Patriot News -- On Saturday, Staff Sgt. Keith A. Bennett told his sister again he was looking forward to coming home.

The 32-year-old staff sergeant, in his sixth month of a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq, longed to ride his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, drive his black 2003 Mustang Cobra and finally move ahead with plans to become a state trooper, or perhaps start a disc jockey business.

But mostly, he wanted to be home in Holtwood in southern Lancaster County with his sister, Tina Daley, his parents, Tom and Carolyn, and his friends.

On Sunday, the day after Daley communicated with her brother by e-mail, she received a call from her mother.

Daley's brother -- her only sibling -- had been killed earlier in the day in a car bombing.

Military officials said Bennett died heroically, and that his actions might have saved two dozen lives. He was the 22nd member of the Pennsylvania National Guard to die in combat in Iraq since the U.S.-led war began in March 2003.

"It's something I always had in the back of my mind. I just never thought it would be him," Daley, fighting back tears and her voice trailing off, said yesterday in Harrisburg.

Bennett was stationed in Iraq with the Johnstown-based 28th Military Police Company infantry division of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He was killed when he walked up to an explosives-packed vehicle whose driver was trying to approach an Iraqi police compound staffed by 20 to 30 U.S. Marines, Iraqi police and civilian contractors, said Bennett's friend and fellow guardsman Sgt. Benjamin Claus.

When the driver realized he was not going to be allowed to advance closer to the compound, he detonated the bomb, military officials said.

"He always put his troops' needs before his own," Claus said at a news conference at the unit's headquarters in Harrisburg.

Bennett volunteered to work shifts and usually brought along extra supplies to share with others, Claus said. He described Bennett as kind and compassionate, always ready with a quick joke, yearning to be with his family.

"He would always talk about his family, especially his sister," said Claus, flanked by other military personnel and a decorated 5-foot Christmas tree topped with three small American flags.

As Claus spoke, Daley and other relatives choked back tears and dabbed their eyes with tissues.

"You never forget the possibility anyone can get killed over there at any time," said Claus, who lives in Blairsville, Indiana County. Two other guard members were injured in the blast.

"We've lost a great soldier," Guard chaplain Bruce Farrell said.

After the news conference, Daley hugged Farrell and, with her voice cracking, said, "I'm so proud of him."

Bennett was a 1991 graduate of Solanco High School in Quarryville and received a technical degree in computer-aided drafting and design from the York Technical Institute. He joined the Guard in February 1997 and served in Operation Desert Spring in Kuwait from August 2002 to June 2003 before returning with members of his Guard unit to patrol and train at Fort Indiantown Gap.

"He knew he'd eventually have to go back," Daley said.

Since March 2003, at least 2,149 U.S. soldiers have been killed and 15,955 have been wounded in Iraq. In U.S. fighting in Afghanistan, at least 253 soldiers have been killed and 654 wounded.

In a speech in Philadelphia on Monday, President Bush, when asked about Iraqi casualties, said, "I would say 30,000 more or less have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis."

In a statement yesterday, Gov. Ed Rendell said, "Sgt. Bennett proudly represented Pennsylvania and his country and, sadly, made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Midge and I extend our deepest sympathies to the Bennett family during this difficult time and continue to pray for the safe return of all military personnel. I encourage all Pennsylvanians and all Americans to remember and pray for our brave military personnel during this holiday season and always."

Bennett's remains will be flown to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and returned to his family. Funeral arrangements are pending.