ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- A St. Augustine native is one of the latest casualties of the war in Iraq.

Sgt. Bryan Tutten, of the 82nd Airborne, died when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq on Christmas Day.

Tutten was killed not long before he was expected to come home.

Tutten's family described the soldier as a hometown boy. They said he grew up in St. Augustine, attended St. Augustine High School and went to St. Johns Community College before he enlisted in the Army at age 27.

They said Tutten felt passionate about joining the Army, but that the passion he had for the military was nothing compared to the love he had for the family he left behind.

"It killed him that he was on his first tour when his daughter was born, and was in Iraq when his son was born. They were able to bring him back for two weeks of emergency leave. So, he was able to spend some time with his son," said Tutten's father-in-law, Gary Peterson.

Tutten's family said Thursday it had not yet made arrangements for their loved one's funeral and that they were awaiting word from the military on when Tutten would be returned home.

Tutten, who lived at a base in North Carolina, is survived by his wife and two small children.