Jacob Simpson, 24, was killed Monday while he was on foot on a reconnaissance patrol, clearing a building near the northern city of Tikrit, said his sister, Kimberly Bemiss of Banks.

Simpson, who was raised in Hood River and Ashland, Ore., was a gunner on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. He was a member of the Army's 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Carson, according to a statement released late Wednesday by Department of Defense.

Simpson's mother, Roberta Simpson, lives in Lake Oswego, Ore., along with his brother, Carey. He has two sisters, Rebekah Simpson of Glenwood, Wash., and Bemiss. An uncle, Gary Simpson, lives in Hood River.

"While it's a sorrowful time for us, we recognize what he did and why he did it," said Gary Simpson. "We're really proud of the sacrifice he made." Bemiss said her brother spent two years with the Army in Germany, then was stationed at Fort Carson. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq, she said.

Simpson was born in Hood River, where he started high school. He continued school in Ashland and earned his GED before joining the Army. He was "very loving, very protective of us," his sister said.