South Jersey soldier killed in drone attack. What we know about Sgt.William Rivers

Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Updated ·2 min read

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A former Willingboro man was among three Army Reservists who died in a drone attack in Jordan, the Defense Department says.

Sgt. William J. Rivers, 46, died in the Jan. 28 attack with Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, both of Georgia.

They died when a drone, identified as a "one-way unmanned aerial system," struck their housing units.

Gov. Phil Murphy said he will sign an executive order later this week lowering flags to half staff in Rivers' honor.

He expressed sympathy for the soldiers' families and gratitude for the military members "bravery and sacrifice."

The soldiers' deaths, in an attack blamed on an Iran-linked militia, have left "an indelible mark on the United States Army Reserve,” said Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, chief of Army Reserve.

More: Official condolences pour in for Willingboro’s Sgt. Rivers

Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, formerly of Willingboro, was one of three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who died Jan. 28, 2024, during a drone attack on their housing units in Jordan.
Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, formerly of Willingboro, was one of three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who died Jan. 28, 2024, during a drone attack on their housing units in Jordan.

“We are reminded that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe,” said Brig. Gen. Todd Lazaroski, commanding general, 412th Theater Engineer Command.

Rivers enlisted in the Army Reserve as an interior electrician in 2011. A Willingboro resident at that time, he initially served at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

He more recently lived in Carrollton, Georgia, and was assigned to nearby Fort Moore.

Services for Rivers are to be held in Georgia, a military spokesperson said Tuesday.

“We mourn the loss of any service member," Carrollton Mayor Betty Cason said Monday. "We are especially saddened by the loss of one of our own, Sgt. Will Rivers, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country."

He was first assigned to a unit at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the 990th Engineer Company at the Joint Base.

During his service, Rivers completed a nine-month rotation to Iraq in 2018 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. He earned the Inherent Resolve campaign medal with campaign star.

He was assigned last year to the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade at Fort Moore, Georgia.

Among other honors, he received the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Former Willingboro resident among three killed in Jordan drone attack