The Rogers Family

Staff Sgt. Patrick Rogers joined the Texas Army National Guard in 1994, following his high school graduation. During his time in the service, Rogers served as a medic and was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

On June 1, 2012 at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan, not far from the Pakistani border, a suicide bomber carrying close to a ton of explosives crashed into the perimeter of the base, collapsing the mess hall where Rogers and his fellow soldiers were eating. Unaware of his own injuries, Rogers began evacuating the wounded soldiers around him. Following the blast, more than a dozen insurgents heavily armed with guns and explosives entered the area. Uncovered and surrounded by heavy fire, Rogers rode in the back of a truck, gathering the wounded and transporting them to the hospital. It wasn’t until he was ordered to stop tending to other wounded soldiers that he finally allowed other medics to take care of his own injuries. By early July, Rogers had recovered enough to return to duty. On Independence Day found himself back under enemy fire in the mountains of Afghanistan. Dangling by a wire beneath a Blackhawk helicopter, Rogers rescued a wounded soldier before being lifted onto a two-foot ledge on the side of a cliff to help rescue two more soldiers.

Rogers’ heroism resulted in him being presented with numerous awards, including a Combat Medal Badge, an Air Medal with Valor Citation, and a Purple Heart. Rogers currently suffers from multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), shoulder and knee tears, spinal injuries and loss of hearing.

Rogers retired from the military in July 2013 and currently lives with his wife, Shelby, and their three sons.  Thanks to Operation FINALLY HOME and Carlyle Homes, the Rogers family will have a home to call their own.