Army Spc. Kyle J. Wright

Died January 13, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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22, of Romeoville, Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Jan. 13 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province.

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9/11 caused him to enlist in Corps

The Associated Press

Kyle J. Wright’s choice to join the military, following the path of his father and grandfather, had roots in Sept. 11.

“He decided [to enlist] when he was sitting in a classroom watching the Twin Towers fall,” Richard Wright said of his son, whom he called “a hell of a standup kid.”

Kyle Wright went on to be a member of the Marine Corps JROTC program at Romeoville High School in his hometown of Romeoville, Ill., before graduating in 2006.

“He was just an unbelievable guy, wildly popular among the band of brothers that he served with,” the elder Wright said.

The 22-year-old died Jan. 13 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds from a roadside bombing earlier that day. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., where he fell in love with a girl who stole his heart.

He “was the toughest, smartest, bravest man, and I don’t just say that because he’s my son,” Richard Wright said.

Kyle Wright was on his first deployment in Afghanistan, where he was interested in improving the treatment of women and used his fluency in Arabic to explain the culture to fellow soldiers, his father said.

Survivors include his mother and stepmother; and several siblings.