The Department of Defense released the names of two US Army Rangers from the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., who were killed during an April 26 raid in Mohmand Valley, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, Ill., and Sgt. Cameron Thomas, 23, of Kettering, Ohio, were killed by small arms fire. US Forces-Afghanistan said in a statement that it is currently investigating “the possibility that the two Rangers were accidentally killed by friendly fire during the more than three-hour fight.” The targets of the raid were members of the senior leadership of ISIS-Khorasan, including Emir Abdul Hasib. Two Ranger platoons, along with an Afghan special forces team, were inserted by helicopter for the raid, which began at 10:30 p.m. local time, according to DOD. The coalition team killed 35 fighters and “several high-level ISIS-K leaders,” though Hasib’s death has not been confirmed. “The families and fellow Rangers of Sgt. Joshua ‘Josh’ Rodgers and Sgt. Cameron Thomas have my respect and sympathies,” said Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis in a statement. “Our nation owes them an irredeemable debt, and we give our deepest condolences to their families.”
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
