Rodriguez, Gregory Allen

Sergeant First Class Gregory Allen Rodriguez was a senior non-commissioned officer and dog handler with the U.S. Army's 95th Military Police Battalion, part of the 18th Military Police Brigade based in Ansbach, Germany. His service included deployments to the Philippines, the Horn of Africa, and ultimately Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On September 2, 2008, Rodriguez was operating in the Ana Kalay district of Afghanistan's Zabul province. According to U.S. military reports, his unit was conducting a dismounted patrol when it came under enemy small-arms fire. The engagement occurred in a region known for insurgent activity.

Rodriguez was killed during the firefight. He was 35 years old. A fellow soldier, Sergeant First Class Daniel R. Sexton, 53, of Wentzville, Missouri, was also killed in the same incident. Both soldiers were assigned to the 95th Military Police Battalion.

Rodriguez's death was part of a sharp increase in violence in Afghanistan during 2008. That year, U.S. combat deaths in the conflict exceeded 150 for the first time since the initial invasion in 2001, reflecting a intensified Taliban-led insurgency.

He is memorialized at the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Michigan State Capitol and is listed on the 95th Military Police Battalion's memorial at Sembach Kaserne, Germany. Rodriguez was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, formally concluded in December 2014. Rodriguez was one of 2,356 American service members who died during that operation.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan in which Rodriguez served, concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

← Return to the full memorial | Add a memorial record