Alan G. Rogers
Major Alan G. Rogers served in the Army during the Gulf and Iraq Wars. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Early Life
Alan G. Rogers was born in New York City on September 21, 1967. Soon after his birth, Rogers’s father went to prison and his mother placed him for adoption. When he was three, he was adopted by George and Genevieve Rogers of the Bronx. Alan did not find out he was adopted until he went through his parents’ personal papers after they died. The family moved to Hampton, Florida, in 1977. Alan attended Bradford County High School and graduated in 1985.
Joining the Military
Rogers enlisted in 1990 and was deployed on combat duty for the first Persian Gulf War, serving as a chaplain’s assistant. Upon returning to the US he attended the University of Florida. He returned to active duty after he used GI benefits to earn a bachelor’s degree in religion in 1995 and became an ordained minister. He also earned a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix and a second master’s degree in policy management from Georgetown University, becoming the lead biometrics officer in Army Intelligence.
American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) has noted that, while in the service, Rogers advocated for more rights and better support for LGBTQ Service Members and Veterans, even serving as treasurer of Washington DC’s chapter of AVER.
Military Service
Shortly after his enlistment in 1990, Rogers was deployed to Kuwait in the 8th Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery. He earned two Kuwait Liberation medals. His military career lasted eighteen years.
In 2007, Rogers’s final deployment was to Baghdad, Iraq, with the 1st Division National Police Transition Team, known as Team Stiletto. The unit was commissioned to communicate and train with Iraqi military units. Within the team, Rogers was known as “Preacher” for his frequent and sermonlike pep talks.
On January 27, 2008, Major Rogers was on a routine morning patrol in a Humvee when an improvised explosive device (IED) erupted. Rogers was killed instantly at forty years old.
Legacy
Major Rogers was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on March 14, 2008, with full military honors.
Funeral services for Maj. Alan G. Rogers at Arlington National Cemetery on March 14, 2008. National Museum of the United States Army.
