(Lander, WY) – The Lander Police Department gained a new officer at last Tuesday’s Lander City Council meeting, where Ethan Borchardt was officially sworn in as Police Officer II in front of the Council, co-workers, family, friends, and those in attendance.
LPD Interim Chief Kelly Waugh shared some background on Borchardt, who was born and raised in Casper and graduated from Natrona County High School in 2018 before enlisting with the Wyoming Army National Guard as a field artilleryman.
“Ethan Borchardt graduated his basic training and advanced his individual training in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and then deployed to Iraq from 2019 to 2020 under Operation Inherent Resolve, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with a C device for combat,” Waugh stated.
Borchardt then returned to Casper and was a plumber for two years before later joining the Riverton Police Department in 2022. During his time with RPD, he remained in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Syria from 2024 to 2025 under Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield, where he was awarded his second Army Commendation Medal with a C device for combat and the Combat Action Badge, Waugh explained.
“Ethan Borchardt returned to the Riverton Police Department, where he became a Certified Custody and Control Instructor, TASER 10 Instructor, and an Alert Active Shooter Response Instructor,” Waugh continued, adding that Borchardt is still actively enrolled with the Wyoming Army National Guard as a Staff Sergeant.
“So that’s the type of people that we’re bringing,” Waugh concluded before officially swearing in Borchardt.