US Troops Killed In Afghanistan And Africa

Friends and relatives say Baker was smart, witty and enjoyed country music.

Survivors include his parents, Laurie Lewkowski and Mark Baker.

___

Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates

As Brian Bates' grandmother tells it, the boy she had raised since age 4 had a hard life and grew up fast: He was already a father age 17.

"A lot of young men might have walked away, but he took full responsibility, and he was by their side as best he could be," said the grandmother, Marline Tully.

Bates had two children, 2-year-old Brylie and 1-year-old Braiden.

"He was a great guy, a great husband and a great dad. His kids were Daddy's boy and Daddy's girl," said Bates' wife, Enjolie. The couple would have celebrated their first anniversary in November.

Bates, 20, was killed Oct. 27 when the Stryker armored vehicle he was driving hit a roadside bomb. He joined the military in November 2008. He was assigned to Fort Lewis and was on his first overseas deployment.