DOD: Green Berets Killed in Insider Attack: Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez, both 28

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

Both soldiers died February 8, 2020 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, as a result of wounds sustained while engaged in combat operations. The incident is under investigation. 

The deceased are:

Sgt. 1st Class* Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas.

Sgt. 1st Class* Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Both soldiers were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

* indicates posthumous promotion

US Forces-Afghanistan Col. Leggett:

2 US troops killed and six injured in Afghanistan after “an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun.”

Several 7th SFG(A) Soldiers were injured or killed during combat operations in Afghanistan on February 8, 2020. The families of the deceased and wounded are being notified. In accordance with DoD policy, the names of the causalities are being withheld until 24 hours. 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Area of Responsibility (AOR) includes the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico; the waters adjacent to Central America and South America; the Caribbean Sea, its 13 island nations, European and U.S. territories; the Gulf of Mexico; and a portion of the Atlantic Ocean. It encompasses 32 countries (19 in Central and South America and 13 in the Caribbean) and covers about 15.6 million square miles. The region represents about one-sixth of the landmass of the world assigned to regional unified commands. The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) also supports the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.