Army Staff Sergeant Dick Lee Jr

Army Staff Sergeant Dick Alson Lee Jr., 31, of Orange Park, Florida, was assigned to the 529th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, based in Sembach, Germany. He and his military working dog, Fibi, were killed on April 26, 2012, in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) during a combat patrol.

SSG Lee graduated from Keystone Heights High School in Florida in 2000, where he played linebacker on the football team. He enlisted in the Army in August 2000 and became a military police officer specializing in handling explosives-detection dogs. During his 12-year career, he completed four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He loved working with dogs so much that he reportedly turned down promotions to remain a handler. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

SSG Lee was remembered as a dedicated soldier, exceptional dog handler, and devoted family man. He approached every assignment with enthusiasm and took great pride in protecting his fellow soldiers through his work with Fibi.

SSG Lee was survived by his wife and two sons.