Illinois Army National Guard Soldier and Chatham resident Erivan Rodriguez was promoted to Master Sergeant in a ceremony July 22, 2019 at the Illinois Military Academy, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois.
Rodriguez enlisted in the U.S. Army on Jan. 21, 1997 as a 36B, Finance Specialist, serving in Ansbach, Germany and at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.
In 2001, Rodriguez joined the Puerto Rico Army National Guard as a 31B, Military Police, and in 2009, reclassified to 12C, Engineer with the 892nd Multi-Role Bridge Company. In 2014, Rodriguez relocated to the United States, transferring to the 178th Finance Unit in Indianapolis, Indiana.
He deployed to Germany in 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and to Egypt in 2007, where he provided support to the Multinational Forces and Observers. His most recent deployment was to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in 2016 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
In 2017, Rodriguez joined the Illinois Army National Guard and is currently serving as the Senior Financial Analyst for Joint Force Headquarters.
“This promotion is very special to me,” Rodriguez told those attending the ceremony. “In the past, I’ve been elsewhere when I was promoted and my family wasn’t able to attend. Today, my family was able to attend this promotion.”