Army Spc. Aaron S. Aamot

Died November 5, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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22, of Custer, Wash.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 5 in Jelewar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

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Rural upbringing led to appreciation for outdoors

The Associated Press

Aaron Aamot was fifth in a family of eight children and grew up in a small town called Custer — a place his father referred to as the “backside of the sticks.”

There, in north Washington state, Aamot was in the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America program. He raised pheasants and bobwhite quail. He even had his own golden raspberry field on his parents’ small farm.

“Raising and showing chickens at the fair was a big deal for him,” said his older brother, Matt Aamot. “He kind of took after me.”

Aaron Aamot, 22, was killed by a roadside bomb Nov. 5 in Jelewar, Afghanistan. He was based at Fort Lewis, Wash., some 150 miles south of where he grew up.

“I still think of him as a kid, even though he’s 22,” his brother said. “He was a real fun kid. He was great with his nephews and nieces, just easygoing. He was a nice brother. I’m honored to have been his brother.”

Aamot graduated from Ferndale High School in 2006, the same year he enlisted. He deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in July.

“I’m pretty heartbroken, but I’m proud of his service,” Matt Aamot said.