Washington, DC…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.