Tyler Vargas-Andrews
Tyler lost his right arm and left leg when a suicide bomber in Afghanistan detonated a hidden explosive device during a humanitarian evacuation effort at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
Tyler After Exlposion
In the Company of Heroes
Tyler grew up in Northern California, the oldest of three children to a single mother. “Life was very difficult at times as a child, but I loved my childhood, and it helped shape me into a man that I am proud of.”
Going to school next door to Travis Air Force Base, many of Tyler’s friends were the children of service members. Through them, Tyler began to understand the sacrifices made by those who serve. Tyler took part in Civil Air Patrol and JROTC, but everything changed when his family moved to Folsom, CA during his sophomore year. “The transition was exceptionally hard at first, but it quickly became one of the best things to happen to me.”
“It Was Time for Me to Follow the Dream That I Wanted”
Inspired by his friends from Travis Air Force Base and their parents’ service, Tyler dreamed of joining the armed forces, but his mother was less certain. At her insistence, Tyler enrolled in the local community college, but the call to serve was too strong.
“One semester was more than enough. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in August of 2017 at the age of 19.”
Over the course of his military career, Tyler would be stationed overseas multiple times before deploying to the Middle East in 2021; first to Kuwait, then Saudia Arabia, and then, finally, Afghanistan.
“It Was an Honor to Serve with the Best”
On August 26, 2021, Tyler and his team were assisting with the largest noncombat evacuation history at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan when a suicide bomber detonated a hidden explosive a mere four meters from where Tyler was standing.
The blast took the lives of 13 American service members.
Tyler suffered numerous injuries, including the loss of his right arm above the elbow and left leg above the knee. He has endured over 45 surgeries to sustain his quality of life.
"Helping People is All I’ve Ever Wanted to Do”
Today, Tyler is living in Tennessee with his fiancé and fellow Marine Corps veteran, Victoria. He continues to inspire his fellow veterans in his role as a motivational speaker. “Living is the hardest thing you can do, and I mean TRULY living. I’m here to show others that life is worth living. It is my responsibility to do so as a leader and an American.”
In addition to his motivational speaking, Tyler is pursuing a new journey as a bladesmith/blacksmith. He hopes to build an accessible forge to provide his fellow veterans an opportunity to create beautiful and functional tools therapeutically.
The Gary Sinise Foundation is honored to build Tyler and his family a home where they can grow and thrive.
We've built homes all across the nation for America's most severely wounded heroes. Every home is fully custom and 100% mortgage-free. Learn more about our custom homebuilding programs and support our efforts. Make a donation today.
