Smith, Tyler James
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Tyler James Smith, 24, of Licking, Missouri, was a paratrooper with the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He died on April 3, 2012, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Their Story
Staff Sergeant Tyler James Smith was a soldier in the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, known as the 'Red Devils' or 'Fury from the Sky,' is a unit with a long history of airborne operations.
Smith deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In April 2012, his unit was operating in Maiwand District, Kandahar province, a region known for insurgent activity. The U.S. military surge of forces, which had peaked in 2011, was in the process of drawing down by this period.
On April 3, 2012, Smith was killed during a hostile incident in Maiwand. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. No further operational details of the engagement were released in initial reports.
He was 24 years old. Smith was from the town of Licking in Missouri. His death was recorded among the more than 2,300 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
The conflict, which began in October 2001, concluded with the formal end of Operation Enduring Freedom in December 2014. Smith's death occurred in the latter years of the campaign, as international forces prepared to transition security responsibilities to Afghan forces.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, 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.
