Soldier Honored: Joshua Rodgers

Army Ranger Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, 22, was a Ranger Team Leader assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga. He was killed in action on April 27, 2017 while conducting combat operations in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

Sgt. Rodgers always made known his intentions to become an Army Ranger, and enlisted in 2013 during the spring semester of his senior year of high school. Sgt. Rodgers exemplified the Army expectation to lead from the front. He understood that to operate with courage in the line of fire, and to lead his team into a situation that risked their lives for their country, he must demonstrate mental and physical strength. On his third deployment, Sgt. Rodgers was killed during an operation targeting the emir of the Afghan branch of the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS). As a result of success of this raid, the death of the emir and his associates significantly degraded ISIS-K operations in Afghanistan.

While serving our country, Josh earned the coveted Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge and the Marksmanship Qualification Badge Expert-Rifle. He was also awarded the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal. Posthumously Sergeant Rodgers was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal with Valor.