I woke up this morning to see that another United States Army military working dog handler was killed in action in Afghanistan this past Tuesday, September 2nd. Army Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez from Weidman, Michigan.
I was able to get in touch with his wife, Laura, and wish her my condolences. She mentioned that everyone knew him as “Rod” and that “150” was the nickname he used on his Jeep Forum website. She also mentioned that his specialized search dog “Jacko” did not make it as well. To Rod and Jacko, thank you for your service and making the ultimate sacrifice, you are true heroes and patriots. To Laura and family, God bless.
A soldier from Weidman died Tuesday in combat in Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced late Friday.
Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez, 35, a military policeman, was killed in Ana Kalay, Afghanistan, when his patrol came under small-arms fire, according to a statement from the Department of Defense.
Rodriguez was a dog handler for the military police. He was assigned to the K-9 unit of the 527th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th MP Brigade, Ansbach, Germany, according to the Pentagon.
There was no word on the fate of Rodriguez’ dog.
According to postings on Internet forums, Rodriguez, known to his friends as “150,” loved Jeeps.
His wife’s MySpace page Friday night showed a slide show of Rodriguez with his family, his dog, of the two in action in Afghanistan, and included a photo of a makeshift military memorial erected in his honor. It also included a blog entry of a poem titled “Guardians of the Night,” celebrating the strength and courage of a military working dog.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Ana Kalay is in central Afghanistan, in a remote, mountainous region about halfway between Kabul, the capitol, and Kandahar.
Rodriguez is the 18th member of the military with Michigan ties to die in Afghanistan since Operation Enduring Freedom began nearly seven years ago.
His wife made this fantastic slide show of him if you want to view more photos, click here:
Slide show for Sgt 1st Class Gregory Rodriguez
Visit the “Fallen Handlers” category to see other military working dog handlers who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
K9 PRIDE 