Update: Prez pays respect at Dover

The Department of Defense announced Feb. 9 the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Both soldiers died Feb. 8 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, and Sgt. 1st Class* Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, of Las Cruces, N.M. The soldiers were assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (* indicates posthumous promotion) (Source: DoD 02/09/20) UPDATE: DOVER AFB, Del. - President Trump traveled Monday to Dover Air Force Base to pay respects to two U.S. soldiers - assigned to the Eglin AFB, Fla.-based Army's 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) - killed in Afghanistan, when a soldier dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire with a machine gun. Six other Americans were wounded in the attack. National security adviser Robert O'Brien told reporters traveling with Trump on Air Force One that the president visited with the families of the soldiers. He described such moments as "probably the toughest thing he does as president," along with visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. "These are terrible sacrifices for the families. And these guys are heroes, they're real warriors and did a great job for the American people," O'Brien said. Gutierrez also served in Iraq. Rodriguez deployed eight times in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Both were posthumously promoted to Sgt. 1st Class and awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. (Source: Delawareonline.com 02/11/20)