Army Staff Sergeant Gavin B. Reinke, 32, of Pueblo, CO, was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He died in Baghdad, Iraq on May 4, 2006, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle during combat operations. At the time he was helping fellow soldiers whose Humvee had been hit just moments earlier.

SSG Reinke was born in New Jersey, but his family moved to Pueblo, Colorado in 1980. He was a 1993 graduate of Pueblo Central High School and attended Pueblo Community College, where he studied Spanish. He joined the military in 1996 and was planning to make it a twenty year career. SSG Reinke was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.

SSG Reinke’s fellow soldiers remembered him as a trusted friend and dedicated professional. When he was home, he’d relax by hunting deer, elk and turkey, fishing, and riding all-terrain vehicles — basically any activity that could be done outdoors. Usually, his young daughter was by his side.

SSG Reinke was survived by his wife and daughter.