BOSTON -- A 28-year-old Boston man, raised in Jamaica and the father of a 3-year-old child, became the latest local soldier to die in Iraq on Saturday.

NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported that Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright died in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

Wright was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Fort Riley, Kan.

Wright enlisted in the National Guard in 1999 and joined the Army two years ago.

Wright's family said the soldier was a man who believed in serving his country. His father said his son died doing what he loved.

Conroy Wright remembers phone conversations with his son in Iraq about the improvised explosive devises that he'd seen and the local children.

"He'd give them candy, and they would tell them if something going on," Conroy Wright said.

Conroy Wright said he warned his son, too.

"I was mostly trying to tell him to stay safe. Don't be hero. Do your job. If you can hide, hide. Don't be the one who's always in the front. We talked about things like that," he said.

The Army sent a messenger to tell his father on Saturday.

"My mind is numb and my mind, there's so much going through it right now," Conroy Wright said. "I knew he'd be something great, and this is a proud moment."

Wright will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.