In this undated photo posted on a Facebook memorial page, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Brodsky poses with his military working dog. Brodsky died July 21 from injuries caused by a dismounted IED in Afghanistan. (Facebook photo)
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — A sailor who spent several years in the Sasebo security department has succumbed to injuries suffered in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Brodsky, a 33-year-old military working dog handler from Tamarac, Fla., died Saturday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, according to media reports. The blast from an improvised explosive device occurred July 7 in Kandahar Province.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that after coming under fire while on patrol, Brodsky rushed to protect his dog Jackson, bringing the K-9 to a nearby truck for shelter. He stepped on a mine as he returned to the fight. The blast took both his legs and he had been fighting for his life since.
“He died a true hero,” his grandfather, Stanley Brodsky, told the paper. “I can picture him doing this. Going back to fight is something he would definitely do.”
Brodsky was assigned to Navy Region Southwest Security Detachment, San Diego, at the time of the incident, a Defense Department news release stated. He was stationed in Sasebo from April 25, 2002, through May 30, 2005, according to base spokesman Charles Howard. Media reports said he had also been stationed in Bahrain.
His parents, Steven and Debra, and his brother Corey were with him when he died, the Sun-Sentinel reported. A Facebook page titled “In Loving Memory of a true American Hero MA2 Michael Brodsky” appeared and in a few days had almost 1,000 friends sharing stories, photos, and videos of the popular sailor.
Brodsky enlisted in 2001, according to the Sun-Sentinel, and recently had re-enlisted for another six years.
