Gutierrez, Javier Jaguar
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, was killed in a hostile incident in Sherzad District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, on February 8, 2020.
Their Story
Sergeant First Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez was a 28-year-old soldier from San Antonio, Texas. He served with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The 7th Special Forces Group is trained for unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and counter-terrorism operations.
On February 8, 2020, Gutierrez was killed in the Sherzad District of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province. According to U.S. military reports, he and another American soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Antonio R. Rodriguez, were shot by an individual in an Afghan army uniform. The incident occurred at a base where U.S. and Afghan forces were operating jointly. The shooter was reportedly killed by return fire.
Gutierrez's death occurred under Operation Freedom's Sentinel (OFS), the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan that succeeded Operation Enduring Freedom in 2015. OFS focused on counter-terrorism and advising Afghan national defense forces. Nangarhar Province was a known stronghold for Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) militants, making it a high-threat area for U.S. and allied forces.
The Department of Defense publicly announced the deaths of Gutierrez and Rodriguez on February 9, 2020. Gutierrez was posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant to Sergeant First Class. He was survived by his wife and children. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.
Gutierrez's name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the 7th Special Forces Group compound. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart posthumously. His unit and the Special Forces community recognized his service, though specific public memorials or foundations established in his name are not widely documented in major news sources.
Explore Further
SFC Javier Gutierrez was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since January 2015). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Golden, Jonathan Joseph, Gonzalez, Jose Juan, Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael.
