A New York City police officer has died while deployed to Kuwait to support Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing US operation in the Middle East, according to city and state officials.
Maj. Sorfly Davies died Friday at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, New York Gov. Cathy Hochul said in a statement.
She described Davies as a “true citizen soldier”, a devoted husband and father.
Davies served in the US Army National Guard in the 42nd Infantry Division and rose to the rank of major, the NYPD said in a statement shared on social media.
He began his service with the NYPD in 2014, assigned to the 79th Precinct.
“Today and always, we keep his family in our thoughts and prayers,” the department said. “May we never forget the sacrifice of Officer Davies and may his memory be a blessing.”
Davies is a decorated Army veteran who, before his overseas deployment, served with distinction in Joint Task Force Empire Shield, a New York National Guard security unit that protects the state’s most high-ranking positions from threats, Hochul said.
“His life is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by our National Guard members as they balance their roles as citizens, first responders and soldiers,” the governor said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch paid tribute to him in a statement Saturday.
“His career was defined by service — to his country and to New York City,” he said.
NBC News has reached out to the National Guard and US Central Command for comment.
Seven US service members have been killed since the US and Israel launched strikes in Iran, which has faced retaliatory attacks on US bases in the Middle East.
Six US soldiers were killed in a military operation in Kuwait. A seventh U.S. service member died Saturday evening of injuries sustained during a March 1 attack on U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, U.S. Central Command said Sunday.
