Downer, Mark Jordon

Mark Jordon Downer was a 23-year-old soldier from Warner Robins, Georgia. He served as a Specialist in the U.S. Army, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Drum, New York.

According to the Department of Defense, Downer died on August 5, 2011, in Sangsar, a village in the volatile Maiwand district of Kandahar province. He was killed by enemy small-arms fire while on a dismounted patrol, a common and dangerous duty for infantry units in the region.

His death occurred during the latter stages of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2011, U.S. forces were heavily engaged in southern Afghanistan, particularly in Kandahar province, as part of a counterinsurgency strategy aimed at securing population centers from Taliban influence.

The Department of Defense announced his death in a press release on August 6, 2011. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried with military honors in Georgia. His death was reported by local media in his hometown and by national outlets covering casualties from the war.

Downer is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists maintained by the Department of Defense and on several online veterans' memorial sites. His name is also inscribed on the Warner Robins Veterans Memorial in Georgia.

Mark Jordon Downer was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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