'The ultimate team player'

Senior Airman Bradley Smith joined the Air Force to be like his big brother and defend his country. Today, his family, including a loving wife caring for their four-month-old daughter, is mourning an incomprehensible loss.

In a release e-mailed late last night, the Pentagon said Smith "died January 3 near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations." Smith's pastor in Troy, Illinois, Rev. Jim Wiens, later confirmed the somber news to the Belleville News-Democrat. Jacqueline Lee's article about the fallen airman shows how a young boy grew into a responsible adult who chose to serve his country:

"He believed it was a good cause and worthwhile to do," Wiens said. "Both of those guys are solid supporters of the need to fight these wars. In spite of the risk, he was willing to be involved in that."

Smith followed in his brother's footsteps, and joined the Air Force in November 2006, Wiens said.

He was deployed to Afghanistan last month. He served as a tactical air command and control journeyman.

"Brad was just this real likable, friendly, respectable kid," Wiens said. "He liked to have fun, but he took his responsibilities very seriously. He grew up really hard, strong: When he grew into a man, he was a man."

Smith's high school football coach also offered some memories:

"He wasn't the star on our football team, but he loved to be on our football team and he brought that joy to practice every day," [Paul] Bassler said. "He was just the ultimate team player. I expect he was an outstanding comrade, if he treated them the same way he treated his teammates here in Troy."

The article said the senior airman's older brother, Ryan Smith, is an airman based in Texas who is preparing to deploy to Iraq. Someday, he will hopefully be able to sit down with his niece, Chloe Lynn, and tell her the father she never got to have a conversation with was a hero.

Image courtesy: U.S. Air Force