Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian K. Joplin, 32, was assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15, based out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. He was deployed to Iraq in June.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. today at Wings Auditorium on the base.

Public Affairs Officer Robert Torres said Thursday the accident still was under investigation but Joplin was on the rear ramp of the helicopter traveling through Bahrain while en route to Kuwait when he fell. It is believed there was a problem with his safety harness but details are unclear, Torres said.

Friends said Joplin was a talented mechanic. Before he was deployed, the Hugo, Okla., native spent his Memorial Day weekend working on a vintage B-25 Mitchell Bomber, much like one his grandfather, a decorated veteran, flew in World War II.

"He was an exceptional mechanic and gifted self-starter," said Master Chief Petty Officer Jon Port, Joplin's colleague, neighbor and friend. "Had he not given his time, (the B-25) would not have been repaired. But he had a strong commitment to his craft and the uniform. That was the kind of man he was."Joplin is survived by wife Belinda and two daughters, Alicia, 8, and Tori, 11, all of Corpus Christi. Torres said Joplin's remains were expected to arrive in Delaware Thursday evening but services were still pending.

Port, who described Joplin as a loving father and husband, said his friend also had a keen sense of humor. Joplin, an avid Oklahoma Sooners fan, took great pride in ribbing his friends before the Cotton Bowl.

"God bless him, he loved the Texas teams, but this weekend he would have been flying an Oklahoma flag out front," Port said.