Pfc. Satieon V. Greenlee, 24, leaves behind a toddler and a baby.

Mr. Greenlee was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, N.Y., according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

"He just got to Iraq about three weeks ago," said his older sister Toya Bowman of Anderson.

Ms. Bowman, 28, said her brother joined the U.S. Army about 15 months ago because he wanted to be able to provide for his wife and two young boys. Quintieon is 2 years old and Kwamaine is 7 months old.

"He just wanted to make sure he took care of his wife and his boys," she said. "He just wanted to provide for them and make sure they were secure. He went in there with just no fear at all."

At least 42 soldiers with South Carolina ties have died in Iraq so far.

Ms. Bowman said she thought it was brave of her brother, who attended Pendleton High School, to do what he did. She said her brother was easy going, fun loving, laid back and an all-around good person.

Cheryl Bennett Greenlee, Mr. Greenlee’s mother, said he had just celebrated a birthday on Sept. 27. On that day she spoke to her son’s wife, Natasha Brown Greenlee, on the phone while his wife was talking to him online, she said.

"He said happy belated birthday to me and he loved me," his mother said.

His mother’s birthday was Sept. 9, she said.

Four soldiers were also killed on Monday northwest of Baghdad by an explosive. A Marine died Sunday in Anbar province; another Marine died Saturday, also in Anbar province. As of Tuesday, at least 2,730 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,163 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 20,687 U.S. service members have been wounded, according to a Defense Department tally.

Associated Press contributed to this story.