Michael Kennedy Dodson was born on November 8, 1976, in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Science while participating in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Upon graduating in 1999, he received his commission as a United States Air Force officer. He later pursued a Master of Business Administration degree through American Military University. He served as a Captain and was the Pilot of B-52H Stratofortress 60-0053 nicknamed ''Louisiana Fire''.

On July 21, 2008, the ''Louisiana Fire,'' operating under the callsign RAIDR 21, crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 30 nautical miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Apra Harbor, Guam, shortly after departing Andersen Air Force Base. Assigned to the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, the aircraft and its crew were temporarily deployed to Guam as part of a four-month rotation. The bomber was scheduled to participate in a flyover for the Liberation Day parade in Hagåtña, commemorating Guam's liberation from Japanese occupation in 1944. The aircraft crashed at approximately 9:55 a.m., just minutes before the planned flyover, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and the loss of the aircraft.

A group burial and memorial service for the six crew members of RAIDR 21 was held at Arlington National Cemetery. Although the remains of Capt. Michael K. Dodson were never recovered, he is commemorated by a memorial marker at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, en.wikipedia.org, www.af.mil