), 164th Engineer Battalion, 68th Troop Command, based in Williston.
On December 3, 2012, Orgaard was killed in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistan's Helmand province. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, his death was the result of a hostile incident. Reports from the time indicate he was shot by an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform in what was described as an insider attack.
Orgaard's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. The mission evolved from counter-terrorism to a protracted counterinsurgency and nation-building effort, with U.S. and allied forces working alongside Afghan security units.
His body was returned to North Dakota, where he was buried at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan. The governor of North Dakota ordered flags flown at half-staff in his honor. The Department of Defense confirmed his death was under investigation.
Orgaard was posthumously promoted from Private First Class to Specialist. He is remembered on memorials for North Dakota veterans of the Global War on Terror. His unit, the 818th Engineer Company, had been deployed to Afghanistan in mid-2012.
Explore Further
SPC Tyler Orgaard was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
