Marine Staff Sgt. Jonathan D. Davis, 34, of Kayenta, Arizona, was killed February 22, 2013, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 32nd Georgian Liaison Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and based at Camp Pendleton, California.
He was serving as a liaison to the Georgian military as part of the Marine Corps’ Regimental Combat Team 7. Marines have partnered with the Georgians in Helmand for the last several years.
A Purple Heart recipient, Davis had combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. He joined the Marine Corps in 1997.
“Staff Sgt. Davis was overseas serving our nation in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As we pay respect and tribute to him, let this tragedy serve as a reminder of the peril our men and women in uniform encounter on a daily basis,” Arizona’s Governor said in a statement released today. “Let us never take for granted the daily sacrifices made by our troops and their families. Please join me in praying for the loved ones of Staff Sgt. Davis, and please continue to pray for the safety and security of the United States Armed Forces.”
The Governor issued an ordered that all state flags be lowered from sunrise to sundown on Tuesday, February 26, 2013. State flags will again be lowered on the day of his interment, for which services are pending.