Petty officer Jonathan LEFORT was born on April 17, 1982, at POMPEY (Meurthe-et-Moselle). He joined the navy in December 2000 in the marines section. After his initial training at Lorient, he was sent to Brest in the Marines Unit. He was thereafter admitted to commando training in 2002 and subsequently sent to commando Jaubert between October 2002 and August 2009.

In 2005, he participated in fishing control operations in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Thereafter, he was sent once more to Afghanistan. For his merits at the front, he was awarded the Military Valour Cross with a bronze star and the Serviceman Cross.

In 2008, he made a second trip to Afghanistan in the Afghan Commando School and put his professional and technical experience at the service of Afghan troops. During a training briefing operation, he came under rebel gunfire. Thanks to his cold headedness and accurate appraisal of the situation, his unit pushed back the rebels. He was commended the second time and was awarded the military valour cross with a bronze star.

In September 2009, he joined Commando Trépel. In 2010, he was sent to Afghanistan for the third time.
In the night of December 17 breaking 18, 2010, during an operation carried out in the Tagab district, while his unit was besieging a suspected building, a fight erupted with a huge number of rebels. Despite the rapid air support from French and American helicopters, they could not avoid direct rebel gunfire. One of Jonathan Lefort’s buddies was seriously wounded. He himself was fatally wounded. The rapid air retaliation made it possible however to overcome the rebels and prevent a heavy toll. About twenty of them were mowed down. Air rescue, rapidly in place, could not save Petty Officer Jonathan Lefort.

This great soldier was equally awarded: the National Defence medal with a silver echelon alongside Marine bars and Overseas Assistance Missions, overseas medal with “Republic of Côte d’ivoire” bar, the Nation Reconnaissance medal and French Commemorative medal with Afghanistan bar. He was a certified military skier.