Spc. Javion Shavonte Sullivan of Fort Mill, S.C. was killed Jan. 8 in a non-combat-related accident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. The incident is still under investigation, according to the military publication Stars and Stripes.
Sullivan's life was celebrated at Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C. The Rev. Benjamin Snoddy, a close family friend, officiated.
Sullivan's former wrestling coach from Fort Mill High School, Chris Brock, was among those who spoke during the service. Brock said he met Sullivan when he was a senior at Fort Mill and encouraged him to try out for the wrestling team.
"I was impressed with his confidence," Brock told the Spartanburg Herald Journal. "He was a friend to me and all of us and an outstanding soldier."
Brock said he believed Sullivan enjoyed taking on new challenges and considered him to be a leader in life.
During the service, members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood watch outside the church, holding American flags to show their respect. The service concluded with a release of doves at the gravesite at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Greer, S.C.
Sullivan leaves behind his wife Raven; three-year-old daughter Mahogany; his parents Wellis and Cynthia Sullivan; sister Kristen and brother Antoine; grandparents and other relatives.
Sullivan was assigned to the 16th Signal Company, 11th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas. He joined the U.S. Army in November 2015 at age 22, and he worked as a cable systems installer.
According to Stars and Stripes, Sullivan was the first U.S. servicemember to die while supporting the anti-ISIS campaign in 2018, and the 22nd since Operation Inherent Resolve began in the fall of 2014.
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