Colorado Springs – Jeffrey Avery had every intention of becoming a police officer after he got out of the Army.
The 19-year-old from Colorado Springs was serving as a military police officer in Muqudadiyah, Iraq, when he was killed Monday by an improvised explosive device that detonated during checkpoint operations.
Avery, who graduated from Coronado High School in 2005, was serving with the 42nd Military Police Brigade, based at Fort Lewis, Wash.
“He was an awesome kid,” said Angel Madonna of Peyton, who was Avery’s friend.
She said he attended Pikes Peak Community College, where he majored in criminal justice, and then “he decided that he wanted to serve his country.”‘
On Avery’s MySpace page, he said that he liked the outdoors, hunting, camping and fishing.
“Fun stuff like that,” he wrote.
His MySpace page shows a picture of the tattoo he had on his chest – a U.S. flag and an eagle with 9-11-01.
Avery is the second Colorado soldier to die in Iraq in a week.
Cpl. Wade J. Oglesby, 27, was one of two soldiers killed April 18 in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
