Staff Sgt. Travis S. Bachman, 30, a member of the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Kansas National Guard, died Wednesday, August 1 at approximately 5:10 a.m. when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle.

Photos of Sgt Bachman can be seen below.

“My sincere condolences go out to Travis’ family and friends,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general. “He was a man who loved his country and loved being a Guardsman. He will be missed and remembered. This country was made great and remains so today thanks to valiant patriots like Sgt. Bachman.”

Bachman, a resident of Garden City, Kan., deployed to Iraq with the 714th Security Forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He enlisted with the Kansas National Guard in 1993 while still in high school.

Bachman deployed for Operation Noble Eagle in 2002, providing security at military bases in Kansas.

He is survived by his wife, Amber, three children, and his parents, Rodney and Connie Bachmann, Garden City.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

The Department of Defense announced that a soldier based at Fort Riley was killed last week. Spc. Camy Florexil, 20, died July 24 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations July 23 in Baghdad.

Florexil was an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. His
home of record is Philadelphia.

He entered the Army in September 2005 and began serving with the 1st
Inf. Div. in February 2006. This was his first deployment in support of
the Global War on Terrorism.

To date, 119 Fort Riley Soldiers have been killed while serving in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Additionally, one transition team Air Force Airman was killed July 9 in
Afghanistan.