US Combat Engineer, Pfc. Bradley Melton

US Army Combat Engineer, Pfc. Bradley Melton, aged 29, was killed in Afghanistan on Monday 16th May 2011 when a bomb detonated during a route clearance mission.

Pfc. Melton was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan and had been in the country just a few weeks.

His family were notified of the death Monday evening. On Tuesday, family and friends, including Bradley's two sons, Tristen and Preston, his fiancée, and two sisters were dealing with the shock, and remembering the man whom they're already missing so much.

"He was very family oriented, you couldn't separate him from his mother. He loved his mother very, very much, and was just a good person to be around. On a bad day, he'd make you smile. On a happy day, he'd make you even happier," Pfc. Melton's stepfather, Steve Beem, told reporters.