March 30, 2018

BORN: July 15, 1981

HOMETOWN: Austin, Texas

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ENTERED SERVICE: May 2005

UNITS: 1st Battalion, 325 Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Bn 38th Cavalry Regiment (long range surveillance), United States Special Operations Command (USASOC).

MILITARY TRAINING: Basic Airborne Course, Combat Lifesaver Course, Basic Leader Course, Ranger School, Advanced Leaders Course, Pathfinder Course, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Advanced Land Navigation Course, Senior Leaders Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Course, the Military Free Fall and Jumpmaster Course, and the Special Forces Sniper Course

DEPLOYMENTS: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: Bronze Star Medal (third award), the Army Commendation Medal (fourth award), the Army Achievement Medal (sixth award), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, and the Parachutist Badge

SURVIVED BY: Mother, Linda (Robert) Blanchard, father Ted Dunbar; sister Crystal Dunbar; wife, Jolinda and two daughters, Jael, and Julianna, another daughter who was born May 2018, and a son, also named Jonathan, 16.

 

On March 30, 2018, Master Sergeant Jonathan J. Dunbar, 36, originally from International Falls, Minn., was advising, assisting, and accompanying a partner force in Manbij, Syria. They were conducting a mission to kill or capture a known ISIS member, when they were struck by an improvised explosive device. Tragically John was killed during the explosion as a result of injuries.