Brice A. Pearson dies of 'wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his location'

A Phoenix paratrooper was killed Sunday in Iraq when two truck bombs detonated near a building he was in, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

Sgt. Brice A. Pearson, 32, was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Eight other paratroopers from Pearson's unit were also killed in the blast in As Sadah, Iraq. Most of the casualties were caused when one of the bombs ruptured a building wall, collapsing its second floor.

Sgt. William Fleming, a team leader that served with Pearson, said the fallen soldier cared deeply about his comrades.

"Brice didn't talk about work much off duty, but he always wanted to know how his guys were doing," Fleming was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Fort Bragg officials. "I've lost friends before, but nothing like this. It's very overwhelming."

The group had been in Iraq since August.

From the Arizona Republic