Killed by a Taliban bomb, the devoted teenage mother who joined the military to fund her dream of becoming a nurse

Tragic loss: 19-year-old mother Sarina Butcher is the first female Oklahoma National Guard soldier to be killed during wartime and the youngest Oklahoma citizen-soldier to die in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan

A 19-year-old mother serving with the National Guard has been killed in Afghanistan after the vehicle she was traveling in was hit by a Taliban roadside bomb.



Private First Class Sarina Butcher of the Oklahoma National Guard was off supporting her three-year-old daughter and career dreams when killed on Tuesday during a resupply mission in the country's Paktia province.



A second soldier, Specialist Sergeant Christopher Gailey, 26, a father to a three-year-old girl, was also killed in the explosion.

The bodies of the two soldiers were flown back to Dover Air Force base, Delaware yesterday.

An aspiring nurse, Ms Butcher joined the national guard to help finance and pursue her career dreams while also helping to support her young daughter Zoey.



Her grandmother, Martha Wills, described her as a much-loved daughter, sister, granddaughter and mother.

'My husband is so proud of her, actually we all are,' Mrs Wills told Tulsa World of her husband who was also in the military.

'My son, he’s so torn right now,' she described the 19-year-old's father.

In her mere 18 months of service with the Guard, Ms Butcher stood decorated with several ribbons and awards.



Family left behind: Sarina Butcher is seen holding her daughter Zoey, now two, and former-husband Timmy Butcher

Posthumously honored: Ms Butcher (left) will be promoted to the rank of specialist after serving as an automated logistical specialist since 2010

Posthumously she will be promoted to the rank of specialist.

'She was very proud to be in the military,' family friend Patty Brown told Tulsa World of Ms Butcher's service as an automated logistical specialist after joining the Guard in April of 2010.



'She joined the military to follow in her grandfather's and brother's footsteps,' Ms Brown said.



Close to Ms Butcher, Ms Brown said she took care of Zoey when her mother was away from home.

She says the last time she spoke with her daughter was on Sunday, asking her how she was doing after hearing news that her grandfather had died recently.

'She was very thoughtful, someone you could always count on,' Brown said.

Self portrait: Private Butcher takes a photograph of herself in the mirror during her tour in Afghanistan

Private First Class Sarina Butcher, 19, of Checotah was assigned to the 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Tulsa but was tragically killed in November

Entering Jami Butcher's life after marrying her brother Timmy after a first date where she pushed him in a wheelchair through a local mall, she said, 'she always said she didn't want to be forgotten,' to the Tulsa World, before reminiscing on her strong Southern accent she'll miss.

'It wasn't forgotten, it was forgot ten. Her little accent,' she recalled of her former sister-in-law.

'I just loved it. Grew on you real hard,' her former father-in-law added.



Her daughter has since gone to Arkansas to be with her grandmother which is where Ms Butcher will be buried.

Fourth District U.S. Representative Mike Ross, D-Ar., on hearing Ms Butcher's death remarked, 'Another American hero was tragically taken from us in the line of duty.

'Private First Class Sarina Butcher was a mother, daughter, and a brave and dedicated soldier who put her life on the line in service to her country.

'We will be forever grateful for her selfless sacrifice,' he said.

Ms Butcher is the first female Oklahoma National Guard soldier to be killed during wartime and is also the youngest Oklahoma citizen-soldier to die in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to a release.

'My thoughts and prayers are with her mother, father, daughter and the rest of her family and friends during this very difficult time,' Mr Ross adds.

Hero's return: The body of the young National Guard Private who was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan, arrives at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware



Solemn duty: Chaplain Col. Scott Jensen, left, leads a prayer over the cases containing the bodies of private Butcher and her colleague Specialist Christopher Gailey. The pair were killed in the attack in Afghanistan's Paktia province

Salute: A senior officer shows his respect for the young private, a mother of a two-year-old daughter, as her body is carried from the plane at the start of its final journey to her hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma

'Proud dad': Spc Christopher Gailey was the 13th Oklahoma National Guard soldier to die in Afghanistan in the last three months but while alive, was a 'proud' and 'fantastic' father to his three-year-old daughter, Ally

'As we approach Veterans Day, we must remember the sacrifices our troops make every day in service to this great country and thank them for what they do.'

Maj. Gen. Myles L. Deering, the adjutant general for Oklahoma on both soldier's death remarked on both of the soldiers' deaths saying, 'The Oklahoma National Guard family is deeply saddened by the loss of these two outstanding Citizen-Soldiers.

'Their commitment and willingness to serve our nation during a time of war is indicative of their tremendous character and courage.'



The second soldier, Specialist Sergeant Gailey, was also a young parent to a three-year-old, named Ally.

'He was one of the best guys around,' family friend Heather Fugate told Tulsa World on Mr Gailey.



'He would do anything for you. That's the kind of guy he was,' she added.



But he was especially a proud father to Ally.

'He was a fantastic father. He loved his little girl,' Ms Fugate said, while also noting his fondness for the outdoors.

H ome and off duty, you wouldn't find him off his feet.

'He loved to be outside riding four-wheelers and mudding with his friends,' she said.

Mr Gailey was the 13th Oklahoma National Guard soldier to die in Afghanistan in just the last three months, according to News On 6.

A family friend told the station that his parents are flying to Maryland where they will meet his body when it's returned to the United States.

