An explosive in Tali, Iraq, killed Talofofo native Richard Jr. DeGracia Naputi.
Naputi, 24, a specialist in the Army, on Wednesday became the 11th son of the Micronesia region to die in the current war in Iraq.
Naputi and Lt. Michael J. Cleary of Pennsylvania were killed when a homemade bomb detonated near the Humvee they were in during combat operations, according to the Department of Defense Web site.
Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.
Naputi's father, Richard Aguon Naputi, said his son's tour of duty was scheduled to end next month. The younger Naputi was planning to leave the military next month to return home to start a family with his wife Brianne and to join the Guam Police Department.
As of Dec. 22, at least 2,161 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to the AP report.