Funeral services for Sgt. 1st Class Alfonza Baker, 47, of Virginia, will be Thursday, March 26, at 3 p.m. at Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Iron City, Ga., with the Rev. Cleveland Sanders officiating.

Interment will follow at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., with friends of the family serving as active pallbearers.

Born Sept. 30, 1961, in Iron City, Ga., Sgt. Baker died on March 15, 2009, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va.

Sgt. Baker was a 1979 graduate of Seminole County High School and a member of Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Iron City, Ga. He enlisted into the U.S. Army immediately after high school graduation. In the Army, he served primarily as an infantryman and intelligence analyst and retired in 2000 after achieving the rank of sergeant first class.

He was the recipient of numerous awards including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Bronze Star, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Expert Marksmanship Badge with Rifle Bar and Master Parachutist Badge. Other distinguished military accomplishments included the Advanced Morse Code Communications and an Airborne qualification with the 182nd Airborne Unit from Fort Bragg, N.C., and Jump Master Certification with more than 100 jumps from an airplane.

Preceding him in death was his sister, Natasha Baker.

Survivors include his parents, John Issac and Elaine Baker; four sisters, Brenda Cooper of Bainbridge, Ga., Lillian Jack of Tallahassee, Fla., Louverne Mitchell of Bainbridge and Mary Dove of San Diego, Calif.; a brother, John Issac Baker Jr.; along with a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and colleagues.

Bruton Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.