Body of slain Dawson Co. soldier arrives Thurs.

DAWSONVILLE - A plane carrying the body of a slain staff sargeant from Dawsonville is scheduled to arrive in Atlanta Thursday.

A spokesman for the Patriot Guard said they've been invited to stand in honor of SSG. Alexander G. Povilaitis when the plane lands around 9:40 a.m. at Dekalb Peachtree Airport.

He said they will also be escorting the body to its final resting place, Georgia National Cemetery, following a memorial service Saturday in Atlanta.

Povilaitis had served two tours in Iraq before deploying to Aghanistan, where he was killed May 31 by an improvised explosive device, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The 47-year-old was assigned to 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, and stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.

According to unit records, Povilaitis entered the Army in February 1984, and he served three years as a single channel radio operator. He had a break in service until March 2008, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve.

On Sept. 23, 2008, he re-entered the active duty and reported to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for more training. He was twice deployed to Iraq from the White Sands Missile Range, in New Mexico, and then was transferred to the base in Washington state in June 2011.

Povilaitis deployed with his new unit to Afghanistan in July 2011 on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

He was a decorated solider with medals, including the Bronze Star and three Army Commendation Medals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.