By Geoff Herbert
syracuse.com
NEW YORK — A New York Police Department officer has died in Kuwait while deployed for the Iran war as a U.S. National Guard Soldier.
The Department of War said Maj. Sorffly Davius, 46, of Cambria Heights, Queens, N.Y., died Friday at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, as a result of a non-combat related incident. NBC reports Davius suffered a “medical episode”; an investigation is ongoing.
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Davius was assigned to the Headquarters, Headquarters Battalion, 42nd Infantry Division, Troy, N.Y., for Operation Spartan Shield.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is mourning the loss.
“Major Davius was the ‘Citizen Soldier’ in every sense. A dedicated NYPD officer and decorated Army veteran, he spent his career protecting others. Before his overseas deployment, he served with distinction on Joint Task Force Empire Shield, defending the state’s most high profile locations from threats,” Hochul said in a statement. “His life is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by our National Guard members, who balance their roles as citizens, first responders, and soldiers.”
“His career was defined by service — to his country and to New York City,” NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added.
NBC reports seven U.S. service members have died in the joint U.S. -Israeli war on Iran, which has been met with retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East. Six died in Kuwait during the military operation, according to U.S. Central Command, and a seventh died Saturday of injuries from a March 1 attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia.
The remains of Davius, whose survivors include a wife and children, returned to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base early Monday.
News 12 Brooklyn reports flags were ordered lowered in Clarkstown until the day of interment.
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