ND Guard IDs 2 soldiers killed Monday
BISMARCK — Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, announced Tuesday that two soldiers assigned to the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) were killed in action Monday while on duty in Afghanistan. An additional soldier from the unit was wounded in the attack.
BISMARCK — Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, announced Tuesday that two soldiers assigned to the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) were killed in action Monday while on duty in Afghanistan. An additional soldier from the unit was wounded in the attack.
They were conducting route clearance operations when an improvised explosive device struck their vehicle in southern Afghanistan, according to a press release.
Sgt. 1st Class Darren M. Linde, 41, of Devils Lake, and Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard, 20, of Bismarck, were killed in action. Spc. Ian Charles Placek, 23, also of Bismarck, was wounded in the attack and is listed in stable condition at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
“Today is a sad day for North Dakota as we mourn the loss of Sgt. 1st Class Linde and Spc. Orgaard who were killed in action while serving our state and nation,” said Gov. Jack Dalrymple. “Our hearts and prayers are with their families as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. Our thoughts are also with Spc. Placek as he recovers from his injuries. We will never forget these heroes or the last full measure of devotion they gave in defense of our homeland and our way of life.”
The attack occurred at 7:58 a.m. CST on Monday; local Afghanistan time was 6:28 p.m.
“We are extremely saddened by the loss of two of our soldiers and extend our most sincere condolences and prayers to their family and friends during this time of sorrow,” Sprynczynatyk said. “We also wish Spc. Placek a speedy recovery. We will always remember our brave soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.”
Linde is survived by his wife, Adrienne, of Devils Lake, and four children. He also deployed to Iraq with the N.D. National Guard’s 164th Engineer Battalion from August 2007 to April 2008. Linde originally enlisted in the North Dakota Army National Guard in 1990. He served in the U.S. Army and Montana Army National Guard before returning to the North Dakota Guard in 2006. Since 2009, he served as a full-time instructor with the North Dakota National Guard’s 164th Regional Training Institute, Camp Grafton Training Center, Devils Lake.
Orgaard is survived by his parents, Josephine and Jesse Orgaard of Bismarck. He joined the North Dakota Army National Guard shortly before his graduation from Bismarck’s Century High School in 2011. This was his first overseas deployment.
The 818th Engineer Company is headquartered in Williston with a detachment in Hazen. About 100 soldiers with the unit entered federal active-duty status on April 27. The unit arrived for duty in Afghanistan in June.
The North Dakota National Guard will announce funeral arrangements as soon as available.
The last North Dakota National Guard casualty in the Global War on Terrorism was six years ago. Including Linde and Orgaard, 14 North Dakota Guardsmen have died in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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