Army Staff Sgt. Travis M. Tompkins

Died March 16, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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31, of Lawton, Okla.; assigned to Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.; died March 16 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained on March 15 when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade.

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Fallen soldier remembered as devoted, friendly

The Associated Press

Beyond being a soldier, Travis Tompkins was a devoted husband and father.

During a visit home this spring, Tompkins surprised his wife with a vow renewal ceremony to mark their 10th anniversary on March 1.

“It was the most perfect day,” his wife, Candy, wrote in an online message.

Tompkins was a military police officer devoted to leading his unit. At 6 feet 7 inches tall, he also went by the nickname Tiny and hoped to open his own motorcycle shop one day, KSWO-TV reported.

He was also a dedicated friend who loved to laugh.

“He was a fine young man, and he was a hero,” State Rep. Ann Coody, his former high school principal, told The Lawton Constitution. “He was very friendly. He would come up and befriend you.”

Tompkins was a 1999 graduate of Macarthur High School and had been an active Boy Scout.

He’d just returned from leave in Lawton when he died March 16, a day after he was injured by a rocket-propelled grenade in Logar province.

Tompkins is survived by his wife and two daughters, along with his parents and a sister. He was assigned to Fort Polk.