For Jacques Rodriguez, a veteran State Traffic Officer with the California Highway Patrol, today was one of the happiest and proudest moments he has experienced in the last year. Traffic Officer Rodriguez is best known as Staff Sergeant Rodriguez to his friends in the 1452nd HET Company, currently deployed to a base north of Baghdad, Iraq.  As the principal of Southwest High School in El Centro, CA put it, "Thanks to technology I don't understand, provided by an organization named Freedom Calls Foundation....," SSG Rodriguez was able to virtually attend his son's graduation from high school. Joshua Rodriguez graduated from Southwest High School, and will be following in his father's footsteps, beginning Army Basic Training on July 13th before going to Fort Eustis, VA, to attend Advanced Individual Training so that he can become an Advanced Electronics Warfare Technician on Longbow Apache helicopters. "There he is!" exclaimed SSG Rodriguez as he watched his son walk across the stage and receive his diploma.

After the ceremony, SSG Rodriguez was able to speak with his son, the rest of his family, and several other state troopers and friends. "Hey Joshua, good job! I'm so proud of you," he told his son. "You're the greatest. Just keep doing your best." He the advised his son, "Make sure you start getting in good shape. Basic training is no joke." SSG Rodriguez was even able to ask some of his fellow troopers to go running with Joshua to help him get in shape for his entrance into the Army. A few minutes later, SSG Rodriguez was able to speak to the Army recruiter who had helped Joshua to enlist. "I appreciate everything you've done for my son. He's going to be a good soldier," SSG Rodriguez told the recruiter.

Joshua's military heritage extends further back than his father. SSG Rodriguez reminded his son and his mother of the historical impact the military had had on their family. SSG Rodriguez's mother is originally from France, and it was American soldiers who liberated her and her family during World War II. It was because of that fact that SSG Rodriguez states he is proud to be a soldier.

It was an emotional time for the Rodriguez family. SSG Rodriguez clearly loves and misses his family. "Jackie, you look so pretty," he repeatedly told his wife. "This is the most I've smiled in the whole time I've been here. I'm staring at the camera, sending all of you my love, all the way from Iraq. I wish I could be there, I really do." But he added, "This is the next best thing to being there, and it's live!"