Ainsworth Dyer was born July 29, 1977 in Montreal, Quebec. Raised by a strict Jamaican grandmother in Regent Park, Toronto he developed a strong moral compass. He enlisted with the 48th Highlanders of Canada in February 1996, transferring to the regular force in October 1997 with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s’ Canadian Light Infantry, 5 Platoon. He earned his jump; wings as a paratrooper and competed in the Mountain Man competition, considered by many to be a true test of  modern light infantry soldier. Cpl Dyer served as a rifleman while deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation Palladium in 2000.

In Afghanistan, members of 3 PPCLI were training in the Tarnak Farms area. On the night of April 17th 2002, an American F-16 fighter jet mistook the training range for a Taliban ground attack and engaged with a laser guided bomb. Sgt Marc Leger, Cpl Ainsworth Dyer, Pte Richard Green and Pte Nathan Smith were killed, Canada’s first operational deaths in Afghanistan. Eight others were injured.

Cpl Dyer was presented posthumously the Sacrifice Medal and buried with full military honours in the Necropolis Cemetery in Cabbagetown, Toronto.

Each year, the 48th Highlanders present the Ainsworth Dyer Award to the Regiment’s top Junior NCO for their personal conduct, soldiering skill and leadership abilities.