Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered U.S. and state flags to fly at half-staff starting Thursday for one week in honor of slain Sgt. 1st Class Michael Goble, from Westwood.

Goble, assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. Goble's unit was engaged in combat operations in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, when he suffered fatal injuries, the Pentagon has said. He was on his fourth and final tour of duty.

He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, according to the governor's office.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Goble
Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Goble (U.S. Army)
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"Goble was a beloved son and father, whose presence will be immensely missed by his family, especially by his long-time partner, Jennifer, his daughter Zoey, his friends, his fellow service members, and by the people of New Jersey whom are grateful for his service," Murphy wrote in his executive order, the 98th of his administration.

A GoFundMe page created to assist Goble's daughter and her mother, Jennifer Albuquerque, has raised more than $152,000.

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