Army Spc. Anthony Vargas

Died November 8, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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27, of Reading, Pa.; assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Nov. 8 in the Khogani district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

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Radio telephone operator was based at Campbell

The Associated Press

Friends and family members say Anthony Vargas worked out hard, ate a lot of meat and always had some Adobo seasoning on hand.

“He loved his protein,” a friend, Michael Swift, told The Fort Campbell Courier.

Vargas, 27, was an Army specialist who worked as a radio telephone operator. He was based at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Vargas, of Reading, Pa., died Nov. 8 in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb during a convoy patrol.

Swift, who called Vargas his best friend during a memorial service, said the young soldier always looked out for his friends.

“He was always supportive of his friends and would help you out in any way he could,” he said.

Vargas joined the Army in 2008. Neighbors said his family was very proud of his military service.

Vargas is survived by his wife, Luisa; two sons, Nathaniel and Lucas, and a daughter, Olivia; and his parents Julio and Maria Vargas.