Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers

Died May 30, 2007 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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29, of Carson City, Nev.; assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.

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Arkansan says paratrooper son loved family, country

The Associated Press

JONESBORO, Ark. — The father of one of five Army paratroopers killed last month in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan says his son was an excellent father and husband who died defending his country.

Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev., was killed in the May 30 crash. His father, Dan Rodgers of Jonesboro, told The Sun newspaper that he had heard from his son May 26, and they had planned a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the near future.

“He was a daddy’s boy. He loved to hunt,” Dan Rodgers said.

Rodgers said his son spent summers with him in Jonesboro, was personable and understood his mission in Afghanistan.

“He was real outgoing and was real good with kids,” Dan Rodgers said. “He did believe in what he was doing and had 100 percent faith in our government.”

Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Omaha, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.; Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah; and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala., according to the 82nd Airborne Division.

All five were members of the 3rd General Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and were based at Fort Bragg, N.C. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.

Allgaier and Rodgers were piloting the helicopter when it crashed, said 82nd Airborne Division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt.

Dan Rodgers said that he has spoken with officials at Fort Bragg about what happened with the helicopter that night.

“They said it was a textbook flight. They were flying in a sandy area and went in high moonlight. There were about 400 feet off the ground and were shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade,” Dan Rodgers said.

Joshua Rodgers is survived by his wife Casey Rodgers and three daughters.

“Josh always talked about his three princesses. He strove to provide them everything they ever needed, and even more,” said Chief Warrant Officer Heath Barrett.

Rodgers joined the Army in 2000, Barrett said.

“He died protecting those he loved most in this world. Josh died being the best soldier he knew how to be,” Barrett said.

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Soldier killed in Afghanistan remembered for his love of family

The Associated Press

Linda Moshier said her nephew, Army Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, was born three weeks early and lived his life that way.

“He was the kind of person any time anyone needed help, he was the first one there,” she said. “He was a wonderful, wonderful human being.”

Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev., died May 30 when his helicopter came under attack in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan. He was a 1997 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Chief Warrant Officer Cesar Lariano, a member of Rodgers’ unit, met Rodgers in late 2004. “I thought he was so loud and obnoxious, I couldn’t believe we got him,” Lariano said. “I didn’t realize he was laying out the seed for being the comedian, keeping everybody laughing and happy.”

He is survived by his wife, Casey, and three daughters: Madison, 7, Autumn, 3, and Ashlyn, 2.

“I never met a man who loved his wife and children the way he did,” Chief Warrant Officer Michael Turner said. “He will always be an inspiration to me.”

Lariano said Rodgers’ youngest daughter was born on the day the unit was deployed. “Josh thought it was the right thing to do to go,” Lariano said. “He didn’t ask anybody to stay back.”